Youngsters who worship at the altar of love and believe the adage ‘Love is blind’ should think twice before losing their hearts. It is because of the rising trend of suicide over failure in love affairs.
If the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB)’s information is anything to go by, two love-related suicide cases are being reported in Odisha every three days.
According to NCRB’s data, 172 youngsters—73 boys and 99 girls—ended their lives in 2019. In 2020, the number dipped slightly when 61 girls and 50 boys, totalling 111 youngsters, killed themselves.
The disturbing trend has now forced parents as well as psychologists to take it seriously.
Psychotherapists ascribe it to the youths believing love is the be-all and end-all of life. These youths when face betrayal fail to come to terms with it and never hesitate to end their lives, leaving their parents who weave dreams around them weeping in silence.
“Youths develop external relationships for first time in their teenage years. In most cases if cupid strikes them, when their brain does not have significant development as to think pros and cons of their actions, they think love is the most precious thing in their lives. And in case of betrayal, their intense emotion overwhelms all their feelings prompting them to lose sense of reality,” said psychologist Dr Amrit Pattjoshi.
Now the uptick in trend of suicides by the day has become the cause of serious concerns for parents who are increasingly worried about their wards.
Some social counsellors have advised parents to keep an eye on their children’s behaviour and behave with them like friends so that they can confide in them and express their thoughts without any hesitation.
“I think these teenagers lack guidance in their houses. And parents should have a tight rein on their children. Most importantly, massive awareness can make a huge difference in checking the trend,” observed social worker Jayshree Mohapatra.