Bipolar Support Group

i have read recently that anorexia is the most lethal mental illness. but only between 1 in 20 and 3 in 20 people die from anorexia, whereas 1 in 6 people with bipolar depression commit suicide. also, i'm pretty sure there are more people with bipolar than there are with anorexia. this is just out of curiosity, does anyone know?

Hi there! Welcome to the group! When they say that more people with anorexia commmit suicide, they are refering to a slow suicide.

( starvation)

Depressive disorders and addiction disorders have the highest rate of suicide. ( NMI 2006)

OMG 1 in 6 bipolars commit suicide! i don't know your source for this information but i can sure believe it. damn this disease

i'm not just talking about suicide, i'm talking about death from anything caused by anorexia: like a heart attack when the person is too young, etc. but thank you for the factoid. it makes sense!

and i can't remember where i saw 1 in 6. i don't even know if that's accurate. but i read in a book that 1 in 5 people with untreated bipolar commit suicide. it seems like there would be other deaths too, like from accidental overdoses or driving dangerously, but i guess the state of mind of a dead person is hard to prove.

Post edited by: qualquun, at: 02/18/2010 10:27 PM

i talked to my psychiatrist and he said anorexia has the highest mortality rate, but there is also less people with anorexia. as far as solid numbers go, most people end up doing something to themselves when they're anxious more than anything else.

I posted the suicide rates a while back on BP in the family. BP people have the highest suicide rates of any population including people suffering from schizophrenia. I believe it is about 20% of all BP sufferers will sucessfully commit suicide. Not to be a downer but it is the nature of the beast.

it is a beast

A beast needing to be tamed.

I have read that about 50% of all bipolar people attempt suicide and the greatest indicator of suicide is a previous attempt.

I believe it all.