Addiction speaker and suicide prevention speaker, AnneMoss Rogers, will present
Addiction and the Tragic Link to Suicide: Awareness and Prevention Strategies
AnneMoss Rogers and her husband tried to find help for their struggling son, Charles, a creative genius and rap artist. Desperate to escape the darkness of his depression, Charles turned to heroin and died by suicide in 2015 at age 20. How common is suicidal thinking among those who are addicted? How many start using it to numb intense and painful feelings or to normalize a mental health condition? And what can families do to help lower the risks and support their loved ones?
Takeaways:
- Understand how stigma contributed to Charles’s feelings of low self-worth
- Learn the prevalence of suicide risk for those with addiction and substance misuse
- Recognize signs of depression and suicide, and what to do or say
- Explore strategies families and communities can use to reduce risk and support healing
Relevance to audience or intended impact
This session is highly relevant for families, clinicians, and recovery professionals seeking to understand the link between addiction and suicide. Participants will learn how stigma, depression, and substance misuse intersect to increase risk, how to recognize warning signs, and practical strategies for intervention and support. Drawing on lived experience and research, the session empowers audiences to reduce risk, support loved ones, and strengthen recovery pathways.
Relevant evidence
Individuals with substance use disorders are at significantly higher risk of suicide—studies show alcohol and drug use disorders increase risk by 10–14 times, with co-occurring depression raising it further (Wilcox et al., 2004). Over 20% of those who die by suicide have opioids in their system, and up to 40% of patients seeking treatment for substance dependence report a history of suicide attempts. This session integrates research with lived experience to highlight warning signs and prevention strategies.