Kathmandu, Jan. 29 -- A few days ago, a 46-year-old man from Kathmandu was brought to a private clinic for psychiatric treatment for alcohol addiction. The patient told the doctor that he had invested everything in the real estate business, even mortgaging his house, but the sector has been in a prolonged slump.

When the man could not sell the properties he had invested in, he started borrowing from relatives. When he could not continue the bank's equated monthly instalments (EMIs), he started consuming alcohol excessively, according to the doctor who attended to the patient.

"The patient was brought to the hospital as a last resort to treat his alcohol addiction," said Dr Basudev Karki, a consultant psychiatrist. "Such cases of alcohol...