CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. The Nature and Scope of Suicide
2. Recognizing the Progressive Development of Suicide
3. Substance Abuse as a Major Contributor to Suicide
4. Suicide Across the Life Span
5. Special Populations and Suicide Risk
6. Prevention and Early Intervention for Suicide and Substance Abuse Problems

Supplements
References
Resources

Holding the Lifeline
A Guide to Suicide Prevention

Co-Occurring Disorders

According to the meta-analysis of the literature on suicide and mental disorders, major depression increases one's suicide risk by 21 times, bipolar disorder increases suicide risk by 12 times, and schizophrenia increases suicide risk by 9 times. ref

When a person has a co-occurring disorder, he or she may begin to self-medicate using alcohol, prescription, and/or illegal drugs to alleviate internal and external sources of discomfort, distress, medical, and/or social problems. The tendency to self-medicate is rarely a conscious, intentional decision. Instead, it is typically passed on through learned behavior, genetics, lifestyle choices, or a combination of these factors.

Society has come a long way in its attitudes toward mental illnesses. However, the long-standing stigma associated with mental illnesses is still very present in society. Many individuals internalize feelings of fear, disrespect, and inferiority, having little regard for what goes into their bodies--no matter the harm.

For individuals with a co-occurring mental illness who are on mood stabilizing medications, self-medicating through alcohol or other non-prescribed drugs can be especially lethal. Alcohol when mixed with some prescriptions can cause serious side effects and make the prescribed drug either more potent or less effective.