Call for help

The tide has turned ��� a job that meant great salaries, lifestyle, a beautiful home and a snazzy car has given way to complete incertitude.
The life of most Satyam employees is hanging in a balance as the company comes under a cloud. Will they hold their job or get paid in the interim and live in uncertainty ? The response of banks and recruiters is adding to the dejection.Understandably, the fear of being rendered jobless is haunting many although a new board has been appointed and the government and the industry are going all out to salvage the situation. Psychologists in the city say that whether or not they are comfortable expressing it, there is resentment and a sense of betrayal that is bound to surface.
"After the fiasco, we received many calls from Satyam employees. They seem depressed and a few suicidal," says Ranjana, director of Roshini, a voluntary organisation in the city that helps depressed and suicidal people. "We get about 400 calls a month but in the last few days, a significant number is from Satyam. The questions varied from "Why me?" to "What will happen to my family?", "Will I get a job in times of recession?"and so on..."
Well, you may be down, but not out.
Savita Date Menon, a psychologist and corporate trainer, says, "Crisis brings anger, sadness and depression. For those of you who feel depressed, remember, the time to review is when you are up. Now you are helpless. This when you need your hidden reserves of strength. A pessimistic cesspool will only drag you down. Look for motivating company and activities. Times may get tougher before they get better. This is a moment of crisis for every Satyam employee, VP and supervisor alike. Use this as a challenge to become stronger. Conserve your resources ��� emotional and financial. Take all the support you can find in parents, partner, spouse, friends."
Shanti, a senior volunteer with the helpline, feels that the concerns are right but they need not panic. "No situation is all bad. The fact that they have called our helpline is a positive indication." There is a difference between speaking to a volunteer and a friend, she said, "A volunteer is empathetic not judgmental. It allows the depressed to speak easily. Once they are calm we help them look at options and arrive at solutions."
The air may be full of negativity, but you have to find the strength to stay afloat. Think of all those B-school graduates who till a few months ago were earning fat salaries as investment bankers. Today, most are out of job! . "When you feel cheated or hit a road block, stop blaming fate. Go to people you trust and ask them what they like about you. Bond with family and friends and maintain all professional contacts," says Surekha Guptan, psychologist and relationship expert.