We hear from Jyothi, HealthServe’s Crisis Helpline Specialist, as she recounts her story with Vihaan (not his real name), a migrant brother who came down with chicken pox one day after starting work in Singapore. 

“As a Crisis Helpline Specialist, I encounter a wide range of cases, each with unique challenges and needs. Vihaan was one such caller. 

Vihaan is a young migrant worker from India. After arriving in Singapore and completing the work permit formalities, Vihaan started work, feeling the usual blend of anxiety, nerves, and excitement that often makes up one’s first day.  

Shortly after, Vihaan contracted chicken pox. He found himself quarantined and isolated. 

To make matters worse, this was the 23-year-old’s first time being away from his family. All these factors compounded Vihaan’s loneliness, which he struggled to cope with. The more that he thought about his situation, the more anxious he became.  

The first time I spoke to Vihaan, he was very happy to speak in Tamil. Vihaan was new to Singapore; his dorm members were all Bangladeshis, and he couldn’t speak or understand their language. He could not communicate well in English either, being barely able to express his thoughts in this foreign tongue.  

Upon hearing my voice, Vihaan broke down and confessed that he was feeling homesick, and he told me that my voice reminded him of his mother, whom he was very attached to. He told me about how he had come to Singapore with so many dreams, and now, how badly he wanted to go back home. He was deeply distressed, and I spent that first call providing him with support and teaching him some self-care tips. 

In the weeks that followed, our helpliners would speak to Vihaan a few times a day. Once, I asked him why he kept calling us, seeing as he sounded alright while we spoke, to which he replied, “Once I cut your call, all the thoughts start to come in and I start feeling alone and anxious again.”  

Throughout this period of distress, the Crisis Helpline team members remained on standby to speak with him whenever he called. We did not want to take any risks. We helped him cope by providing a listening ear, and by being there for him in his time of need. In return, Vihaan confided that he found our conversations comforting; he felt lost in this big city, and he had found motherly love in us. 

About a month after his first call to our Crisis Helpline, I gave Vihaan a call to check on his coping. He sounded happy to receive my call and told me that he had transferred to another dormitory where he had many friends.  Over the call, I reiterated the importance of self-care and advised him to call HealthServe anytime he needs help or advice, to which he cheerfully agreed.    

As I placed the phone down that day, I felt a warm sense of pride and accomplishment in knowing that I had helped Vihaan overcome his challenges, reaffirming my belief in the importance of my role as a Crisis Helpline Specialist. 

Being a Crisis Helpline Specialist is very rewarding, but can sometimes be emotionally taxing as well. As helpliners, we provide our callers a safe space to talk, first and foremost. We then assess their risk and connect them to emergency services or mental health professionals as needed. Sometimes, continuous exposure to other’s distress can cause burnout in us, but we overcome that by seeking team members’ guidance and support, as well as through group supervision and debriefing sessions.  

Beyond all, helping people through difficult times gives me a great sense of satisfaction, as I know that I have made a difference in someone’s life.”

If you’re looking to give back to the migrant worker community in Singapore, consider signing up as a Crisis Helpline Volunteer* with HealthServe today!
*Training will be provided.

Find out more at https://healthserve.org.sg/volunteer/