Warning signs
One such call came close to midnight from a 25-year-old professional who felt trapped in an emotionally exhausting relationship, a counsellor said.
“He was struggling with depression and saw no way out of the situation,” recalls the counsellor. “We spoke about healthy boundaries, understanding each other’s perspectives, and the importance of expressing emotions rather than bottling them up,” the counsellor said. “Year after year, NCRB data shows that ‘cause not known’ remains one of the largest categories in suicide cases,” she said, adding, “That often means the person never communicated what they were going through, even to those closest to them.
The caller believed his girlfriend had become controlling and demanding, while she felt he was withholding things from her. As misunderstandings piled up and communication broke down, the relationship began taking a toll on his mental health. The need of the hour is to nurture human connections and initiate difficult conversations.”
Anju Sheth, founder-director of the Saath suicide prevention helpline, believes many people today are finding it harder to build and sustain meaningful emotional bonds.