{"id":2488,"date":"2016-09-27T09:43:32","date_gmt":"2016-09-27T15:43:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wholeperson.com\/blog\/?p=2488"},"modified":"2016-09-27T13:08:59","modified_gmt":"2016-09-27T19:08:59","slug":"suicide-addiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wholeperson.com\/blog\/suicide-addiction","title":{"rendered":"Suicide and Addiction: What You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

by\u00a0Michelle Peterson<\/strong><\/p>\n

Suicide and Addiction<\/h1>\n

Suicide can destroy lives, but for all of its power it is still one of the least talked-about dangers facing Americans today. There is such a stigma associated with self-harm that many people are reluctant to talk about it or even face that a loved one might be in danger. It\u2019s extremely important to raise awareness about suicide so that friends and family of those at risk will know what to look for.<\/p>\n

Some of the most at-risk individuals include people suffering from PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder include: people living with depression or other mood disorders; veterans; and those living with substance abuse issues. Drugs and alcohol<\/a> play a big part in suicide rates for teens and adults in the U.S., in part because they both mask and exacerbate the symptoms of serious mood and mental health disorders. In fact, individuals who suffer from alcohol addiction are six times<\/a> more likely to commit suicide than the general population.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe connection between substance abuse and suicide has not been sufficiently well understood. People in both the mental health and substance abuse fields have likely had experiences that would demonstrate the connection, but I think that probably few appreciate the magnitude of the relationship between substance abuse and suicide,\u201d says SAMHSA\u2019s<\/a> Public Health Adviser Richard McKeon.<\/p>\n

Drugs and alcohol may be used to lighten the mood at parties, but for some, these substances lean toward the darker side of a mood and heighten feelings of hopelessness because they alter<\/a> the way the brain works. When you ingest a drug, it interferes with the way neurons both send and receive information, as well as the way they process it. Some drugs can even make neurons malfunction, causing them to release overwhelmingly large amounts of neurotransmitters. This extra commotion sometimes causes disruptions in neural communication \u2014 in other words, your brain has trouble sending signals and commands to your body.<\/p>\n

For some, this can explain that dizzy feeling you get after having too much to drink. For others, it offers insight into why it might be difficult to register what someone else is saying to you after you\u2019ve ingested large quantities of cocaine. But it offers interesting perspective into the idea of using drugs and alcohol as a buffer in social situations: though for many it can put an anxiety-ridden mind at ease, for some it can actually make socializing even more difficult. When you\u2019re having trouble functioning properly, it makes interactions with others awkward at best, and impossible at worst. This certainly does no favors for those longing for social connection but dependent on substances to find it, and may even lead to added distress over repeated failed attempts to \u201cfit in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drug and alcohol use also causes judgement to be impaired, and the tendency to act upon a thought without thinking it through clearly means that once the individual feels like suicide is the only option, they are that much more likely to act upon it. For this reason, it\u2019s imperative that individuals who suffer from addiction do not have access to weapons, especially guns, and that they have a strong social and familial support system. Because substance abuse is a destroyer of relationships, this can be difficult to achieve.<\/p>\n

\"DepressedBecause isolation is common in people living with a substance abuse disorder, it\u2019s important for friends and family to know what to look for where suicidal thoughts are concerned. Warning signs may not be overt, but there will likely be some<\/em> indication that the individual is thinking about self-harm. These can include:<\/p>\n