Guwahati: The Assam State AIDS Control Society organised a unique interactive workshop on suicide prevention and other relevant topics (ASACS). Dr. Chinu Agrawal, a psychologist and psychotherapist with international acclaim, attended the special session and presided as the guest speaker.
The workshop was planned to promote awareness among organisations, the government, and the general public about the stigma associated with suicides on the eve of World Suicide Prevention Day, which is commemorated globally on September 10 each year.
In her special lecture and conversations with the attendees, Dr. Chinu Agrawal emphasised data from the NCCB that stated 1,64,000 suicide fatalities occurred in 2021, putting them on level with unintentional deaths.
The World Suicide Prevention Day topic for this year is “Creating Hope through Action,” and Dr. Agrawal stressed that there are other ways to deal with life’s challenges besides suicide. The message of this year’s theme is to remind us all that there are alternatives to suicide in order to infuse hope and brightness in all of us.
According to Dr. Agrawal, by our deeds, we can demonstrate to people who are suffering from depression that there is hope for them and that we care about them and want to be of assistance to them. She said that by our positive intentions and deeds, we can create a world where suicides are less common.