Substance Use Increases Suicide RiskSubstance Use Increases Suicide Risk
Beyond Substance
Substance use and suicide are often discussed separately, but this episode of Beyond Substance makes clear that they frequently overlap in ways that can be dangerous when missed. Hosts Dean Babcock and Jodi Miller examine that intersection through...
50:50•1 Jun 2026
Substance Use and Suicide Risk: Seeing the Whole Person
Episode Overview
- Substance use disorders on their own significantly increase the risk of suicidal thoughts, attempts and death, especially with polysubstance and opioid use.
- Suicide prevention needs focused training, proper screening and in-depth assessment in all care settings, not just mental health and addiction services.
- Asking someone directly about suicidal thoughts, and doing so genuinely, can bring relief and open the door to help rather than ‘putting the idea in their head’.
- Safety plans work best when they are personal, regularly updated, and include clear steps, contacts and ways to stay safe, including reducing access to lethal means.
- Lived experience, like Zainab’s, shows how culture, stigma and silence can deepen risk, while compassionate, non-judgemental support can make recovery feel possible.
“I just want you to know that you are not alone right now. And also, it's okay not to be okay.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol or other drugs when the pain behind their use feels unbearable? This episode of Beyond Substance takes that question head-on by looking at the tight and often overlooked link between substance use and suicide. Aimed at both professionals and the wider community, the conversation blends hard numbers, clinical practice, and raw lived experience.
Data host Allie Martin sets the stage with statistics showing just how much substance use disorders raise suicide risk, particularly for people using multiple substances or opioids. Nursing leader and suicide prevention educator Holly Hartman then talks with host Dean Babcock about why this overlap is so dangerous when missed. She explains how trauma, chronic pain, loss of hope, and repeated setbacks can push someone with a substance use disorder into feeling there is no way out.
Holly stresses that suicide prevention should be treated as a specialty, not a side topic, and argues that every setting – not just mental health services – needs proper screening, assessment tools, and meaningful safety planning. Her message is simple but challenging: ask directly about suicide, take all disclosures seriously, avoid minimising someone’s pain, and help reduce access to lethal means. As she puts it, “Ask the question.” Zainab’s story brings those ideas to life.
Growing up in Nigeria, she used smoking, alcohol, and self-harm to cope with emotional pain in a culture where mental health “doesn’t exist” and substance use is judged rather than understood. She describes isolation, suicidal thoughts, and watching a family member’s alcohol use spiral without support.
After moving to the United States, school-based groups, therapy, and non-judgemental care helped her see that support is real and that “it’s okay not to be okay.” Whether you’re a clinician, a family member, or someone struggling yourself, this episode asks a direct question: who around you might be hurting, and are you ready to ask how they really are?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.