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Suicidal Ideation When someone has been drinking heavily they are probably already experiencing low moods and feeling depressed (see Mood) and when people feel this way sometimes they think it is better not be around at all, they might see suicide as a release from the pain they are feeling. If someone's drinking is causing problems for themselves or others they may start thinking that by removing themselves they will remove the problems for both themselves and others. Also it is common for someone is finding it difficult or impossible to control their drinking they will be feeling bad about themselves for being out of control leading to feelings of low self confidence, low self esteem and low self worth, and when thinking along those lines it may well be that the thought of suicide is not far behind. Often these may only be feelings dwelt upon when drunk and when the person is not under the depressing influences of alcohol they may wonder why they even felt that way.
Suicide 65% of suicides involve alcohol as explained above there maybe a number of reasons to explain how and why alcohol may precipitate thoughts of suicide, but there other ways alcohol affects a person to actually make them go through with it. Alcohol is a disinhibitor and it reduces anxiety, taken together this could explain why someone does something they might not normally do when sober and also explains how this altered psychological state would alter the persons perceptions of their actions. A reduction of inhibitions and anxiety levels alongside sedation which affects normal thought processes might lead to a situation where there seems to be no consequences for ones actions. CNS sedation can lead to a gross reduction in ability to rationalise or apply logic and reasoning leaving the person in less of a position to recognise, weigh up or order thoughts, actions and consequences. Thus the fear of suicide is reduced, the consequences are less worrying and do not seem so clear or important and there will no doubt be some level of sedation in terms of danger recognition or pain perception.
Self Harm Reasons why people physically hurt themselves can vary greatly and although alcohol may not be the main reason it can certainly play a part with some individuals. The role alcohol plays in terms of the thought processes and reasons is probably similar to those that trigger people to think about taking there lives (see above) The ways alcohol may contribute to someone actually committing suicide may also, in part explain how alcohol might affect the thoughts and actions of someone who is thinking about or actually carrying out the physical abuse on themselves.
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