When people are feeling down - Alcohol and Suicide
When people are feeling down, sad and depressed, sometimes they can think of ending their lives, considering committing to suicide.
Often at times like this people may turn to alcohol as a form of stress relief. While alcohol has the capacity to numb out uncomfortable feelings in the short term, research shows that in the long term alcohol acts as a depressant, further adding to the depth of depression, sadness and the risk of self harm and suicide attempts.
Research shows that 50% of adult and adolescent suicides are impulsive and have not demonstrated any recognizable preparation or premeditation. Suicide rates are actually increasing and the rate of recognizable signs and symptoms is decreasing.
This statistic is alarming and is very prevalent, especially in young adolescent males.
With high levels of aggression, suicidal thoughts and behaviours can often be increased by alcohol consumption, and such behaviours are linked with a significant life event triggers such as jealousy and argument leading to the loss of a close relationship, or being fired at work. Risky behaviours can be spontaneous, with the ability to be able to process emotion being severely hampered, by the depressive effects of alcohol.
A well known therapist who works with suicide and addictions reported, “While engaged with an adolescent client, he reported that while binge drinking at the night club, his girlfriend had been approached by several young male suitors. He had erupted with jealousy and accused his girlfriend of deliberately attracting this attention, creating thoughts in himself that he was unloved and she did not care for him.
Shocked and alarmed at his behaviour, she went home with other friends leaving him at the night club alone, where he continued binge drinking and becoming more enraged and upset through his destructive thought processes. When he finally left the nightclub he walked down the middle of the street yelling at the drivers to kill him as they drove past, finally hurling him self in front of an approaching bus. Fortunately the driver was alert, able to stop, and called for help.”
Consuming alcohol when feeling unworthy or down is reported to triple the likelihood of a suicide attempt without any pre suicidal thoughts at all!
Surveys of young adolescent’s show that 18% of this group reported suicidal attempts and this number of attempts are increased while binge drinking. Parents, close friends, paediatricians, doctors and mental health workers are encouraged to be on the look out for indications of risky alcohol use by their loved ones and clients/customers. Once identified, those at risk can be encouraged to seek out professional support with psychological teams and counsellors.
Those at risk can be empowered through talk therapy with a host of skills that increase self-esteem, self worth, and generate a personal toolkit for regulating uncomfortable feelings and emotions, developing self-empowerment.
Comprehensive assessment, with specific management and follow-up are the key to developing healthy strategies to reduce alcohol consumption, increase social supports, and generate healthy self care options. Unique hidden personal skills and talents held by each individual can be teased out, identified and strengthened. With consistency, determination and practice, these identified skills can eventually turn to unconscious reflexive self-care strategies and become habits.
