Suicide kills over 7,20,000 people every year, and I would admit that I have been there, too. I was fascinated with the idea of a new life, wherein I no longer had to be myself, where things would have been different. The life that I am currently living feels like a struggle, and I feel extremely lonely. My career was plunging, and so were my relationships with others. It was then that I underwent therapy, and life has not been the same since then.

Here are a few things you should know, as per counsellor Sam Dylan Finch, who was once suicidal

You Are Not As Lonely As You Feel

Many individuals in crisis believe that no one cares about them, leading to feelings of shame or fear that prevent them from opening up. This often results in further withdrawal and isolation. While it may seem like everyone is preoccupied with their own lives, the reality is that people are often unaware of what is going on in someone else’s mind. If they knew, they would likely be willing to listen or help in any way possible.

Distress Can Cloud Solutions

During a crisis, distress can be overwhelming, making it seem like the only reality. The natural urge to escape pain can lead to thoughts of suicide as a seemingly immediate relief. However, this is often a case of tunnel vision—a perspective that distorts reality by presenting only one possible outcome. This perception is misleading.

Whether facing loneliness, abuse, job insecurity, or any other challenge, no situation is insurmountable. Solutions may exist, even if they are not immediately visible, which is why it is essential to allow yourself time.

Nothing Is Final Until It Is Over

In a crisis, feeling trapped is common. You may believe that you have lost all chances at the life you desired or that a meaningful relationship is permanently severed. However, suicidal thoughts often arise from desperation and helplessness—emotions that are not permanent. In this case, focusing on facts can give you clarity.

Emotions Are Temporary

No matter how overwhelming loneliness, hopelessness, or anger may feel now, these emotions will change over time. They are not permanent states. Circumstances evolve. Mistakes or missteps do not mean the end of opportunities. Continuing to move forward provides a chance to regain control and make positive changes.

Finding Meaning In Life

Chronic health conditions, emotional struggles, or a lack of fulfillment can make life seem pointless. When joy and significance appear absent, giving up might feel like the only option. Yet, life does hold meaning. The challenge is to recognize or create it. It may not always be grand or transformative, but it is there. Identifying personal strengths, past goals, and meaningful connections can help you rediscover purpose.

Mistakes Do Not Define You

Struggles can lead to actions or words that cause pain, intensifying feelings of guilt and self-doubt. It is common to believe that those who are hurt are better off without you, which can further reinforce negative thoughts. However, the fact that someone feels hurt often indicates that they care. This can serve as motivation to apologize, seek reconciliation, or repair relationships. Everyone makes mistakes. Acknowledging them and taking steps to improve allows for personal growth and the opportunity to rebuild relationships—including the one with yourself.

Time Can Help Ease Pain

Suicide is often described as a permanent solution to temporary struggles. While some problems may not be temporary, time allows for healing and change. Trauma and loss do not disappear, but they can be processed in a way that allows for a fulfilling future. The key is giving life the opportunity to unfold in unexpected and positive ways.

Future Remains Unwritten.

Living with uncertainty takes courage. The unknown can be intimidating, and fear of future hardships can prevent forward movement. However, the future is unpredictable. While difficulties may arise, so too can unexpected joys and opportunities. Preparing for potential challenges is wise, but it is equally important to remain open to positive possibilities.

So, no matter how bad the situation gets, there is always hope. If you or someone around you is feeling suicidal, you can call 911 (US), 111 (NHS UK). There are various other suicide prevention helpline numbers available in India and other countries. Remember, ending your life is never the solution.

Emergency rooms are handing out significantly fewer opioid prescriptions to people experiencing lower back pain. Researchers reported in the Annals of Emergency Medicine on July 12 that the rate of opioid prescriptions for back pain in ERs dropped by more than half between 2016 and 2022.

Dramatic Decline in Opioid Prescribing

Just a few years ago, in 2016, almost one out of every three visits to the ER for back pain ended with a prescription for opioid painkillers. But by 2022, that number had fallen dramatically to just over one in ten visits. This big drop means that doctors are learning from the available information and changing the way they practice medicine, especially as more people become aware of the widespread problems caused by opioid addiction. It's a positive sign that medical professionals are actively working to curb the opioid crisis.

Understanding the Study and Patient Experience

To figure this out, researchers looked at records from nearly 53 million ER visits for low back pain that happened between 2016 and 2022. These records were gathered by a national health statistics centre. The study found that when people went to the ER for back pain, they were usually in a lot of discomfort, rating their pain at more than 7 out of 10. On average, they had to wait about 37 minutes before a doctor saw them and spent around four hours in the emergency room getting treatment.

Why Opioid Usage Is Risky For Patients

A 2023 study even found that opioids may not be as effective for back pain. Published in the JAMA network, a 2023 study conducted a trial on those who were experiencing back pain. The trial involved 347 adults who had been experiencing pain for up to 12 weeks. Everyone in the study received standard care, which included reassurance, advice to avoid bed rest, and encouragement to stay active. Half of the participants also received a combination of oxycodone and naloxone (an opioid), while the other half received a placebo (a dummy pill).

The study also revealed that while side effects were similar for both groups, there was a significant difference in the risk of opioid misuse. One year later, 20% of the participants who took opioids were at risk of misusing them, compared to only 10% of those who received the placebo. This suggests that even for short-term pain relief, opioids carry a greater risk of future misuse.

NSAIDs Emerge as Preferred Treatment

Now, when you go to the ER with low back pain, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, often called NSAIDs (like ibuprofen), are the most common painkillers prescribed. They're given to almost 29% of patients. It's not just about prescriptions either; fewer patients are actually given opioids while they are being treated in the ER. That number went down from 35% of cases in 2016 to less than 25% by 2020, showing a clear shift away from immediate opioid use during emergency care for back pain.

Next Issues People Must Tackle

Even though there's good progress with reducing opioids, ER doctors still have some areas where they could improve how they treat back pain. For example, many patients with back pain are still getting X-rays that they don't really need. In 2022, about 37% of patients had an X-ray, which is pretty much the same as in 2015. In fact, in 2021, almost 44% of cases involved an X-ray, which was the highest rate. It's tough to get this number down because deciding whether to order an X-ray can be complicated and depends on what both the doctor and the patient think is best.

Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a rare type of cancer that can quietly grow in the connective tissues of the body—such as fat, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, or beneath the skin. Although it represents less than 1% of all cancers, its quiet nature often leads to late detection, making treatment more challenging.

When a Lump Deserves Closer Attention

It’s common for people to dismiss a lump under the skin as harmless—perhaps a cyst or muscle knot. However, some features can indicate something more serious. You should consult a doctor if the lump is:

• Larger than 5 cm (roughly the size of a golf ball),
• Located deep under the muscle,
• Firm and doesn’t move easily,
• Or steadily increasing in size.

Pain is not always present in the early stages. Often, discomfort only appears when the lump starts pressing against nearby nerves or tissues. Unfortunately, the absence of pain can lead to delayed diagnosis.

*Aryan’s Story: The Power of Acting Quickly

Twelve-year-old a=Aryan's parents noticed a firm swelling on his thigh. At first, they thought it was a sports injury as he had a recent fall while playing football. Since it didn’t hurt, they waited. But the lump continued to grow. When Aryan finally underwent imaging, doctors diagnosed him with a high-grade synovial sarcoma.

It was a heart-wrenching moment no parent is ready for. Yet, prompt medical attention changed everything. Aryan received surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation over several months. Now, two years later, he’s cancer-free and back on the football field. His story is a powerful testament to timely diagnosis, expert medical care, and quiet strength.

Diagnosing STS: A Careful, Coordinated Approach

Diagnosing soft tissue sarcoma involves multiple steps:

• MRI or CT scans to assess the tumour’s size and how far it has spread.
• A biopsy, performed or guided by a cancer specialist, to avoid compromising future surgery.
• PET-CT scans in aggressive cases to check if the cancer has spread.

It’s crucial to involve a specialized sarcoma team—surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists—for accurate diagnosis and an effective treatment plan.

Treatment: Experience Matters

The main treatment for STS is surgery to remove the tumor completely. Depending on the type and grade of the sarcoma, doctors may recommend radiation or chemotherapy before or after the operation.

For advanced or metastatic sarcomas, new therapies such as targeted drugs and immunotherapy are sometimes used. Research shows that outcomes are significantly better when patients are treated at specialised sarcoma centres.

Don’t Ignore a Suspicious Lump

Most lumps are harmless. But overlooking a cancerous one could be life-changing. If a lump is growing, unusual, or doesn’t go away—get it checked.

Golden rule: “If it’s growing, deep, or persistent—see a doctor.”

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the individual.

Doctors may soon have a powerful new tool to help catch a serious eye disease caused by diabetes. Researchers have created an AI-powered retina tracker that is incredibly accurate at finding diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can lead to blindness. In a news release by the Endocrine Society, researchers detail how this new AI technology revolutionizes health and eye care, bringing it to the next level.

Fast, Accurate, and Accessible Eye Screening

This new program, called the Simple Mobile AI Retina Tracker (SMART), showed over 99% accuracy in its ability to screen for diabetic retinopathy. This impressive result was announced recently at a medical conference.

SMART uses advanced AI to quickly and accurately look at images of the retina – the light-sensing part at the back of your eye. What makes it truly special is that it can work on any device with internet access, even basic smartphones.

This means eye specialists can screen patients more easily and quickly. It also allows general doctors to include eye exams during regular visits. Most importantly, it helps bring high-quality eye checks to places where there aren't many eye doctors.

Tackling Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is a condition where tiny blood vessels in the eye leak and damage the retina. It's a major cause of blinedness that could be prevented, affecting over 100 million people worldwide.

To develop SMART, researchers trained the AI using thousands of retinal images from a diverse group of patients across six continents. When they tested the AI on new images, it could detect diabetic retinopathy almost every time, processing each image in less than one second. The tracker could also tell the difference between diabetic retinopathy and other eye conditions.

Symptoms And Issues Associated With Diabetic Retinopathy

According to the US National Eye Institute, Diabetic retinopathy is an eye problem that can affect anyone with diabetes. It happens when high blood sugar damages the tiny blood vessels in your retina, the light-sensing part at the back of your eye. Early detection and managing your diabetes are key to protecting your vision.

Diabetes harms blood vessels throughout your entire body. In your eyes, this damage begins when high blood sugar changes the tiny blood vessels that feed your retina. These changes make it harder for blood to flow, leading to some blood vessels getting blocked or starting to leak fluid or blood.

Warning Signs

In its early stages, you usually won't notice any problems with your vision. However, some people might notice subtle changes, like difficulty reading or seeing things far away. These changes might even come and go.

As the condition gets worse, blood vessels in your retina can start to bleed into the jelly-like fluid that fills your eye. If this happens, you might see dark, floating spots or streaks, almost like cobwebs. Sometimes these spots clear up on their own, but it's crucial to get medical help right away. If left untreated, scars can form at the back of your eye, or the bleeding might start again or get worse.

Who Will This New AI Help?

Developing this new AI has the potential to make eye care available to a vast number of people globally, simply by using mobile technology. Experts believe this innovation could screen billions worldwide, significantly cutting down vision loss from diabetic retinopathy. It could also completely change how healthcare is provided.

Anyone with diabetes can get diabetic retinopathy, whether they have type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes (diabetes that develops during pregnancy).

Your risk goes up the longer you've had diabetes. In fact, over half of people with diabetes will develop diabetic retinopathy eventually. The good news is that you can significantly lower your risk by keeping your blood sugar levels under control.

Women with diabetes who become pregnant, or those who develop gestational diabetes, are at a higher risk. If you have diabetes and are pregnant, you should get a full eye exam with dilated pupils as soon as possible.

This research highlights how AI can be a positive force, helping to bridge gaps in medical care and offering hope to millions who are at risk of losing their sight.