JOIN USWhy the extreme step?
There seems to be a steady rise in suicides in the City. The latest being the one by the depressed teenager Deepti, a student of Vidya Jyothi School, who set herself ablaze.
Counsellors and psychologists observe that excessive competition, societal pressure and lack of bonding are the main causes behind such incidents. Money and ambition have grown into problems of gargantuan proportions. They have become the main criteria between couples, at the workplace, between siblings and between friends as well. They have ceased to be ‘one of the many things’ and are now the ‘only things’ that make or break relationships.
Metrolife spoke to counsellors, police and people to understand why some people take the extreme step, without thinking twice.
Senior police officers with the Crime Department of Bangalore Police say that the pattern of suicides differ in an urban and rural setting. They point out that most of the suicides are by people who have a history of depression, financial constraints or are terminally ill and also in cases of infidelity.
“Each suicide case is a study in itself. Lack of family bonding and the pressure of being thrust in an urban space sometimes force the weak-kneed to take the extreme step. Even those who have a suicidal tendency take the extreme step,” says a senior officer.
Family and marriage counsellor Vinod Chebbi, also the director of Medisex Foundation, says that individual behaviour is directly related to one’s upbringing and childhood. “What influences you have undergone as a child will reflect on your behaviour as you grow up. In marriages, for instance, emotional detachment and insecurity can lead to suicidal tendencies,” observes Vinod. Societal expectations, individual ambitions and inability to fulfil those expectations are also a reason for depression, he adds.
People feel that it’s the competition and the fast-paced life that have forced some people to take the extreme step. They observe that it’s an age where everything is instant, be it food or even making money. Samitha Manoharan, a target software engineer, thinks that today, society is so wired towards instant gratification that the slightest setback triggers violent repercussion.
“The whole idea of ‘good things come to people who wait’ has gone out of the window. In a mad rush to get there and be someone, we seem to have lost most of the qualities that make us humane. And this conflict seems to bring out the worst violent tendencies and the people closest to us sometimes bear the brunt of it, be it our children or our spouses,” she says.
Laura Nayak, a medical practitioner, feels that most people who take the extreme step don’t think twice about the consequences of such an act. “Suicide seems to be an easy way out for those suffering. It’s an act of selfishness without thinking about the larger picture,” Laura sums up.