The mental health hotline received more than 100,000 calls in January and is providing critical support for the mental health of Israelis as the conflict continues.
Israeli soldiers are working tirelessly on all fronts to ensure the safety of their people. Despite continuing to fight terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah and successfully thwarting the recent attack on Iran, heavy fighting is unfolding on yet another critical front. This fight is for the psychological well-being and spiritual health of the Israeli people.
Since October 7, the Mental Health Hotline has been busy providing psychological assistance and unwavering support to Israelis who share the anxiety and pain brought on by terrorist attacks and war. Medical professionals say that in January alone, these mental health hotlines, which provide psychological support in Hebrew, Arabic, English, Russian, and in some cases French and Spanish, received more than 100,000 complaints of distress. reported that there was a phone call. These hotlines ensure that all Israeli citizens, regardless of their religion or culture, have access to the mental health support they need.
In addition to providing a psychological support hotline, the Israeli Ministry of Health also assists Israeli citizens with psychological support through resilience centers that provide therapeutic services to cope with the war.
Alice, a recipient of these mental health services, told The Media Line that she is seeking help for the stress and anxiety she has been experiencing since October 7.
It was difficult for me to concentrate. Any sound scared me. I was very anxious and had trouble sleeping.
“When I heard the sirens again a few months after the war started, I knew I couldn’t take it anymore,” Alice told The Media Line. “It was difficult to concentrate. Any sound scared me. I was very anxious and had trouble sleeping,” she said.
Alice, a new immigrant from Russia, had immigrated to Israel several months before the war began. She wasn’t mentally prepared for that kind of stress, she admitted.
“When I realized I needed professional support, I immediately thought of psychological helplines. I felt an urgent need to talk to someone to express my concerns, but it was too much trouble for my family and friends. It’s already a tough situation for everyone and I didn’t want to make it worse,” Alice explained.
Although Alice had difficulty contacting the psychological support line, she knew that others needed help and was hopeful for it. “After several attempts, I was finally able to talk to a psychologist for about 30 minutes. He helped me breathe and regain my strength,” Alice reported, adding that the psychologist She confessed that she was embarrassed to have the fear until she was reassured that it was normal. .
“This support and the opportunity to talk in itself brings you back to reality and helps you cope with the pain. I felt better and was happy to get help in my native language rather than Hebrew. “It’s almost impossible to explain everything in Hebrew when you’re exposed to it,” she admitted.
To discuss the challenges Israelis like Alice face today and the support they receive through mental health and social organizations across the country, Media Line spoke to Maksivim, a social organization that serves as one of its hotlines. We spoke to Eitan Ben Itzhak Klatch, the founder of . Talia Lebanon, Director of the Israel Trauma Coalition.
“A lot of Hebrew-speaking people called the Arab Hotline after October 7th because people were desperate for someone to talk to,” Talia Lebanon said, adding that the whole idea behind the hotline was , added that the idea is to listen to the caller and try to understand the scope and reason why you need to contact them.
“The purpose of this conversation is to help them stabilize themselves, their breathing, and their anxiety by giving them tools to cope with their emotions,” she explained.
“It is important to recognize when an individual needs more support than the hotline can provide. The hotline provides initial emotional support, not treatment,” Lebanon emphasized.
The director of the Israel Trauma Coalition said that after the recent Iranian attack on Israel, the call center received about 1,300 calls, compared to the 800 it normally receives a day.
I think everyone in Israel is waiting to see what happens now. People are very anxious.
“I don’t think it’s a reflection of people’s stress. I think everyone in Israel is waiting right now to see what happens. People are feeling very anxious,” Lebanon said. added.
Maksivim founder Eitan Ben Itzhak Klatch agrees that the Iranian attack has caused a massive psychological struggle.
“These days are very stressful, and I think it might get more stressful as time goes on,” he told The Media Line.
Klutch added that some people don’t feel comfortable leaving the house because of stress.
“Even the sound of a motorcycle can be unpleasant because it resembles the sound of a car. [rocket] Sirens,” he said.
Klutch said the hotline’s staff is primarily made up of social workers with degrees in behavioral sciences, rather than psychologists.
Lebanon said the purpose of the Resilience Center, a model created in 2005, is to accommodate local councils to create their own protocols for different scenarios.
“The Resilience Center creates continuity of care by training clinicians, builds resilience in communities, and works with communities by training and supporting teams,” she added.
On October 15, the Israel Trauma Coalition, in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Health and the National Insurance Institute, opened the National Resilience Center to provide treatment to people suffering from anxiety.
“Currently, this recovery center is treating approximately 10,000 people, approximately 1,200 of whom are survivors of the Nova Party attack,” Lebanon said.
“We have received around 20,000 therapy requests and are currently working with evacuees in around 120 hotels,” she added.
Mr. Lebanon said the events of October 7 reinforced the fundamental beliefs of many people in Israel that home is a safe haven, parents can take care of their children, and the military can protect the Israeli people. He pointed out that his beliefs were shattered. As a result, there is a lot of stress among people.
She also emphasized the importance of psychological care during this difficult time. All citizens who use hotlines and resilience centers are provided with the necessary psychological support and are made aware of the importance of building resilience to cope with difficult situations.
The most important message of resiliency is to be proactive and not wait for someone to find you or reach out to you. It’s about having the courage to say, “I’m making this call to help you.” my family.
“The most important message of resiliency is to be proactive. Don’t wait for someone to find you or reach out to you. “And to have the courage to say, ‘I’m making this call for the sake of my family.'” Lebanon concluded.
