Worrying rise of suicides in the country

India has been seeing a worrying rise in suicides. Statistics show every 10 minutes, someone in the country is taking their own life. "I always remember this line from my favourite Rocky series - it's not about how hard you get hit, it's about how hard you get hit but keep moving," 18-year old Rashmi said. Rashmi comes across as any other 18-year old. It is hard to believe that she attempted suicide twice in the past year. "I had the knife at my throat and I sat down thinking to do it or not," Rashmi said. The reasons that led her to such an extreme step seem fairly common. Explaining the reasons, Rashmi said, "I changed school, it was difficult to settle in. Then I had issues with my parents, they drove me up too hard to study and then just two years ago, I had broken a relation with a long time friend." What seems like a common problem can act as a trigger, given underlying depression. Disturbingly, young suicides and attempts to suicide are on the rise. The National Crime Records Bureau reports 20 students killed themselves everyday in 2010. "The reasons for the rise in suicides may be too much competition, stress and kids don't have the right support systems," doctors say. Suicides rates were the highest in Maharashtra, followed by West Bengal, Delhi and then Mumbai. Rashmi has been in counseling for the past nine months. "That moment, just think about what you are doing to the others, the baggage that you are going to leave behind and the guilt and the grief," Rashmi said. If you notice behavioural changes, signs of depression, disturbed sleep, or someone talking about taking their lives, please ensure they get help. Contact the following: Aasra: 022-27546669(24x7) Aasra www.aasra.info aasrasuicideprevention.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/aasrasuicideprevention email: aasrahelpline@yahoo.com