Alcohol & drug addiction increase suicide risk in Kochi | Kochi News

Kochi: Alcohol and drug addiction are increasingly leading to suicides in the city. Kochi witnessed 13 suicides due to substance addiction in 2023, four more than the previous year, according to the latest report of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The report is significant against the backdrop of the rise in abuse of intoxicants, including drugs, among youth in the city.Dipin Das, director of Dale View Carepoint, a 150-bedded rehabilitation facility, says that from his experience in de-addiction programmes, substance abuse and addiction significantly increase the risk of suicide. “We have seen several patients attempt suicide while using substances. Alcohol and drugs impair judgment, heighten impulsivity and disrupt mood, causing intense depression, anxiety and hopelessness. Many struggling with addiction also face isolation, broken relationships and financial or legal pressures, which further worsen their mental state,” said Das.Experts say alcohol addiction can mask regular depression. “People often use alcohol to temporarily numb or escape negative feelings that are characteristic of underlying depression,” says Francis Moothedan, project director of rehabilitation centre for addicts at MOSC Medical College Hospital.He saidpeople refusing to take addicts seriously adds to the problem. “Many of them might be showing signs of suicidal ideation, but those close to them may have dismissed the comments as drunken talk. The misconception that ‘those who talk about it won’t do it’ is extremely dangerous. All talk of suicide must be taken seriously, even if it is from an addict,” said Moothedan.Meanwhile, family problems continue to be the leading cause of suicides in the city, with 226 suicides happening due to the same. However, this is far less than the previous year, which saw 280 suicides for the same reason. The city recorded 337 suicides in 2023, out of which 67 were women. In 2022, the city recorded 347 suicides. Senior consultant psychiatrist S D Singh said that due to the general Malayali’s hesitance to accept the concept of mental health, early diagnosis of those with suicidal ideations is not happening. “Those who abet suicide is one thing, but what about those who fail to identify the symptoms? If it is a teacher who puts the stress on a student, it is the parent who should identify that he/she is facing this stress. Why is this parent hesitant to take the child to a psychiatrist?” said Singh.He stressed that psychiatrists must increase fieldwork and community outreach, much like general practitioners did during the pandemic, to de-stigmatize and simplify access to mental healthcare.