Some things AskMe cannot do alone September 17, 2006 4:18 PM Subscribe
atrazine: it's a long way of saying that this isn't the usual AskMe question, and I'm wondering if there's a policy about it. Not quite "I'm about to shoot myself, please help me hive mind," but close enough.
posted by turducken at 4:34 PM on September 17, 2006
posted by turducken at 4:34 PM on September 17, 2006
I think he has gotten some suitable advice in the thread and it should stand as is.
posted by MeetMegan at 4:40 PM on September 17, 2006
posted by MeetMegan at 4:40 PM on September 17, 2006
I didn't think this question was appropriate for that thread, under the circumstances, but how the hell does a teenage girl attempt to commit suicide by suffocating herself in a blanket? Talk about your "cries for help".
posted by Justinian at 4:47 PM on September 17, 2006
posted by Justinian at 4:47 PM on September 17, 2006
joshuak has always struck me in a way that's hard to explain. Ever since his shipping something to Nigeria question, it's hard for me to believe he's really this naive. I mean, if this story is factual, asking a bunch of internet dorks and dorkettes (and the amazingly cool allen.spaulding) for advice is baffling.
Part of me suspects that he really is a high school kid and he's just sort of positing these scenarios to see how people would react, but who knows.
posted by allen.spaulding at 4:50 PM on September 17, 2006
Part of me suspects that he really is a high school kid and he's just sort of positing these scenarios to see how people would react, but who knows.
posted by allen.spaulding at 4:50 PM on September 17, 2006
Justinian, I was wondering the same thing....
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 4:54 PM on September 17, 2006 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 4:54 PM on September 17, 2006 [1 favorite]
What kind of policy would there be?
posted by thirteenkiller at 4:57 PM on September 17, 2006
posted by thirteenkiller at 4:57 PM on September 17, 2006
"Walk through no archetypal suicide
Die young is far too boring these days
Your will to
speak clearly
exposed too much"
—Unsung
posted by Eideteker at 5:03 PM on September 17, 2006
Die young is far too boring these days
Your will to
speak clearly
exposed too much"
—Unsung
posted by Eideteker at 5:03 PM on September 17, 2006
joshuak has always struck me in a way that's hard to explain.
Yeah, there is something decidedly unrealistic about him.
He got the right advice there, anyway.
posted by jack_mo at 5:07 PM on September 17, 2006
Yeah, there is something decidedly unrealistic about him.
He got the right advice there, anyway.
posted by jack_mo at 5:07 PM on September 17, 2006
Even if someone has been weird on the site, and even if they are goofing around, with suicide you have to take every instance seriously no matter who is saying it. The advice was spot on.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:15 PM on September 17, 2006 [2 favorites]
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:15 PM on September 17, 2006 [2 favorites]
thirteenkiller: I dunno. Maybe a moderator shutting down the thread, and sending an email to the personal account of the OP, with a boilerplate, "call this hotline, call 911"-type advice? Or using PayPal mojo and calling 911 for them? Amateur and semi-pro advice is what AskMe is all about, while some issues require succinct, professional, and legally sound solutions.
gsteff: Seems to me this callout is a natural outgrowth of all the weepy personal-issues posts that pop up in AskMe. Someday, someone will post the inevitable "I'm gonna end it all/climb into a belltower with a rifle/shoot this puppy" question, and I thought it would be interesting to discuss the ethical/practical ramifications.
Also, I've got a deadline and I'm not a big football fan.
posted by turducken at 5:21 PM on September 17, 2006
gsteff: Seems to me this callout is a natural outgrowth of all the weepy personal-issues posts that pop up in AskMe. Someday, someone will post the inevitable "I'm gonna end it all/climb into a belltower with a rifle/shoot this puppy" question, and I thought it would be interesting to discuss the ethical/practical ramifications.
Also, I've got a deadline and I'm not a big football fan.
posted by turducken at 5:21 PM on September 17, 2006
Matt - I agree which is why I stayed out of that thread.
posted by allen.spaulding at 5:39 PM on September 17, 2006
posted by allen.spaulding at 5:39 PM on September 17, 2006
I thought it would be interesting to discuss the ethical/practical ramifications.
Without wanting to be a jerk, that's not what metatalk is for. Besides, Matt has said that he's gotten anonymous suicide questions before, and simply provides the poster with relevent contact information without approving the post.
posted by gsteff at 5:44 PM on September 17, 2006
Without wanting to be a jerk, that's not what metatalk is for. Besides, Matt has said that he's gotten anonymous suicide questions before, and simply provides the poster with relevent contact information without approving the post.
posted by gsteff at 5:44 PM on September 17, 2006
how the hell does a teenage girl attempt to commit suicide by suffocating herself in a blanket?
i was wondering that myself
it looks like the proper advice was given and i'm going to keep my thoughts to myself
posted by pyramid termite at 5:48 PM on September 17, 2006
i was wondering that myself
it looks like the proper advice was given and i'm going to keep my thoughts to myself
posted by pyramid termite at 5:48 PM on September 17, 2006
how the hell does a teenage girl attempt to commit suicide by suffocating herself in a blanket?
The point isn't necessarily that the girl attempted it in a blanket where suicides might fail. The point is that she attempted it in the first place and thus needs help.
posted by jmd82 at 5:56 PM on September 17, 2006
The point isn't necessarily that the girl attempted it in a blanket where suicides might fail. The point is that she attempted it in the first place and thus needs help.
posted by jmd82 at 5:56 PM on September 17, 2006
I didn't say it was the point; that's why I didn't say anything in the thread. I'm just wondering how you try to suffocate yourself in a blanket, is all. I mean, if I were trying to kill myself I'd probably shoot myself in the head.
posted by Justinian at 6:13 PM on September 17, 2006
posted by Justinian at 6:13 PM on September 17, 2006
I felt a bit uneasy about the fact that joshuak gives his real name - I assume - in his profile and therefore people might be able to identify his girlfriend ... might expect anonymous posting in this situation?
posted by paduasoy at 6:17 PM on September 17, 2006
posted by paduasoy at 6:17 PM on September 17, 2006
it's a long way of saying that this isn't the usual AskMe question, and I'm wondering if there's a policy about it
...
Seems to me this callout is a natural outgrowth of all the weepy personal-issues posts that pop up in AskMe
...
I thought it would be interesting to discuss the ethical/practical ramifications.
Could you possibly be any more vague about your purpose in opening this thread? I have no fucking idea what you're trying to say or ask. I believe it's nothing more than "hly sht is Dad gonna do something???"
But there is no Dad here.
posted by scarabic at 6:28 PM on September 17, 2006
...
Seems to me this callout is a natural outgrowth of all the weepy personal-issues posts that pop up in AskMe
...
I thought it would be interesting to discuss the ethical/practical ramifications.
Could you possibly be any more vague about your purpose in opening this thread? I have no fucking idea what you're trying to say or ask. I believe it's nothing more than "hly sht is Dad gonna do something???"
But there is no Dad here.
posted by scarabic at 6:28 PM on September 17, 2006
Holy shit that's fucked up. Here's hoping she gets help.
posted by rocketman at 6:32 PM on September 17, 2006
posted by rocketman at 6:32 PM on September 17, 2006
gsteff: No worries. And while I know MeTa is for discussing meetups and double posts and why-does-the-front-page-look-funny-mommy-why, (according to my reading of the guidelines) it's also for discussing Metafilter-related issues of etiquette and nuts-and-bolts operational stuff that can't be simply flagged. So when I say I wanted to discuss "ethical/practical ramifications," it wasn't just for kicks. I saw a smoldering pile of trash, and wondered if we had a fire extinguisher around, you know, just in case. My question's been answered, pretty much.
posted by turducken at 6:37 PM on September 17, 2006
posted by turducken at 6:37 PM on September 17, 2006
scarabic: See above. And I weep for you. Try AskMe for a good English comprehension course, and
">this for inspiration.
posted by turducken at 6:49 PM on September 17, 2006
posted by turducken at 6:49 PM on September 17, 2006
I agree with scarabic, this wasn't a seemingly purposeful callout. HOWEVER, calling attention to what might be a real emergency is totally Ok in my book.
As #1 mentioned, the responses were spot on and hopefully the OP will act on them and do what needs to be done.
posted by snsranch at 7:05 PM on September 17, 2006
As #1 mentioned, the responses were spot on and hopefully the OP will act on them and do what needs to be done.
posted by snsranch at 7:05 PM on September 17, 2006
Carets is one thing, but I draw the line at the "Quote Mark/Greater Than Combo", mister.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:08 PM on September 17, 2006
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:08 PM on September 17, 2006
Well, seeing as it is a common scenario (I myself had to talk a seriously suicidal male friend of mine out of it while we were in college-serious enough that campus security started looking for me when someone saw a note he had left on my door) I think it is good to have those resources in askme. Whether this particular case is on the up and up or not.
posted by konolia at 7:23 PM on September 17, 2006
posted by konolia at 7:23 PM on September 17, 2006
Maybe a moderator shutting down the thread, and sending an email to the personal account of the OP, with a boilerplate, "call this hotline, call 911"-type advice? Or using PayPal mojo and calling 911 for them?
No offense, but I think that just took the lead as the worst idea in the history of bad Metafilter ideas. I worked at a suicide hotline and the problem with what you're suggesting is twofold: 1) it would actively discourage people from asking honest suicide-related questions and getting helpful suggestions out of fear of having the cops/ambulance called on them, and 2) on rare occasions, it would run the risk of encouraging someone to do something stupid to themselves and then post a suicide question in the mistaken belief that Matt or Jessamyn would automatically use their PayPal information to somehow find their address and call the local police to save them.
A terrible suggestion on all levels. I really wish people would just learn to stifle their "Must Erase Questions That Make Me Personally Uncomfortable" impulses before starting MetaTalk threads like this.
posted by mediareport at 10:17 PM on September 17, 2006 [1 favorite]
No offense, but I think that just took the lead as the worst idea in the history of bad Metafilter ideas. I worked at a suicide hotline and the problem with what you're suggesting is twofold: 1) it would actively discourage people from asking honest suicide-related questions and getting helpful suggestions out of fear of having the cops/ambulance called on them, and 2) on rare occasions, it would run the risk of encouraging someone to do something stupid to themselves and then post a suicide question in the mistaken belief that Matt or Jessamyn would automatically use their PayPal information to somehow find their address and call the local police to save them.
A terrible suggestion on all levels. I really wish people would just learn to stifle their "Must Erase Questions That Make Me Personally Uncomfortable" impulses before starting MetaTalk threads like this.
posted by mediareport at 10:17 PM on September 17, 2006 [1 favorite]
how the hell does a teenage girl attempt to commit suicide by suffocating herself in a blanket? Talk about your "cries for help".
It's called a "suicidal gesture" or "suicide attempt." Epidemiologically (statistically) speaking, its presence is the strongest risk factor for successful completed suicide that has yet been described. This relation has been described again and again in study after study.
More info about suicide, from the NIMH.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:50 PM on September 17, 2006
It's called a "suicidal gesture" or "suicide attempt." Epidemiologically (statistically) speaking, its presence is the strongest risk factor for successful completed suicide that has yet been described. This relation has been described again and again in study after study.
More info about suicide, from the NIMH.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:50 PM on September 17, 2006
I really wish people would just learn to stifle their "Must Erase Questions That Make Me Personally Uncomfortable" impulses before starting MetaTalk threads like this.
Seconded.
posted by languagehat at 5:42 AM on September 18, 2006
Seconded.
posted by languagehat at 5:42 AM on September 18, 2006
And for Christ's sake, if you must post a pointless callout, take the trouble to phrase it in a way that doesn't require subsequent clarification about what the fuck you mean. "Code blue in the green" my ass.
posted by languagehat at 5:43 AM on September 18, 2006
posted by languagehat at 5:43 AM on September 18, 2006
Btw, what was delmoi's now-deleted comment in that thread? I can't wait to see what you have to post to get deleted from a suicide help thread.
posted by mediareport at 6:16 AM on September 18, 2006
posted by mediareport at 6:16 AM on September 18, 2006
What is "code blue" anyway? I'm guessing some terror alert thing? But wouldn't blue be the lowest level? Like, one step safer than safe (green)?
posted by Bugbread at 7:39 AM on September 18, 2006
posted by Bugbread at 7:39 AM on September 18, 2006
code blue is a phrase often used or heard in US hospitals meaning that someone requires immediate recussitation.
i heald back in posting to that thread, despite the fact that i worked for several years as a suicide counselor. the girl needs counseling, but probably not hospitalization. however, there is no way i could figure that out here, so i let the other solid advice stand .... and i didn't want to clutter up the askmi.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 7:51 AM on September 18, 2006
i heald back in posting to that thread, despite the fact that i worked for several years as a suicide counselor. the girl needs counseling, but probably not hospitalization. however, there is no way i could figure that out here, so i let the other solid advice stand .... and i didn't want to clutter up the askmi.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 7:51 AM on September 18, 2006
Thank you, mediareport. Calling 911 as the rule for every teenager/friend of teenager with thoughts/questions/feelings/ideation/gesture re suicide would be terrible for exactly the reasons you state.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 8:04 AM on September 18, 2006
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 8:04 AM on September 18, 2006
All the willful misreading in this thread is pathetic. Angry mole-people, please move on.
And just for the record, I believe the kid's a rich spoiled brat (if he exists at all), and I find the idea of his gf trying to suffocate herself with a blanket hi-larious. I mean, really.
But then again... you never know.
posted by turducken at 9:29 AM on September 18, 2006
And just for the record, I believe the kid's a rich spoiled brat (if he exists at all), and I find the idea of his gf trying to suffocate herself with a blanket hi-larious. I mean, really.
But then again... you never know.
posted by turducken at 9:29 AM on September 18, 2006
Classy!
posted by Roger Dodger at 12:56 PM on September 18, 2006
posted by Roger Dodger at 12:56 PM on September 18, 2006
I never, ever would, because I know it's just wrong, but I find it hard to resist making jokes in threads like that. I certainly think them. I suspect I'm not alone.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 7:11 PM on September 18, 2006
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 7:11 PM on September 18, 2006
Know who else suspected they were not alone?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:35 PM on September 18, 2006
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:35 PM on September 18, 2006
All the willful misreading in this thread is pathetic. Angry mole-people, please move on.
You know, when you're outnumberd by the people who have "willfuly misread" you, it's rational to consider that you, in fact, may be the source of the communication problem. It's a case of if-you-think-everybodys-wrong-but-you're-right-you're-usually-not.
Either that, or yes, you're being attacked by angry mole people.
MetaFilter: angry mole people.
Name-calling is just exactly what Roger Dodger said it is.
posted by scarabic at 8:45 PM on September 18, 2006
You know, when you're outnumberd by the people who have "willfuly misread" you, it's rational to consider that you, in fact, may be the source of the communication problem. It's a case of if-you-think-everybodys-wrong-but-you're-right-you're-usually-not.
Either that, or yes, you're being attacked by angry mole people.
MetaFilter: angry mole people.
Name-calling is just exactly what Roger Dodger said it is.
posted by scarabic at 8:45 PM on September 18, 2006
Actually gsteff, I was thinking of Rockwell. But 5 points to you all the same.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:49 PM on September 18, 2006
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:49 PM on September 18, 2006
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posted by turducken at 4:20 PM on September 17, 2006