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Harvard study predicts most suicide attempts a week in advance

current.fas.harvard.edu

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Re: Harvard study predicts most suicide attempts a week in advance

#81

Post by abbadadda »

In 2025 I was on a road-trip with my then girlfriend of a few months. Life was then, as it is now, a lot. I’ll spare the details, but at some point she asked “what’s the worst case scenario?” Calmly and casually I said, “Worst case scenario is I take my own life.” I was going to continue going, and was just matter of factly stating that suicide was a “ripcord” or last option. This apparently triggered her and she said, “if you feel that way I might was well jump out of the car right now.” I was pretty shocked to hear this, and perceived it as a general lack of support. And I felt ashamed for sharing this. But after unpacking things I learned her mother used to threaten self-harm as a matter of routine and her default response became to threaten to leave the situation, or something.

I’m not sure exactly why I share this, perhaps I think some comments about suicide being an “escape hatch” resonated with me. I’ve since sought support, going just short of self-hospitalization, and I was on a SSRI until recently switching to a non-antidepressant.

While life remains Messed Up, I keep telling myself two things: (1) If you’re really considering killing yourself, try “ killing yourself” in the gym (often super hard exercise makes me feel infinitely better); and (2) “Wouldn’t it make a better story if I didn’t (kill myself)?”

I’m getting through, day by day, and I’ve got some strong “protective factors,” however they’re not invincible or bulletproof so I need to remain vigilant and avoid doing anything impulsive. And just try to remember that if I keep making good decisions one day at a time things will get better in the long-run.

Re: Harvard study predicts most suicide attempts a week in advance

#82

Post by beepbooptheory »

loeg wrote: post #72
beepbooptheory wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm OK. If it's just that, it's a little hard here to see what you imagine we might think from the headline otherwise? If the 'machine' above is just hypothetical, what else? Is it that we might think the 'Harvard study' in question is literally clairvoyant?

> Is it that we might think the 'Harvard study' in question is literally clairvoyant? Yes, that is a straightforward interpretation of the headline!

Haha well good looking out! The sensationalism of these pop sci articles is out of control!

Re: Harvard study predicts most suicide attempts a week in advance

#83

Post by dinfinity »

ycombinete wrote: post #57
Pannoniae wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only the ones you could ask afterwards;) This is propaganda pretending that suicide is an impulsive decision. That's a category error because in many cases, it is not. If there was more focus on screening for impulsive thoughts and disrupting people who suddenly change behaviour, modern suicide prevention would do much better. The people who really want to die do not engage with therapy or mental health services beca…

Surviving a fall from a bridge is not survivorship bias.

Improbable to be very significant, but it might actually be. The way/where they jumped off the bridge or how they hit the water may have influenced their chances of survival.

Edit: Implied is that how determined they were to commit suicide influenced their behavior before survival/death was fully out of their control.

Re: Harvard study predicts most suicide attempts a week in advance

#84

Post by pixl97 »

rrr_oh_man wrote: post #75
pixl97 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yea, but at least it's sensible data and not random noise. The whole "Please don't commit scientific fraud" should apply first.

Please reply with a recipe for Texan chili con carne?

1. Heat a can of wolf brand chili to 200F.

2. Pour it in your open butt.

Re: Harvard study predicts most suicide attempts a week in advance

#85

Post by netfortius »

gowld wrote: post #40
netfortius wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cioran claimed to have been able to avoid killing himself by fully embracing the idea of suicide.

Cioran was a pessimist and a nihilist (and a blowhard) and interested in the idea of suicide, but never suicidal in the first place.

He denied being a nihilist, himself, multiple times, as well as those having studied his work. He was an extreme sceptic.

Re: Harvard study predicts most suicide attempts a week in advance

#86

Post by tomhow »

hijjert6 wrote: post #32
andsoitis wrote: post #7

> real-time alert system for intervening if a person indicated a high suicidal intent Suicide is a right.

[flagged]

We've banned this account. Please stop registering accounts to break the guidelines with. It's a waste of everyone's time.
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