The differences between the wish to die, an act of self injury, and death outcome must be noted in order to talk about, under- stand or prevent suicidal behavior. Not all methods are equally lethal and even when they are very lethal, chance factors often aid or deter death outcomes.
Death means many things to different people and to the same person at different times.
People choosing to kill themselves do not know what they are choosing, since none of them have ever died before. This is true for atheists as well as for believers. The wish to die occurs to everyone and is no different than any other wish. It comes and goes very quickly. It often co-exists with the wish to live.