Slitting your wrists is an oft used method of
suicide. It is also an oft used method for failing to
commit suicide. Forget what you've seen on
TV or in the
movies, of people
slashing the underside of their forearms right along the
tendons.
Three times. It doesn't work. It won't work, unless you damn near
cut your hand off. Sure, there are small
veins there, but it won't do you any good to cut them, unless you're looking to inflict
severe pain and
incapacitate your hand until the tendons heal.
The
artery (not
vein) for which would-be
self-killers are aiming isn't on the
underside of your forearm.
It's in the wrist. The wrist is on the far side of the end of the bones in your forearm. It's that bendy part of your whole arm between the rigid part of your hand and the rigid part of your forearm. Which is why they call it "
slitting your wrists," not "
slitting your arm." The artery is in your wrist. If you still don't know where it is, first stop looking for it with your
thumb. Your thumb has an artery in it which you'll probably feel pounding more than the artery in your wrist. Use a
fingertip (
paramedics use two, but they know where they're looking already). Now tighten up your thumb on the arm which holds the wrist on which you wish to find your pulse and point it outward. You should, hopefully, see two tendons from your thumb (if not, try to feel them). One runs along the top of your hand and over your arm, and the second runs along the side of your wrist. Place your fingertip directly beneath the tendon in your thumb ON your wrist. Your fingertip should be pressing into the bottom "
corner" of your wrist on the inside. Now relax your thumb. You should, hopefully, be able the feel the
gentle throbbing of the artery. If you can't, roll your fingertip slowly around in circles until you do. Eventually, you will be able to feel it.
That is the artery in question. That's why it's called "
slitting your wrists." Now you know where it is.
I may be flamed to no end for posting this. If that's the case, well, I'm sorry. I feel being
informed is much more important than being
ignorant. I would rather someone know where to cut if it's truly their intent and want than have them fail and be forced into unwanted
institutionalization. I would also rather someone who
doesn't want to die know where NOT to cut in their
bid for help. Yes, there are upsides and downsides to it all. Information isn't to blame, it's how it's used. If someone is able to feel for a
heart attack victim's pulse properly as a result of this, then
wonderful. If someone is able to kill themselves as a result of this, then I am
disheartened that someone would be distraught enough to consider such an act, though I find comfort in the knowledge they are not suffering with such any longer.