Times are challenging right now. If you’re feeling like you need help coping or might want to harm yourself, you don’t have to be alone. You can contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at any time by calling 1-800-273-8255.
The world is different these days. More and more people are feeling sad, depressed, or even suicidal. The risk rates for addiction and suicide have escalated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, the connection between addiction and suicide needs to be addressed.
Addiction and Suicide: A Circular Connection
When you are struggling with substance misuse or addiction, you are likely at an increased risk of suicide. [1] In scientific surveys, respondents who struggle with addiction report more feelings of deep depression and suicidal ideation than those suffering from mental health issues alone. [2]
You may turn to the aid of substances because of conflicts or difficulties in your work or personal relationships. Because the brain chemistry of addiction begins with small steps, you might find that your personal or work relationships suffer and are damaged after a while. It’s like a catch-22. You drink excessively to numb work or relationship problems, but alcohol abuse and addiction impact your relationships and often leave you feeling alone and isolated.
Researchers believe this isolation and depression fuel the connection between addiction and suicide. Still, it begs the question of which came first? The chicken or the egg? The addiction or the depression/suicidal ideation?
Whatever the answer, the residual feelings can be overwhelming and painful. You may feel you are alone, but that’s not true.
Stats on Addiction and Suicide
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. [3] It’s been shown that about 90% of all people who committed suicide met the criteria for at least one diagnosable psychiatric condition. [4] There is also a documented correlation between substance abuse and addiction. In fact, over 70% of adolescent suicides alone may be complicated by drug or alcohol abuse. [5]
Research suggests that alcohol and drug use disorders are strongly associated with suicide risk. [6] In fact, those who suffer from a substance use disorder are almost 6 times more likely to attempt suicide in their lifetime than those who do not struggle with substance abuse. [4] Studies show men who struggle with substance abuse are 2.3 times more likely to die due to suicide than those who do not struggle with substance abuse. In women, those who have substance use disorders are 6.5 times more likely to commit suicide than those who do not have substance use disorders or addiction. [7]
How A Global Pandemic Impacts The Suicide and Addiction Connection
Since March of 2020, the world in which we live and work has become very different. Due to contagion concerns, you may not have seen family members you regularly see during holidays or other events. Your work environment is likely very different if you’ve been able to keep your job.
For many, working virtually brings about a myriad of interpersonal communication difficulties. It’s hard to understand the meaning and tone in an email or even a glitchy zoom call. There’s merit to gathering at the water cooler daily to interact with co-workers on a social level. For many, that’s no longer a possibility. A connection is lost, and isolation reigns. This definitely has an impact on not just our depression but our suicidal ideations.
A Centers For Disease Control and Prevention found that the number of people who’d considered suicide in 2020 was nearly double than it was during comparable times in 2019. [8] Throw in that overdoses due to addiction have exponentially grown since the start of the COVID pandemic, and it’s not hard to see why there’s such concern about mental health and addiction. [9]
Clear Life Recovery: Protecting Mental Health During Addiction
At Clear Life Recovery, we understand these times are isolating, and you may be struggling. Whether you’re struggling with depression or addiction or both, it’s essential to address both issues immediately. You may feel like you need to turn to substances to numb your sadness, or you may feel your addiction leads you to be so depressed.
We understand these feelings and how intertwined they may be. We know that your addiction and your emotions feed off of each other. We recognize how to work with them simultaneously to help give you the best chance of long-term recovery. You don’t have to walk through the uncertainties and difficulties alone. You can contact us today, and one of our compassionate and qualified specialists will help get you back on the path to yourself again.
And again, if you feel like you may want to hurt yourself or are having suicidal ideations, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at any time by calling 1-800-273-8255.
Sources:
[1] https://ascpjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13722-020-0181-1
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4499285/
[3] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10401507/
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1932152/
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15555812/
[7] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/210919
[8] https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm?s_cid=mm6932a1_w
[9] https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicagold/2020/12/14/overdoses-are-increasing-in-the-us-over-covid-19-heres-what-addiction-experts-want-you-to-know/?sh=250d72a54ffa
