To start off with, we’re going to be completely serious. If you or anybody that you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, it is very important to get professional help. You can always call the United States National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-8255. There are also numerous other resources out there that are ready and willing to help you and your loved ones.
Having said that, this list is going to be half serious and half light-hearted. While a good majority of the ways we’ve listed are legitimate, there are a few that we’ve thrown in just to lighten things up a bit, especially considering how dark this list can get. To be honest though, you can take this list however you want to, but probably the best way is the one we suggested in the title…as a an inspiration for gratitude. Our bodies are so frail, and there really are a good number of things out there that can kill us quite easily. It’s always amazing when we wake up in the morning ready to face another day. And that is our primary intention with this list; not necessarily to focus on the death aspect of things, but rather the life aspect. Here are 25 Extremely Easy Ways To Die That Will Make You Appreciate Life.
Slipping in the shower
Source: nytimes, Image: Nicole-Koehler via wikimedia
According to the New York Times, bathrooms can be the most deadly place in the house (drownings, falls, etc). Always make sure to shower sober and with a shower mat.
Mixing bleach and ammonia while cleaning
Put simply, the resulting mixture is quite deadly to inhale. Don’t ever do this, no matter how dirty that surface is.
Allergy attacks
Source: wikipedia, Image: Blausen.com staff. “Blausen gallery 2014”. Wikiversity Journal of Medicine. DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 20018762
We all get a little runny nose every once in a while and just chalk it up to allergy season, but for some people, allergies go a lot further. There are even people that are allergic to water! So be grateful because people have died from ingesting just one little peanut.
Driving
It’s one of the most dangerous activities you will ever partake in. In fact, traffic accidents kill 3 times more people worldwide than war and homicide combined. (traffic fatalities – 1.24 million, war/homicide – .44 million)
Carbon monoxide poisoning
You can’t see it, and you can’t smell it, but it can kill you. CO leaks caused by faulty heaters and gas appliances are a very real but very avoidable cause of death. Make sure you have CO alarms in your house.
Living for 100 years
Okay, this is a bit of a joke, but in all seriousness, if you don’t die of anything else on this list, old age will eventually get you. Some scientists even believe that the human body has a maximum life span due to limitations on cell division (note: this is not proven).
Ignoring toothaches
Floss. Seriously. Tooth infections can be deadly, especially because your teeth are so close to your blood stream. If contaminants enter your body this way, it can be deadly. Furthermore, the swelling from an infected tooth can even cut off your air supply.
Dry drowning
This can happen hours after getting out of the pool. You accidentally breathe in water which eventually causes your vocal chords to spasm and close up, making it impossible to breathe. This typically affects kids several hours after they have left the water.
Taking tylenol for a hangover
Doing this can kill your liver. Why? It’s so busy processing the alcohol that it has to process the tylenol differently (aka not very well). Stick to ibuprofen.
Jumping out the window
This is one of those thoughts that make sane people question whether they’re actually insane…the only thing separating me from certain death right now is one little step.
Note: although everyone considers their mortality every now and then, if you find yourself having this thought even when you are not looking over the edge of a skyscraper, please read our introduction.
Taking selfies
Source: wikipedia, Image: pixabay
Especially near cliffs. You’d be surprised how many tourists are killed every year as a result of falls and traffic accidents caused by negligent selfie-taking.
Overdosing
Not many people do this on purpose, especially when it comes to opiates, but always be careful, even with over the counter drugs. Some of them have a very small difference between the effective dose and the lethal dose.
Shaking snack machines
We all do it. But did you know that more people are killed annually by snack machines than by sharks?
Drinking too much water
It’s true, you can overdose on anything, including water.
Note: you would have to drink a truly incredible amount to poison yourself, but it is possible.
Falling off ladders
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls remain a leading cause of death and ladders are involved in more than half of them.
Not responding to that chain mail
You know the one…it says that you have to forward this message to 10 of your closest friends or else you’ll die in your sleep. According to the United Nations these messages are responsible for more than….oh who are we kidding? Does anybody actually forward those things?
Storm chasing in a paraglider
Yes, people actually do this. Just look up Ewa Wiśnierska. This German paraglider has survived lightning strikes, oxygen deprivation, and freezing weather.
Choking
It’s extremely anticlimactic, but if you live by yourself, this is all too possible. Learn how to do the Heimlich Maneuver using just a chair.
Playing Frogger in real life
This sounds dumb…because it is. But there are kids out there that do this.
Note: for those of you that don’t know, Frogger is a video game that involves a frog dodging traffic.
Wearing a really long scarf in a convertible
In case you don’t know her, Isidora Duncan died like this when her scarf got caught on one of the wheels. You can imagine the rest.
BASE Jump
In the BASE jumping community, it is said that everybody knows somebody who has died.
Diving into the shallow end
Unless you have a steel neck, always check the depth. It’s disconcerting how many people end up diving into water and hitting their head.
Not looking when you cross the street
Looking only takes a second, and it can prevent you from becoming a statistic.
Note: If you are in Asia or Africa, this counts for double. Leave nothing to chance.
Not wearing a helmet
A sizable portion of ski and bike fatalities involve helmetless people.
Brain aneurisms
These can kill even the healthiest of us in a matter of seconds.
