I think the main reason it's so difficult is because of humans' survival instinct. I've tried to OD twice. the first time I only managed 5 pills before I panicked and told my parents I needed help. the second time I took a whole bottle then passed out, but when I woke up I was in so much pain that all I could do was call for help instead of taking more meds.
it's so easy to just stop swallowing tablets and call for help, hence why so many people survive. also, you usually have to take an insanely high dose of most medications for them to be lethal, so it's hard to take the amount needed to kill you.
This is very true. It also has a lot to do with how our bodies are built and meant to operate. Everything is intricately linked, and your body will try very very hard to fight off whatever it deems a potential threat. Your liver filters out everything toxic, and many of your organs aid in the process, helping to expel toxins and remove threats from the body. So, even if you're able to take an amount that could be classified as lethal, it's still anyone's game because of how hard your body will fight.
That's also why the amount to overdose is different for everyone — some people have weaker bodies and organ and immune systems, some people have stronger ones, and the amount of body mass you have also plays a part in it. Circulation rate, previous conditions, etc, everything acts as a factor that changes how you process a toxin.
Most people who overdose (if we think accidentally, at least) have typically already been at some level of sickness. Their bodies are already compromised. A lot of addicts overdose accidentally because, and I find this a very interesting fact, their body adapts to become accustomed to a certain time and location to intake and process the drug they take, and so if they suddenly switch up the time or location, their body isn't ready for the drug, and they can't handle that dosage and overdose. So, it's even down to the location and timing of your person.
There's just too much uncertainty and too many complications and contributing factors to account for which makes overdosing so unreliable.
