A World Health Organisation (WHO) report on suicides (2000-2012) puts India right on top of the list in Southeast Asia. It may seem a dubious distinction, but mental health experts here feel the figures do tell a story: the lack of a support system for those with suicidal tendencies, people whose cry for help goes unnoticed.

As the world celebrated Suicide Prevention Week, doctors said suicides were on the rise in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, like States elsewhere. While there have been no concerted efforts to take up a full-scale study of suicides in both States, physicians and mental health experts accept that suicides have become common and are increasing.

“Rising suicide cases indicate that we are not doing enough to protect the basic right to life enshrined in our Constitution. There is also the problem of stigma associated to mental health, and there is no serious attempt to address this issue in India,” rues Associate Professor at the Institute of Mental Health S.R.R.Y. Srinivas.

WHO statistics say the average suicide rate in India is 10.9 for every lakh people. Interestingly, doctors observe that suicide rate was higher among the southern States compared to those in the north. It is the second leading cause of death among those in the age group of 18-29, and most suicides in India are by those below 44 years.

“In the south, people are inward-looking and generally do not direct their aggression [elsewhere]. Higher literacy has fuelled high expectations from life. I feel the real number of suicides is far more than what is being reported. There is a need to have population based studies and government strategies to help desperate individuals,” feels psychiatrist K. Jyothirmayi.

What could be reason for the young to resort to such desperate measures?

“Too many restrictions imposed by parents, and above all, the growing distance between parents and youngsters. Youth with low self-esteem take solace in social networking sites. They forget how to express their emotions in the real world. They need support but people hesitate to take help from psychiatrists,” Dr. Jyothirmayi adds.

Source : The Hindu

For most people stress goes beyond the usual feeling of anxiety and discomfort. Cortisol, the stress hormone often leads to weight gain and weight loss in people. The constant worry and everyday pressures at work and home can cause mental imbalance in many people, thus leading to a host of health concerns.

Stress can lead to weight gain: Too much cortisol slows down your metabolism which in turn leads to weight gain than you would normally experience.

Indulging in emotional eating: Are you the one who tends to hog on pizzas, pastas, burgers, chocolates, ice cream etc when stressed? A recent survey has established that people who consume high fat meals when they are worried tend to put on an unnatural amount of weight.

Prolonged stress can also affect your blood sugar levels: Says clinical psychologist Dr Seema Hingorrany, “Too much worry can actually make you diabetic and also susceptible to various cardiac diseases, thereby making you put on extra weight.”
Storage of abdominal fat: When one is stressed, the high level of stress is often linked to storage of fat in the abdomen in most people, especially those who have a tendency to put on weight.

Stress can also make you lose weight…
While there are many who tend to put on weight under stress, there are others who shed kilos rapidly when under stress. Unintentional weight loss is possibly the worst way to lose weight. It affects your health in more ways than one.

source : TOI

In suicide notes, 2 MP school students speak of failing, fearing exams

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