No one, irrespective of the degree of self-loathing, hopelessness and isolation, is beyond help (“Choosing death over life”, Jan. 31). A person under mental stress seldom seeks counselling. We must be alive to such persons and watch for signs of depression which can lead to suicidal ideation. In this, we must guard against a tendency in ourselves to think such persons to be psychotic and shrink away from them. Above all, one should be a patient listener.
Ronit Sircar,Kanpur
It is a shame that Sunanda Pushkar, the late wife of Shashi Tharoor, might have been going through a midlife crisis unbeknownst even to her inner circle of friends.
R. Kalpana,Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu