(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-02-18 08:56

The phone rings at the small office of LifeLine Shanghai, a helpline offering free confidential information and emotional support to the international community.

On the other end of the line is an expat overwhelmed by cut-throat corporate Shanghai. It has become too much to bear. He's contemplating suicide, but decides to first pick up the phone to talk to one of LifeLine volunteers.

The anonymous volunteer listens. The man agrees to face some of the unbearable elements in his life and promises to call back the next day. He never does.

Calls like these, luckily, are only a small part of what the trained listeners who volunteer at LifeLine Shanghai deal with on a daily basis. Often, calls are of a less urgent nature.

However, according to Tiffany Wandy, executive director of LifeLine Shanghai, help is indeed needed in the international community.

Last year, the helpline received approximately 220 calls a month, an increase of 100 percent annually since it was launched in March 2004.

"Living in a foreign country can be stressful for individuals and families," Wandy says. "Language barriers, unfamiliar norms, and the absence of one's usual support system can make the challenges seem overwhelming.

"Often, the results are anxiety, decreased self-confidence and emotional upheaval. What should be an exciting opportunity to experience a new environment can turn into a nightmare."

LifeLine Shanghai is the first hotline of its kind in the country. Although it's based in Shanghai, its volunteers receive calls from all over China.

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