Seek help to discover new meaning in life, says psychiatrist

Hope is the Elixir of Life. When it is lost many go to the extent of taking away their lives in a bout of depression. Giving the message of hope to persons who are in despair, London-returned psychiatrist Madhu Bindhu says suicidal tendency is predictable. Such persons can discover a new meaning to their lives with proper and timely treatment, she says in a conversation with The Hindu on the occasion of the World Suicide Prevention day.

“One in every two persons gets thought of committing suicide at one point of time or the other. Many feel shy to approach a psychiatrist when in trouble,” adds Madhu Bindhu who set up Siri Charitable Trust here along with her husband Jammi Siva Laxman Reddy to rehabilitate such persons. A toll free helpline should be set up by the government to rescue persons with suicidal tendency, feels the psychiatrist, who has dissuaded hundreds of farmers in Prakasam district from taking the extreme step since 2009.

Persons with suicidal tendency express their feelings to their friends or relatives. “The situation goes out of hand when there is no psychological support from the family members or their friends,” adds Dr. Bindhu.

Suicidal tendency runs in families and alcoholics and drug addicts are more prone to ending their lives. ‘Completed suicide cases’ are common among men while ‘attempted suicide cases’ are more in number among women, she explains.

Noting that misguided youths accounted for one-third of the total number of suicide cases in the country, she says members of GenX browse the Internet to find new ways to end their lives. She referred to an engineering student making a suicide attempt here recently after losing Rs 2 lakhs in IPL cricket betting.

V. Sridevi, her classmate in Guntur Medical College, and an MD in general medicine, adds family members should identify the suicidal tendency in their near and dear ones and approach a psychiatrist without any delay.