Skip to content

Stories about Substance Use

Lifesaver symbols against a blue background

Educating Other Medical Professionals on How to Prevent Suicide — After the Loss of My Husband

The majority of those who die by suicide have contact with a medical professional within three months of taking their own life — showing just how important it is that health care providers know how to recognize that someone may be in distress, and know how to connect them with help.

The author, Mary Jean Coleman, with her two sons Tom (left) and his twin brother Ryan (right).

In Tom’s Light: Addressing the Intersection of Opioids and Suicide

Opioid use disorder and suicide prevention are two topics that have immense personal meaning for me. As I wrote in a previous blog for AFSP, my son Tom passed away on Friday, September 30th, 2016, after losing his long battle with depression; he died of a heroin overdose.