How old were you when you had your first suicide attempt?

[SHThrowAway213]

I was 12.
Tried using an elasticated skipping rope in the woods.

 

[BPD_LE]

14. OD. Wish I'd been successful.

 

[Boochky]

I was 6 or 7. I tried to strangle myself in my sheets. My dad caught me and told me that I wouldn't die, I just wouldn't be as smart. Quite an odd reaction in retrospect.

 

[snowman626]

when i was about 8 i heard a story of how if you wore a mask to sleep you won't wake up and die because your soul wouldn't recognize the face or some stupid shit like that, i believed it at the time and wore a mask to sleep. not sure if that count as a suicide attempt lol

then at 13 i grabbed a whole bunch of random pills from my parents medicine cabinet and swallowed those, woke up in the middle of the night with the worst stomach pain but then was okay the next day. till this day im very surprised that this didn't give me any permanent damage. it must have swallowed like 50 random things

 

[Rachel74]

I was 22, I had self-harmed before that but my first overdose of so many was 22. That saw me with a stint in a mental hospital for 6 months and then this horrible nightmare began.

 

[Jen0804]

12... And locked in a children's psych ward.. Just 12. Crazy huh ?

 

[blanketyblk]

14, via slitting my wrists. but i did it the wrong way. i was not aware it had to go up not across. stupid movies lie to me. so i survived of course. just lots of blood and screaming parents.

 

[Slate128]

8, I'm pretty sure. I can't remember what it was, but it's on my medical file and keeps getting brought up every time I change therapist. I must have got real close to dying.

 

[drunk trey]

18 was my first attempt on sleeping pills some1 seen the pill packets and I was rushed to hospital

 

[SinisterKid]

13. Could have saved a lot of pain had the medical profession let me be.

 

[Soulless_Angel]

22, ODd on pills and a load alcohol, sent me in a sleep for around a day, I recall my body having seizures, I was alone, no one ever checked up on me, I had no one to call, obvs I survived, but damn I felt crap for a while after

 

[EmptySteph62]

13, I slit my wrist but missed the vessel. It was super impulsive and I wouldn't try that method again

 

[DepressionsAHo]

8
Hanging

 

[blankSlate]

18, used pills without a lot of research so that didn't go anywhere
at 19 was more interesting, ODd on a lot stronger pills. though my dad noticed something was wrong with me and we went to the ER immediately. That was hell for a week, I really did feel like I was dying in the ER, could barely walk, couldn't eat, couldn't pee and felt more sick than ever before. Even after they transferd me from ER to acute psych ward I could only lay in bed for a week and had to change sheets every few hours because they would be soaked in sweat while I felt like i was freezing. Also don't know if it caused any permanent damage, never asked them and didn't really care to go check up later.
I think it might have worked if it wasn't for the ER/dad, but I learned what to avoid for the next time if it may come.

 

[Qbert]

21, random pills, locked up.

 

[spanishguy22]

19
tried to cut my leg artery. too deep lol
20
plastic bag with handcuffs: I survived only because I was able to tear the bag open with my teeth when the need to breathe was massive
also ordered SN when nobody knew it and there was no experiences so I didn't use it

now I'm 22 and soon hopefully the last

 

[Roger]

Replies so far produce an average age of less than 14, which is a sad statistic.

It might also be an indication that there are probably several youngsters contributing to the forum, despite the unenforceable lower age limit. The obvious immaturity evident in some posts also indicates this.

We leave ourselves open to criticism in this respect, and the torrent of "hope all goes well, good luck, sleep well" type posts, which follow any posted statement of immediate intent can very easily be misconstrued as a form of encouragement and support.

 

[SinisterKid]

Its a very sad statistic Roger, but also indicates, that suicide, depression and all mental health issues have no respect of age. Those you consider "immature" deserve our support, empathy and compassion, not berating due to their supposed lack of years.

The questions we should be asking, as a civilised society, is why people of such young ages, would be contemplating ending their lives. This is no recent change of focus as I can attest as I am neither young or immature [allegedly] it is a issue that should not be taboo and needs addressing.

How should we behave or approach those who show immediate intent? Ignore them? Tell them to seek help from a medical profession that does not know its arse from its elbow most of the time? I agree that terminology can be a problem, for those outside of the suicidal spectrum, but that does not excuse us or give us reason to ignore those who are in pain or suffering. This is a pro choice forum and I for one, support those who make informed choices about their own existence regardless of age, gender, creed, colour, religion etc etc.

 

[Wayfaerer]

Never, I bought into the "it'll get better" shtick.

 

[Flightlinek]

I'm not sure if it counts, but my first "attempt" was around age 12. I climbed into a garbage dumpster and waited to get picked up by the truck.

When it came, it was the kind that backs up to the dumpster then a guy attaches a cable that lifts the rear of the dumpster and empties it into the back of the truck. I chickened out at the last second when I realized the guy would see me, and had to tell him I was looking for a toy that had been accidentally thrown away. That was a long, long time ago, and I'm still here despite my best efforts.

 

[Letmego. Please]

13, took a load of painkillers i was prescribed for a knee problem, police found me 8hrs later after parents had reported me missing, they took me home & neither they or the parents noticed (despite me rushing to the loo to throw up multiple times) that i had taken anything, felt like crap for over a week from what i now know was the paracetamol mixed in with the painkillers.
My motto - If you live, you learn lol

 

[Numbtopain97]

15, slitting wrists

 

[Astral316]

I'm a late bloomer... 28. Hanged myself with a long-sleeved shirt in a psych hospital, absolutely no SI but no way it was going to work. Attempted due to bad reaction to an anti psychotic medication.

 

[Chris0001]

Not yet, because there will be only one. Hopefully with 21 (current age).

 

[TowerUpright]

It was likely 7. possibly 8. I swallowed a bunch of chemicals from a playset at bedtime, thinking that it would kill me. Said good-bye to my dog and cat that night. Very disappointed that I did. Chemicals didn't do anything, so I could successfully hide my attempt.

 

[Skathon]

A serious suicide attempt? 19.
The next one will be the last, I hope.

 

[Eren]

19, I took all the antidepressants and anxiolytics that I had with redbull, then I regretted as a coward and I caused myself to vomit, after that I was in psychiatry for a while.

 

[JWL]

96.

I'm a late achiever...

 

[Lady black]

20, hanging

 

[Powderedmonster]

19, partial suspension hanging