Chennai: With a rise in incidents of people taking their own lives and that of their children due to depression and after having gone through trauma, psychiatrists stress the need to counsel such people and create necessary support system for them.
“Creating a support system for someone who is going through trauma is very important. No one needs his or her own space when depressed. They need family, love and positivity,” said counsellor P. Nilam.
The advice comes in the wake of the incident at Tirukovilur in Villupuram district.
“The symptoms of depression include pessimism — a feeling of hopelessness, worthlessness and helplessness, accompanied by sadness and anxiety. A depressed individual thinks the only way to get rid of the agony is to die,” Nilam said
Noted psychiatrist Nambi says pathological grief is common when an individual loses a loved one, however, not everyone can come out of it soon. “In some cases, it takes long and if they are unable to handle it, they tend to become suicidal. It is always essential for family members or loved ones to be constantly present with the individual. Probably in this case it wasn't so,” he said.
Another psychiatrist Suresh Kumar says a depressed individual tends to have a magnified sense of guilt and no pleasure at all. “However, much before the individual reaches this stage¸ those around him should be able to identify that something is wrong,” he said.
