How do so many young children die by suicide - is it because they act on impulse instead of carefully planning it like adults?

[maccer23]

First time poster - 37 year old female who is suffering debilitating symptoms after trying an SSRI for very mild anxiety. I am not completely anhedonic, I never sleep and I just cant envision a life like this. I have thought about suicide every day for 10 months since this started but have held on because I loved my life so much before - but now i cant feel anything.
I have purchased everything I need to a nitrogen exit bag, ive read every forum, the PPH, blogs, anything I can find to make sure I have it set up properly.
I have looked on a facebook page called 'suicide awareness' and I am blown away at the number of young teens (some as young as 10) who have died by suicide.
How do they know how to do this?
What methods are they using?
How did it get so bad for them?
I just have so many questions....

 

[58Alice85]

Same reason why adults ctb? they simply do not want to live anymore

 

[maccer23]

But they are so young - how are they researching this - how are they brave enough to just act on the impulse without wanting the certainty we all want. I guess it comes down to being less risk averse when you are young - you act before you think. Whereas the older we get it seems we think before we act.
I think what I am trying to say is that its tragically sad because they are so young and things could get better, but I envy the ability they have to go through with it.

 

[EmptyBottle]

But they are so young - how are they researching this - how are they brave enough to just act on the impulse without wanting the certainty we all want. I guess it comes down to being less risk averse when you are young - you act before you think. Whereas the older we get it seems we think before we act.
I think what I am trying to say is that its tragically sad because they are so young and things could get better, but I envy the ability they have to go through with it.

either they do a few web queries (eg "how to tie a noose"), try a few times or less, and finalise their existence.

 

[FadingSnowFake]

Hello and welcome, and also sorry for where you find yourself at this point. Coincidentally, it's also been about 10 months for me, of being suicidal. I wish you all the best on this path, whichever way it may lead.

As for your post, I think it says a lot about the state of the world, for teens to be feeling they need to end it so soon. I asked ChatGPT quite recently for some suicide related stats, I'm sharing FYI.

These were the numbers and rates p/100k of age group (based on available data in the US):




When I asked where suicide fits into leading causes of death p/age group:



And when I asked about the top 5 causes (Data from the CDC WISQARS leading causes of death report via NIMH - US, 2022):

Age Group	Rank 1	Rank 2	Rank 3	Rank 4	Rank 5
10–14	Unintentional injuries	Suicide	Cancer	Homicide	Congenital anomalies
15–24	Unintentional injuries	Homicide	Suicide	Cancer	Heart disease
25–34	Unintentional injuries	Suicide	Homicide	Heart disease	Cancer

And for comparison, for older groups:

Age Group	Rank	Cause of Death	Notes
35–44	1	Unintentional injury	Accidents
	2	Heart disease
	3	Malignant neoplasms (cancer)
	4	COVID-19
	5	Liver disease
	—	Suicide	Not in top 5 in this group
45–54	1	Heart disease	Top cause
	2	Malignant neoplasms (cancer)
	3	COVID-19
	4	Liver disease
	5	Suicide	Ranks 5th in this age group

I didn't ask about methods, but it's sad to think how determined they must be, to see no future, and no alternative.

 

[axab43]

First time poster - 37 year old female who is suffering debilitating symptoms after trying an SSRI for very mild anxiety. I am not completely anhedonic, I never sleep and I just cant envision a life like this. I have thought about suicide every day for 10 months since this started but have held on because I loved my life so much before - but now i cant feel anything.
I have purchased everything I need to a nitrogen exit bag, ive read every forum, the PPH, blogs, anything I can find to make sure I have it set up properly.
I have looked on a facebook page called 'suicide awareness' and I am blown away at the number of young teens (some as young as 10) who have died by suicide.
How do they know how to do this?
What methods are they using?
How did it get so bad for them?
I just have so many questions....

I completely understand about you holding on because your life was better before. Over the past ten years, everyone in my life who really loved me has died. When they were alive it was completely different, now I have developed other physical things as well that I can't handle and really do not want to be here any more. Interesting you said about young people. They obviously do just act on purpose. I have purchased SN, but it just seems really scary, (I overthink everything.) As you said, young people may be more risk averse and just do it without thinking.

 

[Xiaojiu]

I was suicidal in my teens and the emotions were high thanks to hormones. O: I just acted on impulse then (Parents would get in the way obviously). But, nowadays, I have to plan everything to just make sure it is successful.

 

[woofwag]

I googled it and it seemed most common methods for teens/adolescents are hangings, jumping from heights, poisoning, and firearms. I tried to die when I was 6 by slitting my throat (very unsuccessful). I was being abused and was mentally ill. There are a lot of things that would contribute to young kids wanting to die -- abuse, divorce, poverty, bullying, mental illness, traumatic events, loss of loved ones, etc etc. There are a lot of quick methods, but as adults, I think many of us prefer something more peaceful, which is often harder to access and therefore takes us longer to procure.

 

[thesighofleaves]

I'm not sure OP, but I understand how you feel. I remember watching a video of a little girl from some years back who streamed herself hanging herself from a tree somewhere in the southern US I think. I don't think she was older than 12. It was heartbreaking, but also I couldn't help but admire her bravery. I think she was being bullied by people at her school but I don't remember now.

I was, as horrible as it sounds, kind of envious. To be able to just go and do it and be successful and then it's all over...

 

[Fadenself00]

First time poster - 37 year old female who is suffering debilitating symptoms after trying an SSRI for very mild anxiety. I am not completely anhedonic, I never sleep and I just cant envision a life like this. I have thought about suicide every day for 10 months since this started but have held on because I loved my life so much before - but now i cant feel anything.
I have purchased everything I need to a nitrogen exit bag, ive read every forum, the PPH, blogs, anything I can find to make sure I have it set up properly.
I have looked on a facebook page called 'suicide awareness' and I am blown away at the number of young teens (some as young as 10) who have died by suicide.
How do they know how to do this?
What methods are they using?
How did it get so bad for them?
I just have so many questions....

Hey!

If you're comfortable with answering more about your situation, may I ask; which SSRI you took that caused all of this?
How did these symptoms manifest (was there a change between acute phase, withdrawl phase, long term)?
Did you notice/Have you been noticing a slight improvement from one month to the next (or longer time-window)?

Depending on how sensitive your brain/body reacts, it may take multiple years to recover. If you think you may have noticed at least a gradual improvement, even if it was in 3-4month "steps", there may still be hope that you can recover.

All the very best to you in any case though, <3

 

[madwoman]

I believe in everyone's right to choose but I do think meds can cause suicidal thoughts, they do list it often as a side effect on those commercials. It seems to me wild that a med can make you have those thoughts bc physical side effects are easier to measure I guess but maybe consider talking to someone. Especially because you loved your life before and these thoughts are fairly recent for you. I've been suicidal my whole life practically (36f) and I've had ups and downs with it. I've had an attempt at 16 (pill overdose) and it did not work and at the time I was glad I didn't, also glad I pushed through other suicidal moments throughout my life. This time it's been the longest unwavering time where I'm actively planning and preparing but a bit of me is holding on to hope that I'll start loving life again and that my situation gets better. I'm living in the middle of staying and going. I wouldn't wish this on anyone and you obv can make your own decisions, but just know that there is hope.

 

[Dusk till dawn]

But they are so young - how are they researching this - how are they brave enough to just act on the impulse without wanting the certainty we all want. I guess it comes down to being less risk averse when you are young - you act before you think. Whereas the older we get it seems we think before we act.
I think what I am trying to say is that its tragically sad because they are so young and things could get better, but I envy the ability they have to go through with it.

It's not really a matter of impulsivity and recklessness, i joined this forum when i was 12-13 way back in 2018, at some point you can just foresee the trajectory of your life ending up in suicide inevitably depending on your circumstances, if your reasons are circumstances beyond your control and lack of social life then it rarely gets better, suicidality has nothing to do with age, it's the byproduct of circumstances, events, and usually years of loneliness and isolation and abuse and hopelessness and unfulfilled wishes and cravings that shape you into suicidality

 

[EmptyBottle]

It's not really a matter of impulsivity and recklessness, i joined this forum when i was 12-13 way back in 2018, at some point you can just foresee the trajectory of your life ending up in suicide inevitably depending on your circumstances, if your reasons are circumstances beyond your control and lack of social life then it rarely gets better, suicidality has nothing to do with age, it's the byproduct of circumstances, events, and usually years of loneliness and isolation and abuse and hopelessness and unfulfilled wishes and cravings that shape you into suicidality

oh wow... and u didn't have to verify... interesting.

Definitely, CTB wishes have a lot to do with circumstances and similar.

 

[HereUntilApril]

I'm not sure OP, but I understand how you feel. I remember watching a video of a little girl from some years back who streamed herself hanging herself from a tree somewhere in the southern US I think. I don't think she was older than 12. It was heartbreaking, but also I couldn't help but admire her bravery. I think she was being bullied by people at her school but I don't remember now.

I was, as horrible as it sounds, kind of envious. To be able to just go and do it and be successful and then it's all over...

Are you talking about Katelyn Nicole Davis? If so, I've seen that video too.

 

[thesighofleaves]

Are you talking about Katelyn Nicole Davis? If so, I've seen that video too.

Oh my goodness, yes. Poor girl. She was being SA'd by her family. Goddamn. It was worse than I remembered. I hope she found peace.

 

[-nobodyknows-]

My first serious attempt was at 15, so I sort of understand to some degree. I think I just felt stuck. Really, really did not like myself or my social situation. No friends; didn't really even know how to go about making any. Really just felt completely different from everyone else. No close attachments, felt isolated from my family. Felt like a disappointment.

I still feel a lot of these things now. All are still a big part of why I want to die. Especially the loneliness.