Teenager commits suicide; IT employee jumps the roof and commits suicide; this is a headline we all are familiar with because of the frequency with which it pops up in the news.

The experts at Capitol Hospital will talk about the peer pressure and adolescence and the stress associated with it.

Stress is very detrimental to you and in extreme cases; chronic stress or stress can even lead to suicide. Stress starts from the teenage years; from wearing the best clothes according to our peers to the professional world in meeting the deadlines and your boss’s expectations.

There are many instances in which students and professionals are under great stress.

We live in a competitive rat race world where everyone wants to move ahead and score the first goal. You end up either making some bad choices, compromising on your morals, which is very hard on your self-esteem or it stresses you to make ends meet. Either way, the loss is yours.

Suicide because of the pressure of exams and studies has become a common phenomenon in our times. Students are given so much stress to cram and perform well and all this is aggravated by the expectations the family holds.

After the study, the next most common phenomenon is ragging. As “introduction” in colleges, many adolescents are ragged by their seniors. And their failure to comply doesn’t bode well for them and they are punished for this. This tension is very degrading and straining for many, and this increasing strain and anxiety may lead to people committing suicide.

Severe stress leads to suicidal thoughts. This is common in many forms of life. It may be actors, models, and adolescent. Peer pressure plays a role too. It is no news to people the tension faced by the youngsters at the hands of their own peers.

Numerous times you see children asking for things just because their friends have it. It starts with small things, a little wistfulness, which soon turns ugly.

To deal with this stress in adolescence, students start smoking and drinking, thinking that numbing their senses will help deal with this stress, but it doesn’t work that way. They end up stressing themselves more and many new diseases come knocking their door due to these unhealthy habits.

Not long, when they start dealing in drugs. It starts as a status symbol. After few encounters, it becomes a necessity. They are no longer in control; psychologically weakened they have to live with this bad habit. All this is very stressful and can, in turn, lead to suicide if they don’t get help.

• The best way to deal with all this is to talk to people, not keep everything inside you.
• You get help when you need it. It can be from your parents, friends or your doctor.
• Don’t let the peer pressure put you in a bad Be open with your parents about the things which happen in your life.
• Say ‘No’ when you don’t feel comfortable doing something. And you have to say it like you mean it, with strong will and authority.
• Avoid stressful situations
• Don’t believe that if everyone is doing it, you have to do it too.
• Find friends who share your belief.

Your life is in your hands and how you deal with situations makes all the difference.