A simple question - does drug addiction abate suicide?

The question is this - Since suicidal individuals are given pharmaceutical medications and treatment to prevent them from becoming depressed and thus terminating their lives, could illegal drugs also be having the same effect? An individual needs to get his or her "fix" to such an extent that despite their tendencies to self-harm they continue to choose to live because they are addicted to drugs to a sufficient extent that such drugs give them a reason to continue on?

This opens up a "conspiracy" that if the illegal drug trade were to be completely stomped out, we might experience a radical increase in suicides, enough to destabilise society.

For such reasons its could be possible that parts of the government ensure the continuance of or turn a blind eye to illegal drug trafficking.

a reply to: SystemResistor

I agree 100 percentnt. You sri are right on the sopt, I think if you hear me now out the door to the cliff, I would rather drop a spike strip, then a cop car off a cliff, however, maybe there is a resolution where everyone lives forever? neo?

a reply to: SystemResistor

Pharm drugs and counseling have little to no effect on those that want to commit suicide. You cannot desuade an individual whom has their mind set on doing it. Pharm drugs get over prescribed first of all and tend to cause more suicides, depending on the illness. Depression is such a broad term that no drug that I have taken that is Pharm, eleviates depression without a major side effect.

So called illegal drugs do not hinder suicide either. many people commit suicide while high, so that claim is out the door since many have done it. Plus, the only reason there is an illegal drug trade is because the government didn't produce it. As you should probably be aware of. The government produces tons of meth, imports coc aine to be sold as that and to be made into crack, opium/heroin, etc. They produce endentured slaves by causing the reason why they are enslaved. They profit from it in more ways than 1 or 2 or 3 (sell of drug, imprison drug user= tax money=working for pennies, racial bias, increases in ATF expenses, on and on).

But I don't really see your point that you're trying to make. If drug users don't want to die because they are fixed on that drug, why would legalizing that drug make them want to die? And if there were no drugs, that drug user would find another way to get high. Caffeine pills, grow shrooms indoor, grow pot indoors, brew their own beer, make their own meth. Noone can stop drugs from being produced or transported here to there.

a reply to: SystemResistor

I do think any distraction from debilitating depression does decrease suicidal tendencies.

There was a thread here recently that talked about the very high correlation between anti-depressants and suicide which would seem to indicate that certain pharmaceuticals may indeed cause, exacerbate or promote suicidal thoughts.

Interestingly, there is a mountain of evidence that supports the claim the psilocybin may actually treat addiction.

My mate just buried his brother this week. He committed suicide and he took a lot of illegal drugs. So in this case drug addiction did not abate suicide.

If you are injecting street heroin into your veins, you aren't delaying suicide, you are playing Russian roulette.

originally posted by: SystemResistor
The question is this - Since suicidal individuals are given pharmaceutical medications and treatment to prevent them from becoming depressed and thus terminating their lives, could illegal drugs also be having the same effect? An individual needs to get his or her "fix" to such an extent that despite their tendencies to self-harm they continue to choose to live because they are addicted to drugs to a sufficient extent that such drugs give them a reason to continue on?

This opens up a "conspiracy" that if the illegal drug trade were to be completely stomped out, we might experience a radical increase in suicides, enough to destabilise society.

For such reasons its could be possible that parts of the government ensure the continuance of or turn a blind eye to illegal drug trafficking.

Addiction could definately be a distraction and the euphoria of a heroine type drug can definately make you "forget" temporarily your problems. That said after the honeymoon phase of drug addiction wears off. Your chances of depression would vastly increase, espeacially if forced to detox.


All the studies show that suicide for the most part is an "impulse buy". If you stop some one from committing suicide (if I remember right) you have an 80% chance they will abandoned there attempt.

If some one insists on suicide. Sure you couldn't stop them short of strapping them down and forced feeding them, but people arnt machines. We change our minds constantly.

a reply to: SystemResistor

If a patient is already suicidal then it's very difficult to suggest a uniform approach. The most important thing is to consider just why they feel that way. It could be that counselling is more suitable than drugs.

If we're talking about general psychological problems then the last thing anybody wants is for treatment to cause a patient to become suicidal. I have my own issues here; I've had some low times in my life but I've never felt like I cannot carry on, I like to feel I'm stronger than that. This does not stop the mental health team from telling me that I need to take medication which I feel will alter my mentality in ways which I would not feel comfortable with. I acknowledge that I need to change certain aspects of my life, but I also like to keep control of it.

A good example of where medication can go very, very wrong is Ian Curtis (Joy Division). Basically, he was given drugs to treat depression and they caused him to have seizures. Then they gave him drugs to treat epilepsy and they made him more depressed. He got to a point where he was pretty much untreatable and it ultimately resulted in suicide.
 

a reply to: SystemResistor

I've been around some by my calling.
Seen tons of addicts. For the most part, they are to
addicted to commit suicide. What I mean is, suicide
would take them away from their drug. And there are
times when that's the only thing that keeps them
going. Their next high means to much to them, no
matter how long it takes they will always get there
again as long as they are alive. That's how it works
for them, with occassional exceptions only.

a reply to: randyvs

A hard drug might give somebody a reason to carry on if it fills that void in their life. However, there is always a chance that dosage will increase over time, particularly if drug resistance is relevant. A long-term addict might be experienced enough to know if they are dosing unsafely, yet they accept the risks; therefore, should an overdose be fatal then it could be tantamount to suicide, as opposed to misadventure. Besides, just because somebody suffering with acute depression has access to a drug which makes their life much more tolerable, there may be triggers which may potentially cause them to have a serious breakdown, such that their drug of choice could not help with. For example, a war veteran might have never recovered from their experiences in the field, and simply watching a graphic war movie could put them on the edge. Likewise, somebody I once knew suffered from serious abuse as a child and even at 40 years old it is still fresh in their memory, insomuch that the typical SSRI does little to help them find any real purpose their life.

While I understand your argument and think it is insightful, I would have to disagree.

A lot of posters above me have given similar arguments to what I would so I won't argue the same things.

I also want to point out that if these potential suicidal individuals are only being kept alive by their need (not desire, but need) to take more drugs and get their fix: what is the quality of life there?

I am not saying suicide is better than being completely addicted to drugs. I am saying neither is a better option.

My proposed solution is not pharma prescriptions, but actually having caring people take the time to listen to these people who are having serious issues. The problem with that is it's hard to pay someone to care about something.

Not really. Death by 'accidental' overdose is a form of unintentional suicide.

Murders over drug debts are another form of 'suicide' because the murdered person has gotten so deep into debt it cost them their life.

Then there is the crime addicts commit just to pay for their next fix.

And how would the suicide of all meth addicts, coke heads, heroin junkies destabilise society anyhow? Those that are highly addicted have usually stopped contributing anything useful to the greater good a long time ago.

I'm becoming to subscribe to the idea that people with addictions are fighting underling psychological issues, namely feelings of frustration and helplessness. By participating in an addictive behavior, a person is able to gain a sense of control over their feelings. The addictive act is something they can do, that they are in control over, and it serves to change their mood.

I can't tell you how many alcoholics I've met that'll say, "Screw it! I'm drinking!". If you talk with them and go back in time, they usually can pinpoint a feeling of not being control over themselves or their situation.

Sure, drugs and alcohol can cause physical dependence, but the withdrawals usually are gone within several days -- the body's own homeostasis eventually returns to normal. Without the body craving the substance, what then continues to drive a person with an addiction to relapse?

If drugs/alcohol by themselves were chemically addictive and caused addiction -- what about compulsive gamblers? If they stop betting on horses or buying scratch tickets, they don't get the shakes or could go into a seizure. Certainly there is more to addiction than just the substance or behavior itself.

If the person with an addiction was able to see and take alternate direct action in the face of their feelings of helplessness, they wouldn't necessarily turn to a drug or compulsion. The problem is, most of the time these people can't see any other way to deal with their emotional situation -- acting out an addiction is the only thing they're aware of that gives them any sense of control over the way they get to feel.

Until their underlying psychological issues are brought to light and exposed/worked out -- they'll just switch addictions. So, by taking their DOC (drug of choice) away -- they'll find something else, and probably not kill themselves.