Methods with lower SI

[Nightfoot]

I realize all methods include a certain amount of SI, and that some—like jumping—have a lot. I'm wondering which methods might have lower SI without sacrificing effectiveness, or is that just a pipe dream?

 

[Vivissa]

What is SI?

 

[itsover14]

What is SI?

Survival instinct, it's what makes people hesitate to kill themselves even when very, very certain they want to die.

And to answer OP, I have wondered this myself. I mean, if I could get that cocktail that Dignatus serves up and be guaranteed no pain and a peaceful exit, would that help?

How much of the hesitation is fear of pain vs just SI?

At the very least, all the hours we spend contemplating potentially painful last moments is definitely quite cruel :(

 

[Nightfoot]

How much of the hesitation is fear of pain vs just SI?

At the very least, all the hours we spend contemplating potentially painful last moments is definitely quite cruel :(

It is cruel, especially when both fear of pain and SI are present in those thoughts.

 

[hell toupee]

I realize all methods include a certain amount of SI, and that some—like jumping—have a lot. I'm wondering which methods might have lower SI without sacrificing effectiveness, or is that just a pipe dream?

I think it depends on what kind of person you are.

Some people are just able to say "fuck it" and do what's necessary.

Other people like myself, get inside their head a little too much, and I think a lot of what we call SI is fear of failing, or fear of struggling/pain/panic.

When it comes time to CTB, I will do my best to get to the point where I just say fuck it and go for it. Thinking about it too much destroys me.

 

[Nightfoot]

I think it depends on what kind of person you are.

Some people are just able to say "fuck it" and do what's necessary.

Other people like myself, get inside their head a little too much, and I think a lot of what we call SI is fear of failing, or fear of struggling/pain/panic.

When it comes time to CTB, I will do my best to get to the point where I just say fuck it and go for it. Thinking about it too much destroys me.

I get inside my head way too much. I think you're probably right about fear being mistaken for SI. Not a comforting thought, as that's multiple dragons to face.

 

[hell toupee]

I get inside my head way too much. I think you're probably right about fear being mistaken for SI. Not a comforting thought, as that's multiple dragons to face.

Absolutely. I hate overthinking everything. I mean, it can be a positive trait sometimes, but most of the time it just drives me crazy.

Personally, I'm not afraid to die. And that's not because I am some tough guy or anything. I am not that. I just don't believe death is the end, in fact, I'm convinced of it. So I'm actually looking forward to it.

My fear and trepidation comes from not wanting to suffer, and thinking about my elderly mother finding me - the look on her face, the crying, the astonishment (she has no idea I want to CTB and thinks everything is normal, which it is - it's just I don't have any future of a life left).

 

[Nightfoot]

My fear and trepidation comes from not wanting to suffer, and thinking about my elderly mother finding me - the look on her face, the crying, the astonishment (she has no idea I want to CTB and thinks everything is normal, which it is - it's just I don't have any future of a life left).

Described me perfectly, except for things being normal. I suffer from severe depression, so not normal at all.

 

[hell toupee]

Described me perfectly, except for things being normal. I suffer from severe depression, so not normal at all.

I'm sorry to hear that. Depression can be crippling, I know.

While I don't have clinical depression, after I lost everything, including my best friend (wife), I went in to a very dark acute depression. Was hospitalized for 5 weeks and they put me on so many different medications my head was spinning. Antianxiety meds, antidepressants, nerve meds, muscle relaxants, anti PTSD meds, you name it, I was on it. Made me sleep all the time and I absolutely HATED waking up. I still do. My favorite time of the day is right before I fall asleep, and worst time of day is first thing in the morning - knowing I have a full day ahead of me. I wish I was one of those people who wake up excited for the day.

I know meds can certainly help some people, but I feel it can make things worse for others - and I was one of those who was worse off. Threw them all in the garbage and felt a thousand times better. That's just me though, I know a lot of people have to titrate down slowly, which makes it a long, miserable experience.

 

[Crescendo]

I would venture a guess that the methods which produce the least amount of SI (on average) are those that are not commonly associated with harmful states.

For instance, the pain of jumping from a height is something we've all experienced to an extent, and we store the knowledge of that feeling. Drowning is another example; we've all felt the discomfort that comes from holding a breath underwater for too long. Given how our brains are programmed to be harm-avoidant, it takes nerve to defy that programming and intentionally perform an action that we associate with pain.

But for something more artificial that we don't associate with negative affective states, there's less opportunity for the mind to produce fear. Of the methods I'm aware of, the ones which most closely resemble this criteria are inert gas and carbon monoxide. The free breathing of ambient air is as natural and as harmless of a process as it gets.

I don't have any specific sources to support this theory, it's just a guess.