Crying out for help

According to statistics from the State Crime Record Bureau, Bangalore saw an alarming number of 657 suicide cases of people between the ages of 15 and 29 in 2010.

Of the 328 men who took this drastic step, around 36 did so because of failure in examinations. And amongst the 329 women, approximately 97 can be attributed to family problems.

Metrolife spoke to a few psychiatrists to understand what it is that drives these youngsters to take such drastic measures, and what can be done to help them.

Dr Prakash Appaya, says, “Generally, they begin to contemplate suicide when they feel they are not living up to their own standards. This may be because they are facing restrictions at home or ragging at college. A mental illness can also be responsible for driving youngsters to take their own lives,” he adds.

However, these are often impulsive decisions, and a little counselling and help may be enough to talk a troubled youngster out of such drastic measures. Dr Appaya explains, “If I am approached by someone who seems suicidal, I listen to their problems and help them see the pros and cons of their situation. This helps them make a rational decision.”

Dr Bhupendra Chaudhry adds, “Usually, such patients are treated with anti-depressants, or if they show psychotic symptoms, then an anti-psychotic drug. Other than medication, psychotherapy is also an option.”

Given the alarming number of such cases, it isn’t surprising that several helplines for people contemplating  suicide have emerged. Sahai, once such helpline, is for emotionally troubled people who may be considering self-harm or suicide. Lata Jacob, a clinical manager here, explains how her volunteers help such people.

“Very often, people who are considering such measures, call us. We call it a ‘cry for help’, since often they don’t want to commit suicide, and feel that if they can find any one person who understands them, they needn’t have to,” she says. Sahai’s helpline is managed by trained volunteers, and has a few mental health professionals on its board, who are adept at dealing with such situations.

Youngsters have their own share of problems but when do these amount to suicide? Dr Shyam Bhat, who has also dealt with people who suffer from suicidal tendencies, says that it has a lot to do with popular culture and media perceptions. “For instance, whenever a celebrity commits suicide, we see an immediate increase in youths taking their own lives. Often, people suffering from no mental illness whatsoever may consider this, merely as an impulsive decision,” he says.

Dr Bhat believes that these days, the nature of reporting a suicide has changed drastically. “People tend to attribute a single cause to it — they may say that so-and-so took his own life because of so-and-so. This simply fuels the idea of suicide amongst youngsters who are facing their own problems. They perceive it as a weakness and think it’s reason enough to take their own lives,” he says.