Suicides Go Through the Roof in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

Suicides Go Through the Roof in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh

HYDERABAD:In what comes as a major cause of worry, people taking their own lives is alarmingly increasing in the sibling states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. According to the the National Crime Records Bureau, approximately 15 suicides are committed every hour in India. As many as 14,328 people committed suicide in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh in 2013, with an increase in suicide rate by 16.1 per cent.

A majority of the people in the state continue to take life due to family problems _ 18 suicides in Andhra Pradesh in 2013. While a staggering number of 4,591 suicides nationwide took place in 2013 due to drug addiction and abuse, other major causes include bankruptcy, failure in examinations, dowry dispute, suspected/illicit relationship and cancellation/non-settlement of marriage.

There has been a 49.4 per cent increase in the number of suicides taken place in 2013 due to a fall in social reputation. The number of suicides as a result of divorce has also risen by an alarming rate of 35 pc.

With the number only set to increase further, OneLife, a non-profit organisation in the city, has started a 24x7 helpline to  counsel vulnerable citizens and create a suicide-free society.

KVS Suryanarayana, president of OneLife, said, “There is not a single person who has not tasted defeat before attaining success. We need to make people understand that suicide is not the solution to any problem. We have a group of trained counsellors who will counsel and guide the callers on the helpline,” he said. 

As of now, the helpline will be dealing with issues such as failure in love and examinations, stress, family-related issues, and social and economic problems. Citizens facing any of the above issues can call up  7893078930. The helpline will not, however, deal with farmers’ suicides.

The helpline, launched here on Wednesday by Nizam’s Institute of Medical Science director Dr L Narendranath, will cater to people of all age groups.

Pointing out that a person is forced to take an extreme step owing to the hardships and failures he faces in life, Dr Narendranath said, “In such a situation, all he needs is to talk to someone who can convince him against taking such a drastic measure. Providing emotional support can alter a person’s intention to commit suicide.”

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