What drives people to attempt suicide?

[Anonymous]

Someone close to me attempted suicide today. She has been depressed and alcohol dependent for a long time and today must have been the final straw for her, crashing her car into a building. What on earth goes through people's minds when try to do this. What can be so bad that they feel they've got nothing to live for.

Just so you now, she is fine physically, no injuries from the crash, but with the alcohol problem, has been arrested for drink driving. She's still not in a fit state to be interviewed, and I would imagine will be held overnight. I really hope the police see that it's help she needs, not locking up.

[WhoTFisAlex]

I was very, very heavily alcohol- and drug-dependent as a teenager. I was never suicidal but I can sort of relate to the feeling that might drive someone else to suicide. I'm not sure people who've never been enslaved to an addiction can really understand how completely an addiction takes you over, mentally, emotionally and physically so that you're practically locked in a cage while life goes on outside it, and there seems to be no possible way to get out of that cage. Things that are reasons to live for non-addicted people are somehow completely outside your realm of experience and reach - you know they exist but they never reach you because you're locked in that cage, and you're fully aware all this is happening because you're completely messed up and have no clue as to how to fix it. You would if you could, but you can't. So that's just to give you an idea of the desperate situation addicts find themselves in. I'm not even sure people who attempt suicide in that situation even really want to die, they just see no way to end the problem that works for them, and to keep living the way they are is literally unbearable. I know I tried everything, every form of "therapy" offered, AA, NA, you name it, I sought help there. The only thing that made the difference long-term (I quit abusing substances when I was almost 18, so I've been completely "clean" for over six years and life is fantastic today) was a radical change in my thinking (including the widely accepted mentality that addiction is a disease and I am a victim; I'm not a victim) and gradually changing my whole life so that I could really live the way I wanted, even if it meant rejecting social norms. So much for the question "how did you do it" - I don't know what will help your friend, all I know is what worked for me, and it's probably different for every person - things that didn't help me one bit might help her, we're all individuals. I hope she finds a way out of her dilemma, and it'll probably be the hardest thing she's ever done but it is possible, and the rewards can be overwhelmingly great. It really is worth it. Sorry for the wordy comment, but this is close to home for me so I had to say it. I wish her the best of luck! mile:

[hornylynxlad]

It's so hard to know what's going on inside peoples heads

[Anonymous]

Well, she has been released on Bail to return in 2 months time to find out whether or not she is going to be charged for DUI.
She says she don't know what came over her and she don't know why she did what she did.

She says she's gonna seek professional help which is a start. Depression and alcohol certainly arent the best combination going.

WhoTFisAlex... no worries with the wordy comment... it's good, gives me an insight of what might be going thru her mind. I'm not good with words myself, there's much more that's going thru my mind that I just can't seem to put into words.

[Foxy Fairy]

Rap music makes me suicidal :mad:

[Anonymous]

Well since the incident, she had been alcohol free. Today was her disciplinery hearing at work - they sacked her - and the first thing she does is go straight back to the bottle. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[spotysocks]

That's so sad. You have to convince her to seek help for her drinking problem and be there for her.