Drug Addiction Suicide
Another tragedy
Drug addiction suicide: The taking of one’s own life is one of the great tragedies of the human experience. When I was growing up I had a friend named “Gary,” who was a year young than me. He was a terrific athlete, an especially gifted football player, and well liked by kids in the school and the people in our small town. He was smart, funny and just a nice guy. A couple of years after high school, I received a letter from my mother, who told me that Gary had committed suicide. According to my mother’s letter, Gary had gotten involved with drugs and saw no way out…another death caused by drug addiction suicide. I don’t have all of the details of this story, as in that time, drug addiction and suicide was foreign subjects for people who lived in a small, Midwestern village. My mother wrote that he used marijuana. He took his own life.
Likely scenario for this drug addiction suicide sad story I never knew the complete story, as I was gone for many years, but allow me the license to fill in some of the holes with probable pieces of information, which may explain how it was that such a promising young life would be lost so early to drug addiction suicide. If Gary was using marijuana on a regular basis he probably would have learned by experience that, like alcohol, more drugs are required as the user goes down that path. Recapturing that “high” he experienced after his first encounter with the drug would become more difficult, and he might have smoked pot, while drinking to achieve the same effect. We were growing up in the 1960’s, and I recall some kids experimenting with LSD or perhaps mescaline. One scenario that I thought over the years when thinking about Gary was the possibility that while under the influence of marijuana or alcohol, his guard was lowered and he tried LSD. He might have had a bad trip, and while in the grips of that bad trip, took his own life as a means to escape.
Rarely does anyone know the whole story of drug addiction suicide My parents chose to believe that he had smoked marijuana, became addicted and killed himself because he couldn’t shake the addiction. We never really knew. What we also do not know is why Gary was using to begin with. It was counter to what he stood for. He was a jock, and coached the football team after he graduated from our high school. Something is missing from his story of drug addiction suicide. Was he using for pleasure, or did he use to numb emotional pain? We’ll never know. The drug use was probably a major contributing factor to his suicide for several reasons.
Drug abuse alters brain chemistry Drug abuse contributes to the alteration of brain chemistry. Suicide is a very real possibility when the mind is functioning under the influence of the drug, thoughts become irrational and reality is thrown out the window as the user experiences the effects of the drug. Fear, anxiety and a variety of negative thoughts at times can cascade while under the influence.
Why are drug abusers more vulnerable? Let’s take a look at some of the possible causes of suicide to see how addicts could be more vulnerable to this tragedy. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), substance abuse counselors need “to be aware of depression and suicide risk in their adolescent patients.” Young people are at risk. University of Pittsburgh doctors Thomas Kelly, Duncan Clark and others observed that from 1991-2000, 87%of the drug abusing adolescents they studied who had attempted suicide were also diagnosed with major depression. Among those who did not try suicide, 40% were diagnosed with depression. Drug addiction suicide and dression are commonly link, click here for more information
What was going on in Gary’s life? Gary might have lost something valuable, like a relationship. Sometimes that loss is imaginary, but it is very real to the person. If a close friend committed suicide, that could trigger the action. Firearms commonly used in drug addiction suicide Some type of firearm is the most likely means a person will use to kill themselves. Approximately 60% of suicides are done this way, and older people are more likely to use a firearm than younger people. Overdosing on medication is common, as is “suicide by cop” that we see on the nightly news, as a person decides to have a shooting confrontation with the police. If a person does not suffer from mental illness, does not take drugs and has a strong family/friend support system, the chances of suicide are greatly diminished. What hurts so bad that death is the only answer? Many victims don’t seek help Sadly, so many people who choose to end their life, who make that rash and permanent decision, never consult a professional in the months and weeks leading up to the act. People will tend to talk to people they are close to, like a family member or a friend. Perhaps they may be observed getting their affairs in order, or there is a sudden interest in seeing friends and family members. But suicide is largely an impulsive act. Removing objects, such as firearms, dangerous chemicals, medicines, etc. may be helpful if one suspects a suicide attempt is possible. There is no substitute for intervention For more about intervention
While this site is devoted to drug abuse and addiction, suicide is a distinct possibility when things go wrong. Things do go wrong and it isn’t just “the other guy.” It’s you, the person you love, or somebody you know. Getting back to an earlier theme we established, people are body, mind and spirit. All three have to be treated.
Help Resources, if you know someone who you think may be in trouble now PLEASE call one of the numbers below!! National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
HOW TO USE THIS SITE:This site contains five MAIN pages that EVERYONE should read: Read these five pages and learn what you need to know to spot drug addiction in: Yourself... Your Family... Your Friends... Your Community... The rest of the pages are there for your reference to explain important topics in more detail.  You Can Be ADDICTION FREE FOREVER!Are you or your loved one struggling with addiction?YOU MUST TAKE ACTION NOW! Use this at-home guide to End Addiction Forever:Click here for details!
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