Suicide and Addiction

One of the challenging moments that people go through is when their loved one is struggling with addiction. An individual’s addiction can negatively affect the lives of people around them, especially their family and friends.

Sometimes, they might not be on good terms because of the addiction problem, which might make it difficult for the addict to have a less difficult recovery. If you have an addicted loved one, this post will educate you on how to be there for them as a solid support system.

Be patient with them

When it comes to addiction, patience is a virtue. It is important to mention that the addiction recovery process cannot be rushed so that the individual would not commit to unhealthy habits that can affect their progress. Therefore, give them enough time to get better, and don’t mount pressure on them or compare them to other people.

Don’t judge them

People make the mistake of judging or criticizing people for their actions when they get addicted. When you keep judging them, you are making it impossible for them to follow through with addiction recovery.

Some of them might get discouraged and leave addiction recovery. You can take out time to learn more about how addiction develops so that you can be more empathetic to their plight.

Attend therapy sessions with them

When the recovering addict has to attend some therapy sessions, you can show up to support them. If they see a familiar face present with them, they will be happy and grateful that you care about them.

During therapy sessions, you will learn more about your loved one, and how you can help them get better.

Give them words of encouragement

One of the biggest help that you can give to an addict is positive affirmations. Let them know that there is no problem in this world that they cannot defeat.

Be their biggest fan; their greatest cheerleader. Don’t remind them of their mistakes, but keep reassuring them to be more focused on achieving sobriety.

Addiction is a powerful and obsessive health disorder that can cause rifts between addicts and their loved ones. If care isn’t taken, the rift can cause much damage in their relationships that could remain a permanent scar.

One of the reasons why addicts are regularly in conflict with their loved ones is due to lack of understanding. Many loved ones fail to understand that getting addicted is not entirely the patient’s fault.

When addiction is in play, it can be hard to control because the individual is focused on pleasing their brain’s reward system by fueling their addiction. From the addict’s view, they feel their loved ones don’t understand them.

Since addiction comes with a certain type of stigma, many addicts prefer to keep to themselves so that they don’t get judged for their healthy habits.

This is one of the reasons why addicts feel demotivated to visit an addiction treatment center because they have the impression that they will get treated the same way.

Hence, many of them prefer to wallow in their addiction hoping to break free soon.

If they get admitted to a rehab by any chance, the counselor and therapist in charge have to work towards mending the rift between the addict and their family.

The presence of loved ones in addiction treatment is often unrecognized and underrated. An addict needs a solid support system to fight off addiction. And having their loved ones around them provides this luxury.

During recovery, an addict’s loved ones provide encouragement, love, care and the fortitude to keep pushing till they are certified to be addiction-free.

After addiction treatment, the role of loved ones isn’t completed yet. They have a primary responsibility to ensure that the addict implements healthy habits that would not trigger their addiction.

Provided an addict maintains a cordial relationship with their loved ones, it would be easy for them to seek help and finally break free from addiction.

Addicts need help to defeat addiction because it isn’t something they can achieve all by themselves. The main problem that comes with this is, they always fail to acknowledge that they are addicted because of the stigma that comes with it.

If you’ve been finding it difficult to help an addict because they don’t want to be helped, here are some strategies you can use.

• Approach them lovingly

One of the major mistakes that people make when interacting with addicts, is to approach them from a prejudiced standpoint. They end up blaming the addict that they are responsible for their addiction.

Many of them fail to realize that addiction is a powerful condition that can creep in on anyone who is not careful enough.

When they get addicted, they should not be blamed because it discourages them from seeking treatment. Rather, they should be shown love so that they can be motivated to seek help.

• Recommend reputable treatment centers

Addicts need to be in the care of top-notch professionals so that their sobriety can be certain. You can do your due diligence to ensure that you research trusted addiction treatment experts that can provide the needed solutions.

• Support them during addiction treatment

When an addict enters for addiction treatment, you don’t have to abandon them at this point because this is where they need you more than ever.

They need you to form part of their support system that they can always rely on while they fight off addiction. Therefore, give them all the support they can get while they continue to receive treatment.

• Collaborate with the counselor/therapists

While you continue to be there for the addict, make sure that you’re in constant communication with the counselor and therapist.

A time will come when you will need to enforce the addicts to keep up some healthy practices that would stabilize their sobriety. If you don’t collaborate with the counselor, you might not know how to go about it.   

When someone takes their life, it is termed as suicide. And there are various reasons why people would take their life. One of the reasons why people commit suicide is because of their addiction. Now, addiction is a notable mental health problem which makes some addicts susceptible to suicide.  

People who commit suicide do not do it because they want to die. The main aim of committing suicide is because they want to end whatever pain or distress they are going through. And this is one of the misdeeds of addiction combined with mental health problems.

When addiction is in play, it modifies the brain, it changes the way the individual think, and this is why mental health problems set in. Someone who is mentally sound would think of resolving problems by meeting people who can help.

While someone who is addicted would prefer to die because they feel there is no hope for them.

People who are susceptible to suicide need to be helped because it is no fault of theirs. Once you have spotted some of the warning signs, it is crucial to draw them closer and provide help for them.

The first step of providing help for an addict is to recommend that they seek treatment for addiction.

When an addict enters for addiction treatment, the first thing they would learn is about their addiction. Furthermore, for their addiction to progress, they would have to accept that they have an addiction problem.

Once addicts can accept their addiction problem, it becomes easy for the addiction counselor to conduct a thorough evaluation on the addict and use it to create a treatment plan.

The counselor also assists by helping the addicts with their mental health problem. Bearing in mind that some of them must have considered suicide in the past. The counselor gives them hope that they can have their better lives and win their life’s challenges.

The moment an addict enters for addiction treatment, the prospects of committing suicide is greatly reduced.

Suicide is defined as the process of taking one’s life by self-induced actions or help from an external party. The concept of suicide is a personal decision, and there are plethora of reasons why an individual would want to take his or her life.

Before a person resorts to suicide, there are some warning signs that the person displays which portends that the individual is about to take his or her life. Hence, it is important to always look out for your loved ones if they’re displaying any of these signs.

Risk factors are also known as warning signs and some of them are listed below.

• Talking about hopelessness: When an individual is always talking about how hopeless or dejected they are, there is a tendency that they might commit suicide. For people like this, it is vital not to leave them all by themselves.

• Talking about no reason to live: People who are susceptible to committing suicide always talk about how unpleasant life is, and how they are tired of it. It would not be surprising if people like this commit suicide because they have been giving warning signs all along.

• Engaging in excessive substance abuse: If you find someone who excessively consumes alcohol and drugs, there is a big chance that they are contemplating suicide. One reason why suicide prospects abuse alcohol and drugs is because, they want to forget all what they are going through.

They see these substances as a means of escape. Hence, they commit fully to it.

• Anger/ Seeking revenge: Although, it depends on the temperament of the individual, people who often seek revenge are likely to commit suicide. In their quest to take revenge on people who have hurt them, they end up doing this that drives them to committing suicide.

• Extreme anxiety: Someone who is extremely agitated or anxious is clearly afraid of something or suffering from a mental health problem. And there is a likely chance that the individual would commit suicide to escape from what they are afraid of.  

Suicide is the intentional act of taking one’s life based on individual doings. Suicide due to addiction are among the major problems which are induced by alcohol and drugs.

When someone is addicted to either drugs or alcohol, there are some side effects and dire consequences which comes with it. In all countries, drugs and alcohol are major contributors to violence.

Addiction to alcohol and drugs does not just end with the adverse effects which it has on a country, it also majorly influences suicide.

Suicide happens dramatically, unexpected, and most times we wonder why the individual resorted to ending his or her life.

There is no known single cause of addiction, rather there are factors which result in addiction.

One of the major causes of suicide being committed by addicts, is mental health problems.

Now, in the first place, the presence of mental health problems could be the reason why they started abusing substances and became addicted eventually.

When they started at first, they probably felt those substances would help them get over their problems. However, it became impossible in the long run.

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When the individual comes to realize that those mental health problems still linger on, and he or she is still an addict. The next possible line of action is to take their lives.

This would seem like the best solution for them. In addition, another cause could be history of violence in the family.

Not everyone comes from a peaceful home, and not every member of the family has the mental capacity to deal with the problems which arise as a result of violence in the home.

Therefore, the person could become addicted in the process, and suicide would most likely occur in the long run if the person does not seek treatment.

Addicts need to be given hope that they can get better irrespective of how severe their addiction is. It is a known fact that as addicts, thoughts of committing suicide would cross their minds at every point.

However, with the help of a therapist or a counselor, he or she would be able to pull through and conquer this phase.

Suicide is referred to as the act of intentionally taking one’s own life through one’s own actions. There are different causes of suicide, and one of the major cause is Addiction. Addicts are at a high risk of suicide because of the want to end whatever addiction which has controlled them so far.

Addiction is a well-known mental health problem, and suicide is usually one of the foremost options which addicts turn to. The fact is people who commit suicide eventually, did not do so because they want to die, they carried out the act because they simply want to end the pain. So, if someone around you frequently talks about suicide without any reasons for wanting to commit it, such person might be going through something really serious, and it would not be surprising if it is an addiction.

People who want to commit suicide can go as far as surfing the web for different ways to die, or they could also resort to the use of various substances around them such as using a knife, gun or an overdose of some pills.
The following are possible signs of someone who is about to commit suicide:

1. Speaks about death quite often
2. Making plans for his or her loved ones after they are gone
3. Starts to avoid people, always giving excuses for not being present for functions which they would normally attend
4. Always in despair
5. Mood swings
6. Insomnia
7. Enhanced intake of drugs and alcohol
8. Carrying out of reckless acts

It is advisable to take all the warning signs of suicide seriously, as you could be saving a life without you knowing. Addicts who always consider suicide as a first option are usually easy to spot, and they can be easily convinced provided they have someone to talk to; someone who would help ease their pain by simply listening to them and proffering feasible solutions. For addicts, breaking free from an addiction is not something which can be done immediately, it is a gradual process which they need a professional to pull through. Most addicts are fond of trying to tolerate an addiction with the hope that it would leave them someday. If an addict is not attended to or has no one to turn to for help, the end might be disastrous, which in some cases, could be suicide.

When we talk about addiction, one fear that comes upon us is what if it leads to death? Someone who is addicted to drugs could either face mental issues or commit suicide, depending on the rate of drug or substance overdose. Most of the known suicide ways recorded states that these people hurt themselves by either cutting themselves with sharp objects and bleed out or choke on these drugs.

There is a co-existing relationship between Suicide and Addiction, hence, treatment is similar. Currently in the United States, the major causes of suicide are addiction and depression. About 80 % of citizens have died as a result of depression and several other mood disorders, while 75 % have died as a result of addiction. However, about 40 to 60 % are faced with depression and addiction at the same time and have fallen victims of suicide.

While addiction is the first-leading cause of suicide, poisoning is the third-leading cause and depression is the tenth-leading cause of suicide in the U.S. For suicide attempts through addiction, some drugs which are responsible for suicide attempts or risk include; heroin, opium, oxycodone, etc.

In addition, alcohol has its role to play in suicide attempts. For someone who takes alcohol in order to reduce stress and depression, he or she faces the risk of ending his or her life than expected. Death may not be as a result of the substance itself but the mental state it puts one would take several actions which could ultimately result to death e.g. someone who is completely drunk and drives could end his or her life while driving because he or she is not sane at that moment.

Also, it is important to say this: “people who addicted to a kind of substance that poses health risk have a 99% of killing themselves if not treated sooner”. Below are different ways to prevent suicide attempts through addiction to substances;

1. Visit to Rehab: If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, a rehab is the best place to be in order to be fixed to a better state. The rehab makes you adapt and survive without having to use these substances. It allows self-reflection as well.

2. Education and Family support: Make sure you are surrounded by loved ones. People tend to become addicted or suicidal with either a bad company or alone. If you are having suicidal thoughts, keep yourself busy. Also, get yourself busy with how to overcome addiction and dangers of committing suicide.

It is no news that people who suffer an addiction to either drugs or alcohol are posing a lot of threats to their health. Addiction is a state where withdrawal almost becomes impossible; and for someone who is addicted to a particular type of substance, suicide or death is inevitable if not properly treated or corrected.

While suicide is a state of ending one’s life through actions, addiction is a state one gets to when there is prolong use of a substance. Addiction and suicide co-exist together; for someone who is addicted to drugs like Heroin, he or she could face a lot of suicide risks like suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt or even suicide.

According to research, addiction brings about depression and ultimately suicide. About 90% of suicide cases in the U.S. have been as a result of depression. Further research shows that most victims who are depressed are often addicted to a kind of substance or drug to keep him or her stable. In no time, he or she would end his or her own life if drugs are no more effective.

The most common type of drug addiction which have recorded a lot of deaths over the past few years is Opioid addiction. Statistics showed that over 30,000 Americans died from the use of Opioid in 2015 and ever since then, the rate has been on the increase.

Most of this opioid addicts died as a result of suicidal thoughts or drug abuse or depression. Opioid has a negative effect on thoughts and actions. For instance, people who use Opioid have a 40 to 60 % chance of having suicidal thoughts and if not helped, may result to ending their own lives. Also, further research explained that people who use opioid or hard drugs with syringe and injections are 13 times possible to end their own lives.

In addition, the probability of men who use hard drugs like Opioid and become victims of suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt and suicide generally is greater than the probability of women who become victims. No one has been addicted to drugs and have never faced a suicidal episode before, it is the usual norm and such a person needs help before it’s too late.

In conclusion, we can save a majority of addicts if rehabilitation centers are provided and they are closely monitored. The aim of these rehabilitation centers is to make them stay clean and ensure depression, anxiety is well-treated. With this help being provided, suicide via addiction would most likely reduce.

Suicidal tendencies are not limited to any age, both children and adults are facing the risk. However, there are various reasons why people would want to commit suicide asides being addicted to drugs. It could be a psychological phase that needs urgent medical or psychological attention.

For children or teenagers who have suicidal tendencies, a psychiatrist or psychologist is recommended to assess such person’s mental state. For adults, a mental analysis is carried out and daily activities by such person will be recorded. Either ways, mental and physical state of these patients are assessed carefully.

To treat patients with suicidal tendencies, treatment is in 3 folds;

1. Diagnosis: The first thing to be done by any medical practitioner is to diagnose the patient. The patient’s mental and physical state is important in order to know what to be administered or treated. A patient could actually be suffering from either addiction to drugs or depression, hence, the reason for suicidal thoughts.
Mental State: Suicidal thoughts could be as a result of a patient’s mental health and if this is the case, such person should be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist.

Physical State: Suicidal thoughts could also be as a result of a patient’s physical health and for this to be properly treated, blood samples would be required for testing.

Alcohol and Drugs: This is the most common factor that enhances suicidal thoughts. Many patient misuse drugs and alcohol all in the sake of reducing stress and depression. Your Doctor would assess your alcohol and drug use before knowing what type of treatment to put you on.

Medications: Some drugs or medications give suicidal feelings. These drugs are often sold over-the-counter and if this is the case, complete withdrawal will be advised.

2. Emergency treatment: For someone who is about to have a suicide attempt or at the risk of harming oneself, it is important to dial an emergency number or have someone call on your behalf. A patient will be treated accordingly in the emergency room.

3. Non-emergency treatment: For someone who is having suicidal tendencies or thoughts but not in a crisis yet, such person would need the following treatment to reduce the risk;

Psychotherapy: This treatment involves psychological counseling or treatment to help reduce suicidal thoughts.

Medications: Drugs like Anti-depressants could be administered to also help reduce suicide risk.

Treatment for Addiction: Addiction is an important factor for suicide. With the aid of rehabilitation centers, addiction could be treated properly.

Education and Family support: Lastly, being educated about the dangers of suicide is important. Being supported or surrounded by loved ones could also help reduce suicide tendencies.

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