Could you simply starve yourself to death?

[KindaAlwaysKnew]

So obviously this would take a long time, but compared to the downsides of other methods, that doesn't seem too rough. I know the body can survive for a long time without food as long as it has water, so the key would be to stop drinking AND eating. Surely the body would just become so weak it'd stop functioning at some point, but it'd feel more like fading away, so be more peaceful/less painful than other methods.
Of course the difficulty would be avoiding people who might try to save you, especially if you collapsed, you'd likely be taken to hospital and put on an IV drip, undoing all your progress.

 

[Soul]

That indeed seems to be the way such attempts end: Someone intervenes. It's a very hard thing to carry out without hospice care, palliative meds, etc.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Something else to worry about is your own survival instinct. If this is the approach you plan to take, it's important to be sure you yourself cannot intervene as otherwise you will likely succumb to the hierarchy of needs. I learned this the hard way when I tried to ctb after running away in middle school. I couldn't even last one night and my survival instinct forced me to get help for being hungry, thirsty, and cold.

 

[heraclitus]

You could - it is slow and uncomfortable. The famous successes all had support, though:

Category:People who died on hunger strike - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Captive of Mind]

It is so unlikely to succeed that it isn't worth trying. Plus this would be extremely painful. Why not find a better method?

 

[Morphosis]

it'd feel more like fading away, so be more peaceful/less painful than other methods.

Sorry @KindaAlwaysKnew but this couldn't be further from the truth, it is anything but peaceful and painless. The lack of food isn't the problem, it's the dehydration that will be almost intolerable. Your lips and even tongue will dry to the point of cracking, your muscles will cramp and spasm, the sensation of thirst will be so incredibly overwhelming that you won't be able to focus on anything else.
It would be torture, pure and simple.
I nursed terminally ill people for years who were no longer able to eat or drink and mouth care was a priority to try and alleviate some of the above.
I would genuinely advise finding another method rather than putting yourself through such misery

 

[Mm80]

I know of someone who tried this. Locked himself in his flat and threw the key away and got rid of all means of communication.
He ended up getting so hungry that he ate his own forearm. He was discovered in the end barely alive.
Pls be careful with this method.

I know of someone who tried this. Locked himself in his flat and threw the key away and got rid of all means of communication.
He ended up getting so hungry that he ate his own forearm. He was discovered in the end barely alive.
Pls be careful with this method.
[/QUOTE Goodpersoneffed its friday night and ive had a few drinks...apologies

 

[Superdeterminist]

I have been trying starvation recently. It is no doubt a very challenging method, and while I don't really know how bad it gets, it certainly isn't totally peaceful. As you mentioned, it is easy to fail because you'll probably be fed parenterally, or you may simply succumb to intense hunger and eat, undoing all the progress either way.

Still though, I want to continue trying this method, mainly because I am so terrified of all the other methods by comparison, or feel they are impossible to achieve. Purportedly, it takes between 50-70 days to die by water fasting.

I'm not very informed about it, but I have read that dehydration is excruciating, so while starving I would personally still drink water. Dehydration allegedly results in death much sooner which is the benefit, taking a maximum of 1 week (I think? again I don't actually know).

 

[Morphosis]

I have been trying starvation recently. It is no doubt a very challenging method, and while I don't really know how bad it gets, it certainly isn't totally peaceful. As you mentioned, it is easy to fail because you'll probably be fed parenterally, or you may simply succumb to intense hunger and eat, undoing all the progress either way.

Still though, I want to continue trying this method, mainly because I am so terrified of all the other methods by comparison, or feel they are impossible to achieve. Purportedly, it takes between 50-70 days to die by water fasting.

I'm not very informed about it, but I have read that dehydration is excruciating, so while starving I would personally still drink water. Dehydration allegedly results in death much sooner which is the benefit, taking a maximum of 1 week (I think? again I don't actually know).

Timing of death by dehydration also depends on external factors/ environment and varies enormously. For example stuck in the middle of the Sahara you would dehydrate much quicker than my country which is cool and very wet. Losing moisture by sweat and physical exertion also speeds things up, whereas the patients I looked after were usually completely immobile in bed.
I'm sorry you're in this position @Manoban, my heart goes out to you attempting to ctb by starvation

 

[Wayfaerer]

If it were that easy...

 

[PJFord]

I looked into this when I decided to CTB. I thought it seemed so easy: just stay in bed and not eat. No so. In addition to others' comments above, my research seemed to imply if you're healthy and in relatively good shape, your body will fight you more than other methods. It's all thanks to our cavemen ancestors. Their bodies adapted to survive periods of no food and to an extent no water.

 

[Wayfaerer]

Also, even if you made it far but somehow were "rescued" or backed out, your organs would be permafucked. I wouldn't risk it on that alone.

 

[XYZ]

I understand it's tempting to indulge in planning to ctb by starvation. You don't need to do anything, right? Just stop eating. In reality when that hunger kicks in, you will devour any last crumb you find in your cupboard. You will go to the corner shop and buy just anything. Or someone will find you, unless you are a total recluse with zero connections. Plus they say the pain is excruciating.

I wish it could be done. I'd be the first to get on that train.

 

[LostandTired]

Could you starve yourself to death? Yes. Simply? No, Not even close.

It would be a struggle to the very end and you would be risking long term physical trauma depending on how far along you got to on the attempt and failed by choice or not.

@Manoban I so sorry you've come to point to even try this method. I hope you reconsider or at the very least thoroughly research other methods to lessen the fear and worry.

 

[metalgarurumon]

The human body can survive for about ~3 weeks without eating, water on the other hand, not so much. It's about one week for water. You would become very ill & disoriented before you were even close to passing away from starvation.

 

[Morphosis]

The human body can survive for about ~3 weeks without eating, water on the other hand, not so much. It's about one week for water. You would become very ill & disoriented before you were even close to passing away from starvation.

I had lots of patients last much longer than that without food or fluids, months even. And these were terminally ill people, so young healthy bodies would potentially last even longer.
I was constantly surprised by how much suffering the human body can actually take before finally shutting down.

 

[metalgarurumon]

I had lots of patients last much longer than that without food or fluids, months even. And these were terminally ill people, so young healthy bodies would potentially last even longer.
I was constantly surprised by how much suffering the human body can actually take before finally shutting down.

I honestly thought you could go for a month or two w/o food, but that was what the first result result that popped up when I tried to double check. Survivor man, or what ever he is called, explains the affects of it in one of those "breaking down" videos.

 

[Morphosis]

I honestly thought you could go for a month or two w/o food, but that was what the first result result that popped up when I tried to double check. Survivor man, or what ever he is called, explains the affects of it in one of those "breaking down" videos.

That's what I was saying in a previous post about the effect of environment, in a survival situation depending on where you are you might only last a matter of days.
But I have watched many sick people fading away and dying very slowly with my own eyes and genuinely couldn't understand what was keeping them alive other than possibly pure willpower. Some were like skeletons in the end, lasting honestly for months without any food or fluids, just mouth care. Some had IV or s/c fluids as a comfort measure but others weren't suitable and it would've just overloaded their system - very distressing for relatives to watch. If I hadn't seen it myself I wouldn't have believed it possible.

 

[Apathy's Girl]

My best friend tried this method. He got rid of all the food in his apartment, had the water turned off so he would have no access. He lasted about two weeks before he caved in and had the water turned back on.

 

[Sarahlynn]

I wouldn't recommend this. You will be in pain for a very long time. Especially if you are not underweight and your body has resources for a long time.

Not eating causes very, very bad stomach cramps. And both not eating and dehydration leads to intense headaches. I have never tried going out this way, but experienced both due to illness and depression. You will feel completely horrid for long periods of time. And your body and mind will fight you, as others have mentioned.

 

[Brick In The Wall]

This method is a rough way to go. I always recommend this powerful documentary when the subject comes up. It's based on the true story of a man who decided to CTB by starvation. If I remember correctly he made it some 67 days before being successful.