Speechless Teens

In September 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) published a report stating “India has world’s highest suicide rate among the age group of 15 to 29 years old”. It was a wakeup call for   government, NGOs and parents as well. This was not something happening for the first time. As per government report in 1999 65% of all suicides were committed by persons between 15 to 24 years age group.  Surprisingly the states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu having higher literacy rates recorded highest number of suicide in teenagers. In fact suicide rate is almost 10 times higher in southern India than the northern India. To add to agony India spends 0.06 % of its health budget on mental health which is less than Bangladesh (0.44%). This is really disappointing for a country which will be having highest number of youth in 2020.

The Culprits-

Commonly observed causes behind these suicides were unsatisfactory academic performance, urbanization, workplace stress, social pressure, spoiled  relationship with parents resulting in breakdown of support system, feeling of being unwanted, poor understanding of peer/ romantic relationship. At times people are surprised by the fact that so many highly educated youngsters committing suicides. At the same time we realize that so much focus was shifted on IQ (Intelligence Quotient) that we forgot about EQ (Emotional Quotient).

Virtual Reality –

I will like to draw your attention to one more reason which is not discussed often. All these youngsters have born after the emergence of internet, mobile and social media. They are surrounded by a number of gadgets Right from the birth. This virtual reality didn’t allow their basic communication skills to develop. Parents have always pampered and nurtured them so life has been always smooth ride for them. In the young age whenever they face a roadblock in life they get puzzled, they don’t know how to react, whom to ask for help? Rather than talking to parents they feel comfortable talking to mobile & laptop screens. Most of the times they don’t get satisfactory reply.  This inability to express yourself is the major issue. So they land up in surrender mode. UK recorded 5981 internet suicides in 2012.  Excessive users of internet were found to have high scores of anxiety and depression. Increasing cases of group suicides of strangers who met over internet has been reported in Japan last decade. In 2004 32,325 people committed suicide in this way in Japan.  

Can Ayurveda help?

Now the question is where Ayurveda fits in this scenario?  If at all it has got role to play. I will like to quote two advice mentioned in Sadvritta. (सद्वृत्त) given by Charaka the sage of Ayurveda.  

First is 

पूर्वाभिभाषी स्यात् whenever you meet a person you should be the first to greet him with smiley face. This eases a lot of mental burden on you makes you feel relax. It’s the first step towards effective communication. Dean Ornish author of the famous book ‘A programme for reversing heart disease” says that good communication helps you to stay away from heart disease.

Second mantra is

हेतावीर्ष्यु: फले नेर्ष्यु: rather than feel jealous about anybody’s success or wealth we should envy the knowledge, skill and the hard work which has yielded this success. I think this a great example of Paradigm Shift. We should always try to improvise on the process rather than just focusing on results.

If we will follow these two secrets in life the world will be far better place to live for us.     

© Dr Pushkar Puryshottam Wagh

MD (Ayurved)

Ayush Ayueved Clinic,

A - 5, Palm View, RX -37,

 MIDC, Dombivli (East)

9224349827

drpushkarwagh@gmail.com     

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