Friday, 28 March 2014

Once, a young girl lived in our neighborhood...

Once, not so long ago, there was a bright young girl.

Often, the teachers praised her academic talent – she was above average in studies.   
Frequently, the friends asked her to sing a Bollywood number – she was a gifted signer.

She had dreams to fly in the sky one day. That did not mean simply to be able to purchase an airline ticket. She wanted much more –to conquer the world perhaps.

Her parents were proud of her. Yet, they were eager to marry her off as soon as possible.
And she was an obedient daughter.

So, she got married.
Soon, she had a child.
Taking care of her family became her fulltime job.

Everybody saw her doing that job but nobody knew about her feeling…
…of how she felt about the lost dreams,
…of pressures of not being financially independent,
…of the incompatibility with her husband,
…of the helplessness that nothing could improve the situation,
…of perhaps many more issues, pinching her day in and day out,

She was unable to share her feelings with her parents – they would feel the guilt, thought she.
What could she share to her husband, who might be a reason for her troubles!
Her child was too small to listen.
The friends considered her as a happily married. How come she had pent-up emotions, thought they.     

And she was not aware of any helpline. Or perhaps such help-lines did not have enough media exposure to reach to someone like her.  

One day, recently, she committed suicide.

Now, everyone is wondering why?

Sunday, 16 March 2014

Suicide by a doctor and a nurse...

March 15, 2014
Chief medical officer of 'Aligarh Muslim University' commits suicide 

March 16, 2014
AIIMS nurse commits suicide in Delhi


These news items are almost unnoticed amid the hullaballoo of General Elections.
  
       Suicides by a doctor and a nurse at the institutions of repute are like just any other incident.

But if we try to understand, it may mean that the medical fraternity is also not immune to what we otherwise presume:

That, the doctors and the nurses can get better “treatment” if required.

Perhaps it may be true only for the usual diseases, and may not be so for the depressed and suicidal…

Why?

The psychiatrists are also there in a hospital. A nurse or a doctor can easily get their appointment if needed.

Then how come suicide still finds its takers among the healthcare professionals?

Do we need something more than our usual apparatus of serving the patients?

Or the mindset of the society that discriminates between the mental illness and other general illnesses is not right?

Why can’t we talk about our depression as openly as we talk about common cough and cold?

Why can’t we discuss about our suicidal thoughts as easily as we can discuss about our kidney or liver problems.

Absence of an emotional healthcare system, integrated with the professional medical services, is perhaps another reason.

That’s why many of us silently suffer from our mental trauma – that may be chronic or acute.

Even, the family members and the workplace colleagues remain ignorant of what a depressed or suicidal person is going through…

Perhaps the timely intervention may save more lives…but first we should be ready to listen… 

...Are we?