In-charge Collector A. Ravinder Reddy appealed to the youth to adopt a positive approach in every issue and go in a right direction which would dissuade them from thinking of suicide as the only way out, whenever they face difficulties.
Addressing an awareness camp organised by the Indian Psychiatric Society at the Government General Hospital here on Friday, he said suicidal tendencies among youngsters have been on the rise owing to certain changes in the family system, increasing desires and the disappointment that comes with it when they fail to achieve them. “We need to extend help to those who seem to be in a mess. Prevention of suicides is everyone’s responsibility. Victory cannot be attained without tasting failures and everyone who have been successful in their lives have faced failures at least once,” he said. Appealing to the psychiatrists to strive to bring a positive attitude in their patients, Mr. Ravinder Reddy said they should conduct more awareness camps on suicide and its prevention. The GGH Superintendent, Ramulu, said globally, one person in every 42 seconds commits suicide while eight lakh people end their life every year. Suicide was not a solution to problems, he said and added that chronic diseases and depression were the main causes for suicide. Citing the World Health Organisation’s slogan Think A Minute-Change A Life, Government Medical College principal Indira said this would go a long way in preventing suicides. Physician J. Tirupathi Rao suggested to the psychiatric society to open a helpline to work round the clock for the benefit of the depressed.
Head, Department of Psychiatry, A. Vishal, urged the youth not to take extreme decisions in haste as life was precious. George Reddy, State Secretary, IPS, felt creating awareness on the issue was a major panacea for the problem.