Mental health week

 

“SAY YES TO LIFE”

Dr. Chetasi Amjad

Doctor, please come with me, A lady came running from upstairs. I was about to leave for the hospital. I could sense the panic in her voice and enquired if everything was okay.

She replied, the maid in the house is found hanging..for a second, it made me skip my heartbeat.
It is not rare for me to see a dying person, in a hospital or an ICU set up but this kind of scene which can be usual to forensic experts was completely different for me.

I gathered my courage and with trembling legs, experiencing a whirlwind of emotions inside me, expecting a grave view, I went upstairs, meanwhile, the people who were there got her down.
A very young girl, in her twenties, beautiful she was- I must say, was lying on the bed, lifeless, ligature mark visible around her neck.
As our resuscitation ritual goes, I checked for her carotid pulse, it was absent, was not breathing either. I could make out, it was too late to start CPR.

She was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, she was declared dead on arrival.
The incident left me completely shaken and baffled. I could not sleep for the next few nights. The mere sight was disturbing as well as my thoughts were not letting me sleep.

Why she was compelled to take her own life??? Did not she have a choice??
Apoptosis- a medical terminology whose literal meaning is – suicide by the cell- is an essentially biological process to keep our body in order. It is highly regulated and well programmed. Any disturbance can lead to various diseases, including dreaded cancer.

Apoptosis-the cell suicide – rejuvenates life while this suicide – devastates many and ends life….what an irony..!
If you see the suicide rate in India, it’s quite alarming n frightening. The more disturbing fact is maximum numbers are between ages of 15-29 years.

With great dismay, I have to say, in a country of 1.30 billion, humans are feeling lonely, desolate, depressed, feeling ignored, and needed to take extreme steps.

Having so many suicide helplines, NGOs working hard still we are not able to do much…what is it that we are lagging behind? How can we bridge this gap and make things better?
It forced me to think, can we together bring the change?
The answer is a big “yes”…and that is what is unsettling …
Silence is often misinterpreted. The sense that silence, talk, listen, laugh heartily, share your joys and sorrows, fill the gap between expectations and reality, accept yourself and others as they are, accept the unpredictability.
Reach out to your friends and family, extend your hand to those who are in distress. Be gentle, show compassion to those who are suffering- that they need the most, rather than any scoldings or preaching.
If in need do not hesitate to talk to a psychologist or psychiatrist who can offer a big and timely help.
We often underestimate the power of exercise and meditation that will keep you high, releasing endorphins.
See a dream, chase it but at the same time, go easy on yourself. keep the hope alive.
Mind is a pure, divine but wild soul, drive it toward positive energy and pack the bags of negative energy and throw away those burdens from your shoulder.
Nothing is impossible for a willing heart.
Save a life -live life- love life…life happens only once. Remember,
“The choice is entirely yours.”