Where help actually lives
Every door from the talk, on one page. Keep it. Send it to the batchmate who needs it at 2 am.
Right now, tonight
Safdarjung Casualty: psychiatry is on call 24x7. Or the national emergency number. If it is urgent, do not scroll further; go, or call, and do not go alone.
Tele MANAS
You pick the language; a trained counsellor answers. No referral, no paperwork, no name required. They listen, then guide the next step, including escalation to a professional when needed.
On campus
Psychiatry OPD: New OPD Block. Walk in any working-day morning; register like any other OPD, no referral needed.
Student Counselling & Welfare Centre: VMMC building. Ask your batch representatives or the college office for this term's timings.
If it is your friend
- Notice: changed sleep, missed classes, gone quiet. You see your batchmates more than their families do.
- Ask directly: asking about suicide does not plant the idea. For many people, being asked is a relief.
- Listen: do not fix, do not compare, do not minimise.
- Keep them safe: if safety is at risk, secrecy is not kindness.
- Walk with them: literally. "Let's go together" succeeds where "you should go" fails.
Asking for help is a clinical skill,
not a failure.
This page accompanies an alumni lecture at VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital.
Dr. Shaurya Garg · MD Psychiatry (AIIMS Delhi) · VMMC Batch of 2016 · now in independent practice.
For juniors who would rather type than talk: Instagram: @dr.shaurya.garg (DMs open). More at drshauryagarg.com. Read the privacy notice.
This page is general information for students, not medical advice, and reading it does not create a doctor–patient relationship. In an emergency, use the numbers above, do not wait. Helpline numbers verified July 2026.