Is drowning quick?

[hmnow]

I am curious if drowning is a quick form of suicide

Is it like hanging where the brain is denied oxygen. Or is it more like asphyxiation which is a drawn out way to die

Curious about the method and its speed to unconsciousness

 

[NearlyIrrelevantCake]

It's asphyxiation, it's drawn-out, and it's terrifying. Your body fights with every cell to get air, to save itself.

Source: Almost drowned twice [accidentally, can't swim] as a child. Had to be hauled out of the water by some random guy at the lake who saw me one time, hauled out by my father the other time.

 

[Upon a hanging Body]

No , it's long and terrifying

 

[QuincyME]

Almost drowned as a child at the beach in just a few feet of water. Sends chills up and down my spine just thinking about it. I'm not one to judge anyone's method on here, but I would avoid this one. It'll do the trick, but the first part would be horrifying.

 

[_Gollum_]

It depends on a lot of factors, including water temperature, what you're wearing, how much exercise you did beforehand, etc. It can be quick (<1 min), or much longer. Even if it's quick, as others have pointed out, it will likely be the most terrifying, painful experience of your life.

However, it's worth noting that once you've aspirated water, people have very peaceful experiences:

Just a second or two later the 'panic' feeling left me. The next thing I knew I was looking at a moving wall of beautiful colours; sea shells, sea fish, quiet, beautiful as my body slowly drifted down, down, down. No panic, no pain, no regrets, worries etc., the most pleasant experience I've ever had.

 

[Intoxicated]

Curious about the method and its speed to unconsciousness

It's possible to render unconsciousness right before drowning by inhaling some simple asphyxiant gas like culinary nitrous oxide, nitrogen, propane, butane, difluoroethane, or tetrafluoroethane. This video shows the effect of nitrous:

View attachment 160190

Replacing air in the lungs with an asphyxiant gas reduces blood oxygen saturation, and loss of consciousness may happen in about half a minute when a good technique of breathing is used. In case if you resume inhaling fresh air afterwards, consciousness is quickly regained, so this method of passing out can be relatively safely tested. In case if you're submerged, you won't inhale air anymore and loss of consciousness is going to be permanent, since you can't elevate blood oxygen saturation back to normal levels then.

 

[Hangman.]

Don't suicide using drowning as a method please. It is an extremely painful and long death.

 

[Forveleth]

I saw a study a while ago that aggregated accounts from people who survived drowning. The overall consensus was that the first 60-90 seconds are the most terror you will ever feel in your life. Your brain will do nothing but scream at you that you have to live. However, after that it becomes incredibly peaceful. People recount admiring the beauty of the water as they looked up. Their last moments before losing .consciousness were quite calm.

Everyone is different though so your reaction might vary from what is reported.