Charcoal - 2 Questions

[hfdepression30]

Firstly, I just want to note that my interest in this method isn't impulsive, and I want to be as educated as I can before I do anything. I've suffered depression for 17 years (I'm 30 now), and I've had suicidal thoughts for just as long. I also hope this post doesn't break any rules, I'm not encouraging anything, I'm simply just talking about my experience researching this method and to understand others previous experience or knowledge about it.



Anyway,

For the past several months I've been having more and more frequent suicidal thoughts and I just want my inner mental and emotional torment to finally end, so I've been Googling 'suicide' and 'charcoal burning suicide' daily for the last few weeks to look at news stories, circumstances, statistics, method etc. and it seems very straightforward.. simply burning charcoal briquettes in an enclosed space. I've read about circumstances where it was intentional and accidental, and locations ranging from a car, tent, bedroom, bathroom, garage, and (although slightly more rare) simply just having it inside your home. From the research I've done, it seems pretty legit and reliable - and although it's more of an uncommon method in Europe and the Americas, it seems to be a popular method in East Asia (i.e Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and even Thailand)



QUESTION 1:-



After finding these forums online I see people posting about their experience with charcoal burning not working or being unsuccessful/unreliable.. So if you're one of those people who have attempted this method or you know someone who did, my question is Why did it not work? Additional questions that come to my mind are 'did it not work because; you changed your mind and backed out? you didn't prepare or burn your charcoal properly? there was too much ventilation in the area? you didn't enclose the area properly? you didn't have enough charcoal?'



What I'm trying to identify is the difference between the successful and unsuccessful attempts, and if there are common flaws within the unsuccessful attempts. I am also aware that some people may lie or post misinformation about an experience because they're scared people may judge them for 'not taking it seriously', and an attempt may prove their commitment whether their story is true or false. Additionally I'm aware that some people may post about an unsuccessful story in a bid to deter or put people off to make the method seem less reliable than it is (I know this is a minority though, I just wanted to recognise that it does happen sometimes).



QUESTION 2:-



From the research I've done regarding this method, in most, almost all cases, the charcoal was lit with fire and prepared until the fire was out and the coals were glowing or cooling, and thus CO is produced from it.



But in two news stories I've read it seemed as though the charcoal was placed into a frying pan and was on top of a heat source, such as an electric stove you would use for cooking. So I wonder does anyone know whether unlit charcoal, in a frying pan on top of an electric stove, still produces CO? of course new stories don't post methods so it made me wonder if CO is still produced this way, or whether the charcoals were lit with fire beforehand but placed on the electric stove to keep it burning for longer?

 

[orlandom]

If you survive, the consequences will be dire. That's why I didn't choose this method.

 

[hfdepression30]

If you survive, the consequences will be dire. That's why I didn't choose this method.

True, but this is also the case for more popular methods like hanging, jumping or overdoses. All have the potential to fail and leave you with irreversible injuries like brain damage, broken bones, paralysis etc.. I think with proper planning the success rate is higher, but suicide of any form will be 'risk and reward'

 

[Crusader]

In Asia barbecue is the #1 method and I think it´s one of the most reliable methods when you do it right. Possible reasons for failure:
cheap/wrong barbecue, poor quality coal, coal was not properly glowed, not enough coal, exit room not properly sealed. It is recommended to use at least 135 g of coal per cubic meters of room air. I would even use two barbecues with each of this.

This can happen if you survive:

 

[hfdepression30]

In Asia barbecue is the #1 method and I think it´s one of the most reliable methods when you do it right. Possible reasons for failure:
cheap/wrong barbecue, poor quality coal, coal was not properly glowed, not enough coal, exit room not properly sealed. It is recommended to use at least 135 g of coal per cubic meters of room air. I would even use two barbecues with each of this.

This can happen if you survive:

I also wondered about these possible reasons, but it's hard to know for sure unless someone with actual experiences documents what they did wrong. I feel somewhat confused because there are so many reports of accidental deaths (and many intentional too) due to charcoal burning, that I don't understand how someone with intent could fail unless they didn't plan it properly, purchase a sufficient amount of charcoal, seal the area properly etc.

 

[orlandom]

I also wondered about these possible reasons, but it's hard to know for sure unless someone with actual experiences documents what they did wrong. I feel somewhat confused because there are so many reports of accidental deaths (and many intentional too) due to charcoal burning, that I don't understand how someone with intent could fail unless they didn't plan it properly, purchase a sufficient amount of charcoal, seal the area properly etc.

I have a neighbor in my house who worked as a firefighter and got carbon monoxide poisoning. He became a vegetable. He never smiles again. It just exists. But yes, he knows how to walk the dog.

 

[Crusader]

If someone survived as a vegetabile, he will not be able to report about it. If I decided to use this method, I would put 2 barbecues on baking trays in the trunk seal the car perfectly from the inside. The smaller the room, the better.

 

[hfdepression30]

I have a neighbor in my house who worked as a firefighter and got carbon monoxide poisoning. He became a vegetable. He never smiles again. It just exists. But yes, he knows how to walk the dog.

Well, was his exposure intentional or accidental? If it was accidental through work, naturally I would assume he wouldn't have been alone when it happened and was exposed to high levels of CO and then subsequently removed from the area either by himself or with assistance from someone else, so help would've always been close by in his case.

If I choose this method, I have a 4.5kg bag of 90% charcoal briquettes and I would be able to be alone through the evening and night without disturbances or concern which would be plenty of time to succumb to CO poisoning, at least statistically considering the size of the room x the amount of charcoal

If someone survived as a vegetabile, he will not be able to report about it. If I decided to use this method, I would put 2 barbecues on baking trays in the trunk seal the car perfectly from the inside. The smaller the room, the better.

If someone survived as a vegetabile, he will not be able to report about it. If I decided to use this method, I would put 2 barbecues on baking trays in the trunk seal the car perfectly from the inside. The smaller the room, the better.

This sounds more logical to me. If you plan it properly, taking in account the size of the room and the amount of charcoal, statistically the success rate is much higher and therefore likely to succeed. Over the years I've seen so many people write about the 'what ifs of being a vegetable' that I think it's just becomes an insecurity because the same thing can be said about someone surviving a hanging attempt or jumping, there's the chance of being found and surviving with a disability.