The Times of India (ToI), Friday, 15 Jan 10: “No end to suicide spurt as 4 end lives”

Loss of such young lives, once again; with the frequency sky-rocketing and the reason for taking such a drastic step remaining supposedly ‘unknown’ in most cases.

Human beings have enormous potential for solving their own problems; look at where we have taken technology!  From the Stone Age to the Modern Age, we have come a long long way……. but ask yourself, have we covered the same distance as far as ‘emotional’ growth is concerned? Have emotions been given their due importance in today’s tech-savvy and fast world?

All of us are at some stage in our lives ‘mal-adjusted’ where living seems futile and all doors seem closed.  At this point, we require that helping hand, a shoulder to cry on, a sounding board to help us get back on track.  Sadly, in all of the four cases reported in ToI today, this seemed sorely missing.

Busy working parents, lack of quality time, an education system that is grade and not growth focussed and a general feeling of ‘who do I turn to for help?’

And the story does not end here; suicides leave behind grieving family members and loved ones  who are left with this life long feeling of guilt; maladjusted people who just don’t seem to understand ‘why’ their loved ones did what they did!

Such is the vicious circle and the solution is not rocket science, in most cases, timely ‘listening’ could have prevented such deaths.  Quality, non-judgmental listening!

Ironically, while our lives have become simpler thanks to technology and modern amenities, we still don’t seem to have enough time for the things that truly matter.

In a world where loved ones are just a phonecall or sms or ‘twit’ away, we have sadly stopped ‘connecting’ in the real sense !!!

Psychological problems like depression, rage, frustration etc are slated to surpass most medical illnesses in the near future; you can prevent the snowballing of this issue in your own small way by paying attention to a loved one’s audible or silent cries for help because sometimes all it takes is timely counselling or ‘talk therapy’ to avert such callous waste of human life.