Talking to mental health experts can help: Dr Sen

Tragic incident at Presidency University campus could have been avoided, says the doctor

Arunima Purohit | NT

Bengaluru: In a tragic incident at the Presidency College's campus, Laya Smitha, a first-year B.Tech student, was fatally stabbed to death by her male friend, Pavan Kalyan. The security guards surprisingly guards did not prevent Pavan from entering the institution, even though he was not a student at the College.

Smitha and Pawan were reportedly having a violent quarrel in the hallways when he repeatedly stabbed Smitha with a knife, fatally injuring her. He then stabbed himself in the chest. The connection between the two, and the murder's motivation are yet unknown.

Smitha was later pronounced dead despite being rushed to the hospital immediately; Pavan meanwhile remains in severe condition. The two allegedly dated, but it hasn't been verified yet. After reading about the news, Runa Sen (in pic), a counselling psychologist in Bengaluru, believes this might be a case of rejection and that Pavan couldn't handle his ang er issues effectively.

"This was a very unfortunate incident. After reading a couple of articles where they mentioned that out of rejection and disappointment, he attacked her, which changed everything. It changes the lives of the people involved. But it stems from rejection, which triggers a response”, Sen informed.

“So basically, if he is was allegedly rejected, he had multiple ways to respond. He could have accepted, moved on, or learned to cope; everybody has their coping mechanism. However, what happened in this situation or situations like this is that rejection triggers an aggressive response. Thus, if you don't have impulse control, then you won't be able to control yourself," Runa elaborated. Mental health has a significant role to play in scenarios like this.

That is the prime cure for recognizing the triggers and treating them right. According to Runa, "Cures in the sense we are having a lot of conversations about mental health now and people are more aware about what their triggers are, that's one cure.

“Even in schools and colleges, there is more awareness about what these emotions do to you. Even if a teacher or a parent can recognize the reactions at a younger age, they could be corrected. Talking to mental health experts, seeking support, or even talking to an adult or guide can help cure these triggers”, she opined.

Youngsters are only slightly more accepting of the triggers or conversant with professionals. Most don't even acknowledge the need to discuss their feelings or traumas with others. Although many psychologists and professionals advocate for maintaining excellent mental health, the younger generation prefers to handle issues independently. "Yes, it is true.

To a certain extent, it is difficult even though we talk about it more and we are saying that mental health is accessible and the conversation is open, but still, there are a lot of barriers. We must remember those barriers and remember that it's not easy to admit them to ourselves. But more conversations and resources will help," she summed up