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From: rwh@aesat.UUCP (Russ Herman)
Newsgroups: net.suicide
Subject: Re: Suicide
Message-ID: <515@aesat.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Dec-85 20:56:15 EST
Article-I.D.: aesat.515
Posted: Fri Dec 13 20:56:15 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Dec-85 02:12:22 EST
References: <393@cad.cs.cmu.edu>
Organization: AES Data Inc., Mississauga, Ont., CANADA L5N 3C9
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> I may be totally wrong on this, but I get the impression that there are two
> types of suicide attempters: those who've thought it out (and developed
> reasons that are in their minds rational) who almost never fail, and the
> majority, who haven't thought it out much and are trying more to get
> attention (I'm not trying to speak in a derogatory way here) and who don't
> intend to actually kill themselves.
> 
> 					Monica Ciello
> 					cad.cs.cmu.edu!mjc

By no means totally wrong, but not totally right either. There's a large
third category: those who haven't thought it out, but in a fit of depression
or anger, possibly with the disinhibiting effects of alcohol or other
drugs, make their attempt. As you can guess, the probability of success
in a particular instance is totally unpredictable. It has to do as much
with convenient availability of high-lethality means as any other factor.

By the way, the first category's size is difficult to estimate. They often
arrange their deaths to appear accidental. They do not call suicide
prevention centres. However, even for the "rational" suicide, success
is not assured. There is some primitive urge to life that often sabotages
their actions.
-- 
  ______			Russ Herman
 /      \			{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!aesat!rwh
@( ?  ? )@			
 (  ||  )			The opinions above are strictly personal, and 
 ( \__/ )			do not reflect those of my employer (or even
  \____/			possibly myself an hour from now.)