22 suicides reported in 4 months in Gurgaon(Aasra in TOI ,delhi)

Times of India Gurgaon
22 suicides reported in 4 months in Gurgaon Vineet Gill, TNN Apr 27, 2012, 03.02AM IST

GURGAON: On an average, at least one suicide takes place every week in Gurgaon. In the past four months, 22 suicide deaths were reported from the city. While this data is alarming enough, police records don't even account for the large and rising number of attempted suicides. Is this inevitable in stressful urban life, or does it show how little we care for mental health? According to experts in clinical psychology, both these points need emphasis if we are to understand suicide and help prevent it.
Dr Roma Kumar, senior consultant clinical psychologist at the Max Hospital, gets around 12-14 depression- and other stress-related cases every month. "Suicide is the thirrd leading cause of death among adolescents of 15-24 years of age. And the sixth leading cause among children of 5-14 years of age." Most of the cases reported from Gurgaon have indeed involved young post-adolescents. "Suicidal people tend to be severely depressed. At the same time unable to recognize their symptoms. More importantly, people around them are unable to recognize their symptoms, too," said Kumar. Stress and depression are common, but some have lower threshold levels and are driven to extremes by their despair. Kumar prescribes 24/7 suicide helpline and counseling centres for those in need.
Gurgaon, despite the soaring suicide rate, doesn't have a single helpline for depressives and others showing suicidal tendencies - a lack, which, according to suicide prevention activists, is contributing to the problem. "Counselling can help a lot. Simply talking can help a lot," said Honey Chandaani, a psychiatric counsellor based in New Delhi, who deals with suicidal patients. "Suicide is the culmination of unbearable stress, shame and guilt. And before a case goes out of hand, counselling can work wonders," he said. Chandaani says that offices, schools and colleges should set up workshops and special sessions for those seeking psychiatric help. As does Johnson Thomas, a suicide prevention activist, who runs round-the-clock suicide helplines across the country, Aasra. "We get about 30 calls a day from all over the country," he said. Thomas believes that in cities like Gurgaon, lifestyle changes and high-speed-living are 'making a psychological dent.' "There are a lot of people who have been suddenly thrust into jobs, which give a lot, in terms of money, and take a lot, in terms of peace of mind and stability."