http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/02/15/why-are-more-than-...Why Are More than One in Ten Americans at Risk for Suicide?
February 15, 2012 |
By Dr. Mercola
Thoughts of suicide are disturbingly common among Americans, which is detailed in the report, the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), newly released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
While one in five Americans experienced some sort of mental illness in the past year (rising to nearly 30 percent among 18-25-year olds), 8.7 million contemplated suicide.
Approximately 2.5 million people took their suicidal thoughts a step further and made plans to carry out the suicide, whereas 1.1 million actually attempted it.
Suicide is a Leading Cause of Death
It's estimated that a person commits suicide every 15 minutes in the United States, and each day just over 100 people take their own lives.
For each of these suicide deaths, an estimated 8-25 people made suicide attempts.1
Taken together, the latest preliminary 2010 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists intentional self-harm, or suicide, as the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.
In all, nearly 37,800 suicide deaths were reported in 2010, a number the CDC notes is likely underestimated.2
Suicide deaths can occur at any age, but young people, especially those between the ages of 18 and 25 are most likely to have suicidal thoughts, according to the NSDUH report. If you have watched or read any news lately, it is likely you have heard some of the tragic stories about young people committing suicide.
Lately, media focus has been drawn to children killing themselves as a result of being bullied, which has sparked numerous debates and new anti-bullying legislation in a number of states. But bullying is only one factor...
This is also a primary age range of military personnel, another subset of the population that has alarmingly high rates of suicide. Since the start of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, more than 1,100 soldiers have taken their lives, including a record 301 in 2010 alone. In July 2011, the Army reported 32 soldiers had committed suicide, which is the highest monthly suicide toll yet reported. In the case of soldiers, many have clearly suffered emotional trauma from the experience of battle, but other youth are struggling with their own feelings of desperation and despair.
It is truly disheartening that so many of our youth feel hopeless enough to take their own lives. It makes it doubly tragic that so many parents must endure the mental anguish of losing a child—especially losing a child to suicide. So what is behind this tragic epidemic?
More Than 90 Percent of People Who Commit Suicide Suffer From This…
If you have a family history of suicide, have been exposed to suicidal behavior (such as from other family members or friends) or have suffered/witnessed physical or sexual abuse or domestic violence, your risk of suicidal behavior increases.
However, the primary risk factor is the existence of another mental condition, such as depression, often in combination with substance abuse. It's estimated that more than 90 percent of those who end up taking their own lives fit into this category.3 Depression can indeed progress to suicide if left unaddressed, but the knee-jerk conventional treatment for the condition is almost exclusively prescription antidepressants.
Every year, more than 253 million prescriptions for antidepressants are filled in the United States, making them the second most prescribed drug class in the United States (second only to cholesterol-lowering drugs).4 This includes use among children, where in the U.S. kids are getting three times more prescriptions for antidepressants and stimulants, and up to double the amount of antipsychotic drugs than kids from Germany and the Netherlands.
But how effective are antidepressants in alleviating the symptoms of depression?
Antidepressants are Often Ineffective and May Increase Your Suicidal Tendencies
Studies continue to show antidepressant drugs are no more effective than a placebo, and in some case less effective. A study published in the January 2010 issue of JAMA concluded there is little evidence that SSRIs (a popular group of antidepressants that includes Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft) have any benefit to people with mild to moderate depression.5 Researchers stated:
"The magnitude of benefit of antidepressant medication compared with placebo... may be minimal or nonexistent, on average, in patients with mild or moderate symptoms."
SSRIs were found to be 33 percent effective, just like a sugar pill—but with far more adverse effects, including violence and suicidal thoughts and actions. There is much evidence that antidepressants intensify violent thoughts and behaviors, both suicidal and homicidal, especially among children. And, since the late 1980s, there have been frequent reports of increased violent behavior, including homicides and suicides, among individuals taking antidepressant drugs.
A newly published study provides a plausible theory about how a genetic mutation in the CYP450 gene family can cause a metabolic disturbance resulting in uncontrollable violent impulses and behaviors, including suicide, in some individuals taking these drugs.6
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