MODEL RELEASED. Drug overdose. Woman sitting on a bed preparing to take a deliberate drug overdose. She is also drinking alcohol. While drug overdoses may be a genuine attempt at suicide, sometimes they are a cry for help by people in extreme emotional distress. These parasuicides are much more common in women than in men. The vast majority of true suicide attempts are as a direct result of mental illness, such as severe depression. Many prescribed medical drugs are dangerous if taken in large quantities. Death from a drug overdose can be a slow and painful experience.