Counselling a must, shrinks say

Post the attempt to commit suicide by someone close to a suicide victim, counsellors highlight the importance of seeking professional help

By Pratibha Masand

Citing the suicide attempt by a woman whose lover had killed himself earlier in the week, city psychiatrists said it is time sincere attention is paid to the severe traumatic shock that loved ones of a suicide victim bear.

Doctors point out that the upheaval of witnessing a suicide or having someone in the family commit suicide gets compounded when there is pressure from the police, the media and society. It is therefore required that those close to the suicide victim get counselling immediately.


“First of all, it is very important for all those closely related to a suicide victim or one who has attempted suicide to receive counselling as soon as it is possible in such situations,” said psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty. It is also imperative that friends not shun the victim’s family because of the ostensible stigma the society attaches to suicides. “A suicide should be treated as an emergency because if proper attention is not given to the loved ones immediately, they may suffer from a number of mental illnesses and may even end up taking a drastic step.”

Dr Sanjay Kumawat of the Bombay Psychiatrists’ Society explained that those closely related to a suicide victim suffer from post situational stress. “The biggest emotions that the family goes through are guilt and self-blame. This is the time when most of them think ‘I could have helped avoid this’. At such a time, if the information of an extramarital affair goes public — as was the case here — then the relatives are definitely going to suffer from trauma,” he said.

Dr Bharat Shah, who consults with Lilavati Hospital, said that trauma suicides — like the one recently attempted by the 24-year-old woman—are quite rare. “The grief that one suffers on the suicide of a loved one is much higher than the bereavement experienced on the natural death of a loved one. Because of this trauma, the family cannot recover well or fast. Thus, counselling them is extremely necessary,” he said.

Doctors also said that the police should be more sensitive while handling such cases. “They should make sure that family members have either been counselled before or during the interrogation,” said Dr Shetty. “This prevents problems at both ends.” Dr Kumawat added, “The police should not reveal personal information about a suicide victim, for it can be a cause of trauma for the kin.”

Source:TNN