What should I do if a caller seems very low or too attached?

Most calls are light and friendly. But sometimes a caller is in a very bad place, or starts to depend on you too much. This article tells you what to do. Keep it simple: be kind, keep boundaries, share help, and flag it.

Signs a caller is very low

Listen for lines like these:

• “No one will miss me.”
• “I won’t be here tomorrow.”
• “What is the point of anything?”
• He says goodbye in a strange way, or gives things away.
• He talks about a way or a day to hurt himself.
• He is suddenly calm after being very sad.

What to do when a caller is very low

1. Stay calm. Speak slowly and kindly.
2. Listen. Do not argue, judge or say “be positive”.
3. Do not act like a counsellor or doctor.
4. Do not promise to keep it secret.
5. Say: “I am not trained to help in a crisis. Please call Tele-MANAS on 14416, or 112 if you are in danger.”
6. End the call kindly so he can get real help.
7. After the call, flag it as a welfare concern. It is never a strike for him.

The full words to say, in English and Hindi, are in the welfare and crisis guide.

Signs a caller is getting too attached

• He calls you every day, often for very long, often late at night.
• He wants only you and gets angry when you are offline.
• He says “I love you” or “you are the only one I have”.
• He asks for your number, photo, address or a meeting.
• He spends much more money than before.

What to do when a caller is too attached

• Never flirt. Never say “I love you too”.
• Never promise “I will always be there for you”.
• Never share your number or social media, and never meet.
• Keep the talk friendly and general.
• Flag the caller early. Do not wait until it gets bad.

You do not have to reject him yourself. When you flag a caller, the platform limits or ends the contact. He only sees “This host isn’t available right now.” Your name is never linked to a refusal.

Never do these

• Give medical, medicine, legal, money or relationship advice.
• Keep a sad or attached caller on the line to earn more minutes.
• Encourage him to depend on you.

Doing these can lead to removal. Your safety and his safety both matter more than minutes.

Example

Ravi calls Neha every night for two hours. One night he says, “If you leave me, I will do something to myself.” Neha stays calm. She says she cares, that she is not trained for a crisis, and gives him Tele-MANAS 14416 and 112. She ends the call gently and flags it as a welfare concern. The platform takes over from there. Neha did everything right.

Read more: Use it in a healthy way and handling rude or scam callers.