Overcoming Addiction and Suicidal Thoughts

Both addictions and suicidal thoughts present immediate, life-threatening dangers to the suffering person.

Addictions are generally visible to outside observers, compared to someone having suicidal thoughts. Having an addiction can be a lot easier to recognise and treat.

One of the most disturbing aspects of a suicidal tendency is the fact that it moves in silence. Up to 60% of people don’t disclose their suicidal thoughts to other people, instead suffering in silence.

What exactly are “suicidal thoughts”?

Suicide is the act of intentionally taking one’s own life. Suicidal thoughts then, are the abstract thoughts, feelings and ideas a person has about taking their own life. Suicidal ideation is a serious mental health issue. We can generally break suicidal ideation down into passive or active forms.

 

• Passive suicidal ideation: Passive suicidal ideations are basically thoughts that involve the death of oneself. One of these thoughts might manifest as an inner monologue: “I think everyone would be better off if I wasn’t here.” 

 

• Active suicidal ideation: Active suicidal ideation is one step beyond passive, where you’ve actively thought about the steps involved in hurting or killing yourself. These thoughts may involve scanning your surroundings and environment for damaging and lethal tools or equipment.

Nearly everyone has had thoughts of death at one time or another. “What happens to us when we die?” is a natural question many kids ask their parents. Wondering what the sensation of death would feel like is not the same as actively seeking death as a way out of our problems.

Now that we’ve laid out the basic meaning of suicidal ideation and thoughts, let’s illustrate the relationship addiction has with suicidal ideation. 

How does addiction affect suicidal thoughts?

While mood disorders are one of the most prevalent contributors to suicide, comorbidity with alcohol and substance use disorders (AUD/SUD) massively increases suicidal ideation, attempts and death.

 

Suicidal thoughts are often borne out of depression and long periods of sadness. Addictions are a coping mechanism for many people, presenting a way for a suffering person to reach temporary “happiness.”

 

This happiness is fleeting, and the aftereffects of substance abuse lead to difficult days filled with dark thoughts and painful hangovers. Negative and suicidal thoughts are all too common for people experiencing the “day after” a heavy period of drug usage.

 

Addiction and suicide have a catastrophic relationship. Alcohol and opioids are two of the most common substances linked with suicide attempts. 

Alcohol addiction and suicidal thoughts

There is no doubt about it, committing suicide is one of the most extreme decisions a person can ever make. Alcohol massively impairs a person’s decision-making abilities and suppresses parts of the brain connected with inhibition.

 

A person caught in the cycle of alcohol addiction spends a lot of mornings hungover in a state of physical and mental pain. At times they might use alcohol as an escape from the hangover, deepening the problem.

 

Escaping from a sustained state of pain, whether physical or mental, is a reason many people become suicidal in the first place. For a suicidal alcoholic person, it might not be clear whether overcoming their addiction or their suicidal thoughts is needed first, but support for both is needed before it’s too late.

Other substance addictions and suicidality

Having any addiction results in a person feeling more and more helpless over time. This sense of helplessness can then increase risk factors for depression, anxiety and suicide. Helplessness can also make a person turn to other drugs to fill a void so that they can feel happy while (temporarily) high.

 

Opioids are one of the leading drugs used by people who commit suicide. Some data shows as many as 1 in 5 people who commit suicide use prescription opioids or heroin. Other data shows how self-reported addictions to substances like marijuana, pain relievers and cocaine create risk factors for further suicidal thoughts and behaviours. 

Steps to overcome addiction and suicidal thoughts

Coping with addiction and eventually overcoming it starts with actionable steps that can be started today. Some of the most practical action steps to help overcome an addiction include:

• Setting a quit date: Setting a meaningful date, like the birthday of a loved one, can help create a bigger target to aim for. Perhaps you’ve lost someone near and dear to you in the past. Use that date as a meaningful target to aim for while overcoming addiction.
• Changing your environment: The brain is a complex system that never stops recognising patterns and rewards. There’s a lot of power in changing “people, places and things” to get out of an addiction.
• Distracting yourself: Giving up any big activity in your life will create a void. Most people find that this void needs filling with other, healthier activities, in order to break from addiction.
• Support networks: Mental health support might not be immediately available to everyone, but start with your close friends and family. Seek support from people you know have your best intentions at heart. Opening up to them might be the flintstone spark needed to start healing.

Coping strategies when experiencing suicidal thoughts

Being caught in the clutches of addiction can create new suicidal thoughts or deepen preexisting ones. Overcoming suicidal thoughts might not need the same steps as overcoming an addiction, though some activities certainly cross over healthily.

 

• Create a distraction kit: Similarly to coping with addiction, suicidal thoughts can often feel claustrophobic and all-encompassing. These dark thoughts can feel like they take over every minute of the day. Create a simple box of items that you enjoy like pictures, soothing objects, puzzle books and hand-written affirmations. This kit could be a saviour one day.

 

• Talk to someone: Suicidal thoughts are extremely isolating. You might be lucky enough to still have people close enough to you who you can trust, so talk to them. If you don’t, reach out to professionals like Samaritans or CALM in the UK.

 

• Make plans for the future: Don’t ever lose track of this question: “What are you looking forward to?” This is a simple and engaging question, as it could be something as small as food later in the day or as great as a grandchild someday.

 

• Journal your feelings: One final action to help with suicidal thoughts can be doing something productive or creative. This can be as simple as writing down and journaling your feelings.

I need help with addiction and suicidal thoughts in my life

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction or suicidal thoughts, we want you to reach out to us at UKAT. We specialise in holistic and extensive detox programs to work addiction out of the body. Our addiction programme is uniquely designed to address addictions and suicidal behaviours.

 

Working your way out of addiction and achieving suicidal thoughts recovery is not easy to achieve alone. Contact us at UKAT now to learn and find out how we can support you in building a healthier, brighter future, free from addictions, negative habits and suicidal thoughts.