That's not the solution

HASTY DECISION

With the rise in the number of suicide cases in the City, one can’t help but wonder whether ending one’s life is the easiest solution to all problems.

Be it due to low marks in an examination or tensions on the professional front, there are various reasons why one commits suicide.

Metrolife speaks to a few professionals in the City to find out if life has lost its
importance in today’s world.

Professor Sreedhara Murthy of NMKRV College for Women feels that everything in life nowadays is confined to materialism.

He says, “The vital joys of life have disappeared. Liberalisation and globalisation have raised the self-confidence of youngsters and they are shaped by globally-formed opinions. People’s interests are dehumanised and neglected. Through suicide, they try to communicate something.”

However, Dr Kakli Gupta, a clinical psychologist, says that because of the hectic pace of life and the rising trend of nuclear families, there is nobody that one can share his or her problems with.

“As a society, we might be growing economically but we are stunted as far as emotional growth is concerned. In short, we are not able to provide much emotional support to our loved ones. We should be there for them as a family member or friend and listen
to their problems,” explains Kakli.

She also points out that depression can easily be disguised as boredom. “If someone is depressed, he or she loses interest in everything. So many times, people around  fail to understand that the person might be depressed, hurt or sad,” she says.

She informs that some people are hesitant to share their problems. “They think that their problems might be neglected. In such a case, they can talk to their parents,” she says.

She also feels that children must be taught to express their feelings. Having a support system is extremely essential, Kakli emphasises.

Anand Gautam, who met with an accident two years ago, says, “Life is a challenge and one cannot waste it by committing suicide. In many cases, people end their lives for a small thing like a relationship problem. They should realise that the solution lies inside them.”

Noopur Srivastav, an engineering student who also met with an accident sometime ago.

“I was riding my bike when someone tried to overtake me. In the process, he dashed into me and I was thrown on the road. I had to be in the hospital for a week for something that wasn’t even my fault. Similarly, most people end up paying for other people’s mistakes,” she laments. Within a fraction of a second, a person can end his or her life. But the wounds that they give to their loved ones always remain.