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Beach House Rehab Center » Blog » National Suicide Prevention Week Prompts Closer Look at Link Between Drugs, Alcohol and Soaring Suicide Rates
Yesterday was “World Suicide Prevention Day,” which kicked off National Suicide Prevention Week (September 9-15). The annual campaign, marked by events around the country to raise awareness about suicide prevention among health professionals and the general public, comes on the heels of June’s news regarding celebrities Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain— and, at a time when rates of suicide in the United States are at a record high.
Suicide is reportedly a leading cause of death in this country, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which reports that with rising rates of suicide in “nearly every state” in the U.S., suicide is just one of “three leading causes that are on the rise.”
Strikingly, drugs and alcohol are implicated in a vast number of these so-called “despair deaths” that involve the taking of one’s own life. That’s one big takeaway from the findings of researchers at the University of New Hampshire, detailed in a 2017 report, “Drugs, Alcohol and Suicide Represent Growing Share of U.S. Mortality”:
The alarming surge in suicides nationwide is disproportionately affecting the following groups, sending a message that nobody is totally immune to suicide:
If you or someone you love is actively contemplating suicide or exhibiting these risk factors and/or warning signs, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline immediately at 1-800-273-8255. Trained counselors are available 24/7 to take your call, and can refer you to trusted mental health professionals who can help.
There are better solutions than suicide for any life problem— addiction included. If you have a drug or alcohol problem and are contemplating suicide, chances are that it’s because you’re tired of living in the same cycle of despair and can’t find a way out.
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