Tragic Details Found In Elliott Smith's Autopsy Report

With a well-documented history of substance use disorder, Elliot Smith's medical examiners turned to Smith's toxicology report for clues about what his frame of mind was like prior to his suicide. According to Rock NYC, and based on evidence from the 2009 documentary about the life and death of the musician called "Searching for Elliott Smith" by director Gil Reyes (per IMDb), Smith is thought by some to have quit several psychiatric medications "cold turkey" just before he died. 

According to Healthline, suddenly stopping psychiatric medication, including antidepressants, can lead to an uptick in anxiety, serious depression, and even suicide. Could Smith's decision to discontinue his psychiatric medication have played a part in his death? Or could he have perhaps relapsed into substance abuse before he died?

Those theories are not, unfortunately, backed up by the singer's toxicology report: There were no illegal substances in his system, including drugs and alcohol. What's more, the only other medications listed are normal amounts of prescription medication taken to treat depression and for adult ADHD, meaning he was still taking his prescriptions up until the time he died (per Rock NYC). At one point, Smith may have stopped taking his prescription psychiatric medication too quickly, or even relapsed into drug and alcohol abuse. What details from his autopsy report tell us, however, is this was certainly not the case when he died, and was not likely a factor influencing his suicide.

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