What is considered a suicide attempt?

[oooobeeeeii]

Idk I just wanna start a debate because I heard some people saying that unless you nearly died they do not considered it a real attempt.
Do you consider it an attempt even if you survived with no real health consequences, or if you went to do it but because of SI you stopped or just changed ur mind out of fear.

 

[Sparr0w]

honestly, depends on the person. i'd say "if you did something with the intent to kill yourself", but i would also say that if someone posted a goodbye thread and didn't go through with it, it was a failed attempt, so... i guess "preparing something in an attempt to kill yourself within the next 5 hours"? it'd be traumatising all the same.

people are different though, some would say since they backed 5 minutes after starting it wasn't an attempt, others would say that since they thought about it really hard but gave up 3 days before they were going to ctb, it was a failed attempt.

i think most people can agree that if you started to do it (drink the sn/start putting the rope in place/make a cut with the knife etc) it was an attempt.

 

[FuneralCry]

I would consider it a suicide attempt if the person has actually went through with their method, like they jump, or they take the SN, and somehow this fails. The person doesn't have to end up with health consequences for it to be a suicide attempt, and I just think that for example if someone is about to take their SN but then they decide not to, and don't actually attempt anything then that doesn't count as a suicide attempt.

 

[SilentSadness]

I don't think it really matters what counts as an attempt, there is no point counting after all. If you feel it was an attempt, then it was an attempt as far as I'm concerned.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

I have to agree with FC that it would have to have been an actual attempt that didn't work for whatever reason. It doesn't have to result in health consequences. Just posting a goodbye thread and then not going through with the attempt, or getting ready to take SN but backing out at the last minute doesn't count. The attempt has to have an action attached to it, much more than the contemplation lead-up to the event.

 

[PoisonousPotato]

a suicide attempt is when you attempt to kys, regardless of the gravity or the outcome.

each attempt has a context, a meaning, and an importance

 

[NambaSutra]

It depends on what the police, coroner, etc. decide.

Official statistics miscount, especially with drug overdoses where it's impossible to prove if it was a suicide attempt.

 

[Scythe]

I think only the person who did whatever, get to decide, it's not really anybody else's bussiness in my opinion. For me personally, I have to have the intent to die, and the attempt has to feel real and serious. So I count all my partial hanging attempts as one attempt because most of them was kind of pathetic. The other two both took a lot of set up so they felt more real...not sure if I'm making sense but that's my take.

 

[downndone2]

I would consider it a suicide attempt if the person has actually went through with their method, like they jump, or they take the SN, and somehow this fails. The person doesn't have to end up with health consequences for it to be a suicide attempt, and I just think that for example if someone is about to take their SN but then they decide not to, and don't actually attempt anything then that doesn't count as a suicide attempt.

Agreed, an attempt is method carried out that fails

 

[Ki_Nam]

Mine was a self harm and I guess people translated it as harm to self or others.

 

[rabid_aspie_yokai]

Idk I just wanna start a debate because I heard some people saying that unless you nearly died they do not considered it a real attempt.
Do you consider it an attempt even if you survived with no real health consequences, or if you went to do it but because of SI you stopped or just changed ur mind out of fear.

I just asked a nurse that and we talked about it she said "any act that a person does with the intention of ending their life" you don't have to "succeed" or even get injured, just planning it and going to place X at time Y is considered an attempt. Hope I explained clearly sry if it's confusing!!