LONELINESS ON THE RISE
THE ASIAN AGE (MAY 2004)
By Skimmy Gupta
Mumbai’s fast paced life is vibrant with people sprawling across pubs, restaurants and multiplexes. Mumbaites enjoy varied forms of entertainment and social life with their friends and loved ones. However loneliness syndrome is fast creeping across all groups of people. Teenagers to professionals to senior citizens feeling lonely regularly call up help lines to offload their emotions. Kids of all age groups also call up child Helpline complaining about their loneliness and getting bored syndrome. City psychiatrist reveals that almost every third Mumbaite suffers from loneliness in some form or the other.
Shilpa Mehra (name changed), a 41-year-old Bandra resident divorcee and a successful professional started feeling lonely after marriage breakup. Feeling extremely lonely she was afraid to go for an affair again .A depressed Shilpa would often say, “I am all alone. My life is a waste and its better to end it.” Shilpa approached psychiatrist Dr.Harish Shetty.“Her inner guilt was treated .She started writing a book and is now a successful person.” says Dr.Shetty.
Dr.Harish Shetty, a psychiatrist and a visiting faculty lecturer at Tata Institute of Social Sciences says, “Having nothing to do when free is the most important cause of loneliness. 1 out of 3 people suffer depression and loneliness is a very predominant factor of depression and disconnection. An average 15 out of 100 people suffering from loneliness have no family support and average 25-40 out of 100 people suffer amidst families.”
The Samaritans helpline gives a hearing ear to the depressed and despaired people of the city. The Helpline initiated a decade ago to serve as an outlet for people in isolation or suffering from loneliness is often flooded with almost 80-100 calls per month. Pravin Mahendra, trustee, The Samaritans states “Loneliness has definitely increased in the metro in past few years. We even get calls from married men who feel isolated at home. Our Helpline basically serves as an address for these affected people.”
Dr.Shetty reveals that people most affected by loneliness are single women and senior citizens. He adds that loneliness is fast spreading amongst the professional youngsters.” In a fiercely competitive world and rat race, a post lost at job sends them into depression. They stay alone and adopt intoxications like alcohol, smoking. They should at least understand that competition should be with self.” states Dr.Shetty.
Institute of Physiological Health (IPH) at Thane catering to people suffering from depression offers psychiatric help and conducts counseling sessions.Dr.Anand Nadkarni, psychiatrist and trustee of IPH inform that most cases of depression are caused due to loneliness.” The syndrome has also spread amongst students due to competition in scholastic sphere and demand for perfection by parents. We even had a six-year-old kid suffering from depression at home. But approaching psychiatrists and psychologist for treatment is no longer a social taboo, which is a good sign.”
Dr. Anjali Chabbria, a psychiatrist at Sunflower Hospital informs that the main causes of loneliness are rampant migration, increase of population, less human interaction, carefree lifestyle and economic disparity. She says, “Diminishing social networks and lack of emotion sharing are other reason of loneliness. It is ironical that at an average 5 out of 10 people in Mumbai are suffering from loneliness. And it might even reach is not far to 7-8 .In the years to come loneliness will be the next important disease after depression.”
SYMPTOMS OF LONELINESS
1.Lethargy and no drive to work.
2.Sleeps become very long or very short.
3.Tendency to postpone things.
4.Body ache all over.
5.Getting easily attracted to people.
6.Involve in high-risk sex activities.
7.Intoxication of alcohol, smoking.
REMEDIES TO OVERCOME LONELINESS
1.Connect with neighbors and strangers.
2.Trust people around you.
3.Structure your free time in activity of human contact.
4.Learn to live for a day.
5.Competition in profession should be free and with oneself.
6.Adopt God as a partner in life. God should be an anchor
not a substitute.
7.Physical exercises, yoga and meditation techniques.
8.Try to connect to nature as much as possible.
9.Have a healthy and good diet.
10.Enough exposure to sunlight, air and open space.
========================================
By Skimmy Gupta
Mumbai’s fast paced life is vibrant with people sprawling across pubs, restaurants and multiplexes. Mumbaites enjoy varied forms of entertainment and social life with their friends and loved ones. However loneliness syndrome is fast creeping across all groups of people. Teenagers to professionals to senior citizens feeling lonely regularly call up help lines to offload their emotions. Kids of all age groups also call up child Helpline complaining about their loneliness and getting bored syndrome. City psychiatrist reveals that almost every third Mumbaite suffers from loneliness in some form or the other.
Shilpa Mehra (name changed), a 41-year-old Bandra resident divorcee and a successful professional started feeling lonely after marriage breakup. Feeling extremely lonely she was afraid to go for an affair again .A depressed Shilpa would often say, “I am all alone. My life is a waste and its better to end it.” Shilpa approached psychiatrist Dr.Harish Shetty.“Her inner guilt was treated .She started writing a book and is now a successful person.” says Dr.Shetty.
Dr.Harish Shetty, a psychiatrist and a visiting faculty lecturer at Tata Institute of Social Sciences says, “Having nothing to do when free is the most important cause of loneliness. 1 out of 3 people suffer depression and loneliness is a very predominant factor of depression and disconnection. An average 15 out of 100 people suffering from loneliness have no family support and average 25-40 out of 100 people suffer amidst families.”
The Samaritans helpline gives a hearing ear to the depressed and despaired people of the city. The Helpline initiated a decade ago to serve as an outlet for people in isolation or suffering from loneliness is often flooded with almost 80-100 calls per month. Pravin Mahendra, trustee, The Samaritans states “Loneliness has definitely increased in the metro in past few years. We even get calls from married men who feel isolated at home. Our Helpline basically serves as an address for these affected people.”
Dr.Shetty reveals that people most affected by loneliness are single women and senior citizens. He adds that loneliness is fast spreading amongst the professional youngsters.” In a fiercely competitive world and rat race, a post lost at job sends them into depression. They stay alone and adopt intoxications like alcohol, smoking. They should at least understand that competition should be with self.” states Dr.Shetty.
Institute of Physiological Health (IPH) at Thane catering to people suffering from depression offers psychiatric help and conducts counseling sessions.Dr.Anand Nadkarni, psychiatrist and trustee of IPH inform that most cases of depression are caused due to loneliness.” The syndrome has also spread amongst students due to competition in scholastic sphere and demand for perfection by parents. We even had a six-year-old kid suffering from depression at home. But approaching psychiatrists and psychologist for treatment is no longer a social taboo, which is a good sign.”
Dr. Anjali Chabbria, a psychiatrist at Sunflower Hospital informs that the main causes of loneliness are rampant migration, increase of population, less human interaction, carefree lifestyle and economic disparity. She says, “Diminishing social networks and lack of emotion sharing are other reason of loneliness. It is ironical that at an average 5 out of 10 people in Mumbai are suffering from loneliness. And it might even reach is not far to 7-8 .In the years to come loneliness will be the next important disease after depression.”
SYMPTOMS OF LONELINESS
1.Lethargy and no drive to work.
2.Sleeps become very long or very short.
3.Tendency to postpone things.
4.Body ache all over.
5.Getting easily attracted to people.
6.Involve in high-risk sex activities.
7.Intoxication of alcohol, smoking.
REMEDIES TO OVERCOME LONELINESS
1.Connect with neighbors and strangers.
2.Trust people around you.
3.Structure your free time in activity of human contact.
4.Learn to live for a day.
5.Competition in profession should be free and with oneself.
6.Adopt God as a partner in life. God should be an anchor
not a substitute.
7.Physical exercises, yoga and meditation techniques.
8.Try to connect to nature as much as possible.
9.Have a healthy and good diet.
10.Enough exposure to sunlight, air and open space.
========================================
Labels: Medical
posted by Skimmy @ June 11, 2008
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