I live in a state where it is legal. The way to legalize The Right to Die is get a campaign going, with eldercare, Triple AAA, insurance companies, and the public behind you. Model the state legislation after WA, CO, CA, OR or a similar state. Get a committee to sponsor it, put it on the ballot, and vote,! With Covid, now is the time to pass these laws.
We transferred my Dad to hospice last night. I’ve been raging at the system the last few days because of this. Like he’s not going too get better and sure morphine helps but come on. If he was my dog I would have helped him a long time ago.
I live in a Right to Die state in the U.S., but the hindrance is that there seem to be certain benchmarks that need to be met. I think things like how severe you are, but can you also make this decision for yourself…since you do have to administer your own medication in these cases.
My interest lies deeper than that. I want to be able to decide at a certain age that I’m done. I don’t want to think that I first have to have a specific illness off a list and then reach certain benchmarks, etc.
That being said, of course there are reasons why doctors would be going against their oath of helping others if they just handed out suicide pills to anyone.
For me, though, there should be the same amount of support for people who want to take their own lives as there is for people bringing life into the world. Babies aren’t asked to be born and then we all just float around in this existence. If death feels most realistic to someone, why can’t they comfortably do so and why can’t we normalize something like that?!
I know, goodness knows people get up in arms about their “loved one” trying to die by suicide. It’s all just selfishness of “don’t die because you are so loved by me.”
Anyway, I should end this. I could talk about this topic all day.
Agreed!
Have you read the book Final Exit by Derek Humphry? It’s rather outdated now, in the best ways possible. Attitudes are changing- though at a snail’s pace. A few countries really have it right. It sickens me that there are still some people out there who understand the need to euthanize a pet when it’s obvious they are suffering and at the end, yet they’re incapable of extending the same compassion to a human being.
I am very happy to see this post. I live with (or suffer on most days) with a chronic illness that causes incredible pain and poor quality of life. I was also raised Catholic and went through all the motions growing up. Let me tell you being a sick person in a Christian country sucks. But yeah later on I read about how suicide is illegal cause the king cant get his labor off of you. The church will have one less follower to spread the word etc.
I get it. This comment isnt a cry for help btw, I know nuance is lost on the internet and certain topics do raise flags. But I get it, and wouldnt fault anyone for doing it.
Not so long story of a personal account of having to watch someone suffer. I just need to get this out.
My mother died this past Friday at 3:25am. She was the best gift an adopted son could have ever wished for. My mother (81, diabetic who took great care of herself, breast cancer with double mastectomy and lymph node removal) suffered (unknowingly) with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer probably for months. She had no idea the cancer returned since her last PET scan in September came back clear. Right after that she began having pain in her back and was diagnosed with a pleural effusion (fluid buildup in the lining around her lungs). I came to visit to try to get lymphedema under control in mid January. After going to the ER because shortness of breath and pressure in her chest, they drew 700ml of fluid from the pleura and the cytology report came back with metastatic breast cancer.
My cousin and aunt had been her caretakers for about a month before I arrived (I live 2500 miles away). I learned after her death that she had been wanting to die for a while; the pain was so bad. She had expressed to me that she wanted to die and the ever loving naive son thought of we could just get the fluid around her lungs and the lymphedema taken care of, her pain levels would drop and she could begin the road to recovery.
For a while, before I arrived, she had been in contact with someone from hospice. The nurse kept telling her the lymphedema wasn’t a terminal condition so she couldn’t be admitted for palliative care. I watched her move, squirm, writhe in pain trying to find a comfortable position. I would help her every 5 minutes try to get into a comfortable position, adjust pillows, anything to get her some relief. She was on oxycodone (which wasn’t enough) for at least a month. When she went back into the hospital after talking with her primary that’s when the cytology results came back and we got the news. Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. At that point she said “I don’t want to be poked, prodded, tested, treated, I just want this pain to end.” I had to tell her “Florida isn’t a die with dignity State. If it was I would make all the arrangements for you, I’m sorry mom”.
They drew another 700ml of fluid from her lungs the afternoon after she got the cytology results and had some good relief. The next day the hospice nurse came in and my mother signed the paperwork. The nurse asked if she wanted to be transported that evening. We agreed that mom would stay in the hospital and would be taken to hospice in the morning. I said goodnight and when I came back the next morning I saw my mothers health had fallen off a cliff overnight. She was transported to hospice where they began palliative care. I spent the first night with her where I was helping her every 2 minutes try to find a comfortable position until the nurses were able to get enough medication in her to help her sleep. She was agitated (not angry just unable to get comfortable) and suffering. I kissed her goodnight and told her “I love you mom. Thank you for being the best”. Those were the last words she consciously heard from me. The next morning the physician came in to see her and pointed out the left side of her face was dropping. Said it was either a stroke or the cancer metastasized to her brain. She never regained consciousness. My brother spent the next night with her so I could get sleep. He came in and told me she died.
My mother suffered for months because Florida doesn’t allow people to make their own choices. They have to suffer and be a burden to their families and loved ones. No. My mother was not a burden at all she was my mother. Watching her deteriorate before my eyes and deal with the pain and hear she wanted to die and hearing my mother say “you should go for a bike ride for a few hours, I’ll just sit in the garage with the car running” that was the burden. Knowing aside from pharmaceuticals that would just mask the pain and do nothing whatsoever to cure her or end her suffering, SHE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE OTHER THAN TO SUFFER AS SHE WATCHED HER BODY DETERIORATE AND WATCH THE PEOPLE WHO LOVED HER MOST HAVE TO WATCH HER SUFFER.
ANYONE WHO DOES NOT SUPPORT RIGHT TO DIE WITH DIGNITY AND THE PERSONAL CHOICE TO END ONES OWN SUFFERING BEFORE IT BECOMES UNBEARABLE SHOULD HAVE TO WALK A MILE IN MY MOTHERS SHOES!!
Perhaps if they see the suffering and agony they grow some compassion and not stand by and say, “It’s gods will”. Well guess what. They love saying their gif gave mankind free will. WHY THE FUCK ARE PEOPLE TAKING THAT FREE WILL AWAY? There is no free will when you force your ideals on others and cause them to suffer needlessly. And don’t say she’s in a better place. She’s dead.
My Dad is a lifelong athiest, and was just diagnosed with Lymphoma. He’s not ready to tap out yet but when he is, he’s glad we live in WA. He does not want our finances drained trying to keep him alive when he worked so hard building up those finances to take care of his family.
My brother attempted suicide 3 times. He was 46 years old.
He was ill with HIV/AIDS, Hep C and a multitude of mental health issues. His third attempt was almost but not quite successful. He knifed himself and bled out in my father’s basement.
He ended up in a “locked down” physical situation where all he could do was move his eyes a bit. Couldn’t swallow, move anything.
It was beyond traumatic.
He lived in that state for nearly 4 months.
I then had to make decisions regarding tube feeding.
I think a kind doctor gave him a bit more pain meds one morning and he finally passed.
I don’t ever want to go through that again.
I don’t want anyone else to have to go through that either.
It’s beyond inhumane for people to suffer like that.
Recently there was a case of an elderly woman who made an agreement to end the life of her elderly, terminally ill husband if his condition didn’t improve. Lo and behold, it did not improve, and [she went into the hospital and shot him…](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/ellen-gilland-shoots-kills-terminally-ill-husband-florida-hospital-police-say/) She had intended to kill herself too apparently but couldn’t go through and ended up being taken into custody. She’s since been charged with first degree murder.
Many of comments I’ve read about this case detail how others had to watch the slow, painful, decline of a terminally ill family member. After read how horrific this situations sound, I can’t imagine having to watch and not being able to consider humane euthanasia as an option in circumstances like this.
And on the other side of the argument: the Bible says Thou shall not kill. The Constitution bans cruel and unusual punishments. Yet executing criminals is still a thing, and Ron DeSantis wants to make them even easier.
[Life expectancy](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/27/magazine/global-life-span.html) has doubled in the last 100 years due to health care and advancements in living. Some areas of health care haven’t been able to keep up. As we live longer, we’ve hit unexpected bumps in the road such as dementia and that sort of thing. Medicine will again catch up with life expectancy and the longer life we have will be more pleasurable for everyone.
You are right that we should be able to die with dignity. A friend of mine died a couple of years ago. He had terminal cancer with a month or two at most, in pain, with a trachea tube for breathing and a feeding tube into his stomach. Rather than being able to say “I want a party on Thursday to say goodbye to my friends, then Friday, let me slip off quietly.” he was forced to choose between a slow and agonising decline over the month(s), or starve himself (the one thing he did have control over) and die in a few weeks. He chose to starve. It was horrendous. Because he couldn’t choose his time he died alone rather than with friends and family around him. The system is shit.
As I said earlier, we live twice as long. The whole argument about God counting our days has now been shown to be a load of nonsense. Let people have the choice, you wouldn’t treat a dog like some people are treated.
I live in Oregon, USA, and I’m currently being charged with trying to take my own life. Added to those charges is attempted assault of a public safety officer and Second Degree Disorderly Conduct.
Long story short I have severe ptsd personality disorder. I e also had an extremely abusive past where I was tortured by fister parents after being surrendered to the state of California by my mother because she was heavily using Meth. The whole thing has really messed me up. I’ve been in and out for therapy and on several different drugs for depression and aniexty and more.
2 months ago I attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge. I climbed up and sat on top for a while before deciding to climb down and just kinda aimlessly walk around. I wanted to die but couldn’t do it right then. No real reason just couldn’t.
Several cops showed up (guessing someone called) while I was walking away and they surrounded me and began harassing me. My arm was I a sling due to an injury to my shoulder and because it was under my jacket they said I was resisting despite the 6 cops holding me and handcuffs and slammed me on the ground. They dragged me around and beat me pretty good.
My city DA wasn’t gonna charge me and now 2 months later I get a paper saying I’m being charged with everything and if I don’t show up warrants will be issued.
Long story short I tried to kill myself due to a lifetime of pain making living too much, decided not to right then and there, was attacked by cops, thrown in a cell naked under “suicide watch” released the next day then charged 2 months later.
It seems my body isn’t my choice nor is taking my life. I feel like a possession of the state and government and don’t feel I have the autonomy to have my own life despite starring my own business and actually trying to make the next 30 years better than the first were.
One of my buddies called me from out of state where he is visiting his dying dad. Just to chat. I asked about his dad and he explained how the tumor is growing and pressure on nerves somewhere that is causing one of his eyes to completely shut. He said “he’s pretty much waiting to die at this point, it could be weeks or months.” He can’t live out of state because of a family and a job… so there are good odds he will just not be there when his dad dies.
I can’t say what he would want or his dad would want but I imagine there is another family in a similar situation who would like these things to happen on their terms rather than watch a painful waiting until death.
Every human has total rights over THEIR OWN BODY, and no government or hideous religion has any rights to tell anyone they must go on living against the person’s will
An enlightened society could make death a pleasant and peaceful transition by making a drug cocktail easily available to people
But instead, we read about so many who have to resort to horribly painful and flawed methods
I predict it will take another 500-1000- years at least until humans finally rid themselves of the guilt inducing religions that plague our societies
The problem is capitalism. Canada has MAID and its being applied to disabled and veterans.
Without fixing capitalism this just means the poor who dont actually want to have no choice. Its incredibly cruel to enact this and NOT try every other avenue of social safety first for those cases.
I live in a country where assisted death is illegal, even on the ground of terminal illness(Romania).
About the thing with mentally ill people, I agree that should be a waiting time and those people should be offered help, but there are some cases (speaking as someone with mental illness), where even with reality altering disorders are still able to make rational choices if they have moments where they can be grounded, in my case can’t say without official diagnosis(I presume its schizophrenia but still skeptical) I can only say that I am on the psychosis spectrum and each day becomes harder to discern reality from illusion (it evolves over time and messes with my memories), yet I can hardly still distinguish them from reality and gets worse every day, they are short, I may hear a voice calling me of some whispering something to me, or may see a person who isn’t there, and then they disappear when getting closer, and general paranoia when I am around people, I tried counseling only meds can reduce them and I found no way to get rid of them, I sympathize with the post because I don’t want the worst to happen for this to evolve further, it’s a gamble when and how it will evolve. My recent therapist (Christian) told me that we can’t take our lives and don’t own our lives and other crap like this.
Sorry for the rant (thought it will be relevant to share my experience) but, mental illness should not be excluded from euthanasia, there should be safeguards to differentiate rational from impulsive suicide and offer help to those who need it, or even in cases of reality bending/warping disorders people can sign up sooner if they might be having one of them later like a decision taken way back to be euthanized if the illness come into the stage they are completely unable to make a rational choice (Alzheimer, Dementia, some extreme schizophrenia cases)
I don’t know if it is still the law there, but New Jersey used to have a law that made attempted suicide punishable by death. I guess it was kind of like, if you can’t finish the job, the state will do it for you.
So grateful I’m Canadian. We have the right to die even for mental health reasons now. Suffering is suffering and everyone should have the choice to opt out.
Voluntary euthanasia for those who are suffering should absolutely be legal. I do not believe the religious opposition to euthanasia springs from compassion but rather it flows from a desire to dominate, humiliate, defeat, manipulate, and make a mockery out of a suffering individual.
I prefer caution when it comes to euthanasia. But you are correct it is silly how we expect people to hang on to their last stuttering gasp in clearly hopeless medical or natural end of life situations.
Everybody has the right to end their life at any time.
Obviously, we might choose to give help to people who seem likely to do so in an impetuous manner under the influence of either substances or short term psychological issues. By help, I mean assistance in better decision-making unencumbered by such issues.
We might also choose to give assistance to people who have made a well informed and unencumbered decision to end their own lives, as it just gets messy and inhumane if they have to resort to desperate measures, whatever they might be.
Due to the nature of end-of-life cognitive decline and the difficulty of consent in such circumstances, we absolutely need to allow people to make assertions before this stage that will have legal force later on. When I get diagnosed with something slow and degenerative, I want to be able to easily pre-specifiy conditions such that I should be not kept alive any longer. Even if I am in no immediate danger of death.
These mechanisms should be easy to use and universally available and recognized so that I do not have to go live in Oregon for the rest of my life or some other stupid shit.
Many of our societal and legal systems are infected by an inhumane and disgusting cultural hangover from centuries of religious dogma. There is no debate here, only the regressive bullshit forced on us by theocratic authoritarians.
I live in a state where it is legal. The way to legalize The Right to Die is get a campaign going, with eldercare, Triple AAA, insurance companies, and the public behind you. Model the state legislation after WA, CO, CA, OR or a similar state. Get a committee to sponsor it, put it on the ballot, and vote,! With Covid, now is the time to pass these laws.
We transferred my Dad to hospice last night. I’ve been raging at the system the last few days because of this. Like he’s not going too get better and sure morphine helps but come on. If he was my dog I would have helped him a long time ago.
I live in a Right to Die state in the U.S., but the hindrance is that there seem to be certain benchmarks that need to be met. I think things like how severe you are, but can you also make this decision for yourself…since you do have to administer your own medication in these cases.
My interest lies deeper than that. I want to be able to decide at a certain age that I’m done. I don’t want to think that I first have to have a specific illness off a list and then reach certain benchmarks, etc.
That being said, of course there are reasons why doctors would be going against their oath of helping others if they just handed out suicide pills to anyone.
For me, though, there should be the same amount of support for people who want to take their own lives as there is for people bringing life into the world. Babies aren’t asked to be born and then we all just float around in this existence. If death feels most realistic to someone, why can’t they comfortably do so and why can’t we normalize something like that?!
I know, goodness knows people get up in arms about their “loved one” trying to die by suicide. It’s all just selfishness of “don’t die because you are so loved by me.”
Anyway, I should end this. I could talk about this topic all day.
Agreed!
Have you read the book Final Exit by Derek Humphry? It’s rather outdated now, in the best ways possible. Attitudes are changing- though at a snail’s pace. A few countries really have it right. It sickens me that there are still some people out there who understand the need to euthanize a pet when it’s obvious they are suffering and at the end, yet they’re incapable of extending the same compassion to a human being.
My body, my choice
I agree fully, but I’m depressed so I guess I’m biased.
ps pls do not spam me with “pls get help” comments/dms, ik what therapy is
You’re right entirely. I’ve dealt with this firsthand, and it sucks.
I am very happy to see this post. I live with (or suffer on most days) with a chronic illness that causes incredible pain and poor quality of life. I was also raised Catholic and went through all the motions growing up. Let me tell you being a sick person in a Christian country sucks. But yeah later on I read about how suicide is illegal cause the king cant get his labor off of you. The church will have one less follower to spread the word etc.
I get it. This comment isnt a cry for help btw, I know nuance is lost on the internet and certain topics do raise flags. But I get it, and wouldnt fault anyone for doing it.
Find it funny that these heaven loving people don’t want to die quickly to go see their lord and savior ASAP.
Not so long story of a personal account of having to watch someone suffer. I just need to get this out.
My mother died this past Friday at 3:25am. She was the best gift an adopted son could have ever wished for. My mother (81, diabetic who took great care of herself, breast cancer with double mastectomy and lymph node removal) suffered (unknowingly) with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer probably for months. She had no idea the cancer returned since her last PET scan in September came back clear. Right after that she began having pain in her back and was diagnosed with a pleural effusion (fluid buildup in the lining around her lungs). I came to visit to try to get lymphedema under control in mid January. After going to the ER because shortness of breath and pressure in her chest, they drew 700ml of fluid from the pleura and the cytology report came back with metastatic breast cancer.
My cousin and aunt had been her caretakers for about a month before I arrived (I live 2500 miles away). I learned after her death that she had been wanting to die for a while; the pain was so bad. She had expressed to me that she wanted to die and the ever loving naive son thought of we could just get the fluid around her lungs and the lymphedema taken care of, her pain levels would drop and she could begin the road to recovery.
For a while, before I arrived, she had been in contact with someone from hospice. The nurse kept telling her the lymphedema wasn’t a terminal condition so she couldn’t be admitted for palliative care. I watched her move, squirm, writhe in pain trying to find a comfortable position. I would help her every 5 minutes try to get into a comfortable position, adjust pillows, anything to get her some relief. She was on oxycodone (which wasn’t enough) for at least a month. When she went back into the hospital after talking with her primary that’s when the cytology results came back and we got the news. Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. At that point she said “I don’t want to be poked, prodded, tested, treated, I just want this pain to end.” I had to tell her “Florida isn’t a die with dignity State. If it was I would make all the arrangements for you, I’m sorry mom”.
They drew another 700ml of fluid from her lungs the afternoon after she got the cytology results and had some good relief. The next day the hospice nurse came in and my mother signed the paperwork. The nurse asked if she wanted to be transported that evening. We agreed that mom would stay in the hospital and would be taken to hospice in the morning. I said goodnight and when I came back the next morning I saw my mothers health had fallen off a cliff overnight. She was transported to hospice where they began palliative care. I spent the first night with her where I was helping her every 2 minutes try to find a comfortable position until the nurses were able to get enough medication in her to help her sleep. She was agitated (not angry just unable to get comfortable) and suffering. I kissed her goodnight and told her “I love you mom. Thank you for being the best”. Those were the last words she consciously heard from me. The next morning the physician came in to see her and pointed out the left side of her face was dropping. Said it was either a stroke or the cancer metastasized to her brain. She never regained consciousness. My brother spent the next night with her so I could get sleep. He came in and told me she died.
My mother suffered for months because Florida doesn’t allow people to make their own choices. They have to suffer and be a burden to their families and loved ones. No. My mother was not a burden at all she was my mother. Watching her deteriorate before my eyes and deal with the pain and hear she wanted to die and hearing my mother say “you should go for a bike ride for a few hours, I’ll just sit in the garage with the car running” that was the burden. Knowing aside from pharmaceuticals that would just mask the pain and do nothing whatsoever to cure her or end her suffering, SHE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE OTHER THAN TO SUFFER AS SHE WATCHED HER BODY DETERIORATE AND WATCH THE PEOPLE WHO LOVED HER MOST HAVE TO WATCH HER SUFFER.
ANYONE WHO DOES NOT SUPPORT RIGHT TO DIE WITH DIGNITY AND THE PERSONAL CHOICE TO END ONES OWN SUFFERING BEFORE IT BECOMES UNBEARABLE SHOULD HAVE TO WALK A MILE IN MY MOTHERS SHOES!!
Perhaps if they see the suffering and agony they grow some compassion and not stand by and say, “It’s gods will”. Well guess what. They love saying their gif gave mankind free will. WHY THE FUCK ARE PEOPLE TAKING THAT FREE WILL AWAY? There is no free will when you force your ideals on others and cause them to suffer needlessly. And don’t say she’s in a better place. She’s dead.
My mother is dead and everything is worse now.
Yes.
Medically assisted dying is legal in Canada and no one bats an eye normally.
My Dad is a lifelong athiest, and was just diagnosed with Lymphoma. He’s not ready to tap out yet but when he is, he’s glad we live in WA. He does not want our finances drained trying to keep him alive when he worked so hard building up those finances to take care of his family.
My brother attempted suicide 3 times. He was 46 years old.
He was ill with HIV/AIDS, Hep C and a multitude of mental health issues. His third attempt was almost but not quite successful. He knifed himself and bled out in my father’s basement.
He ended up in a “locked down” physical situation where all he could do was move his eyes a bit. Couldn’t swallow, move anything.
It was beyond traumatic.
He lived in that state for nearly 4 months.
I then had to make decisions regarding tube feeding.
I think a kind doctor gave him a bit more pain meds one morning and he finally passed.
I don’t ever want to go through that again.
I don’t want anyone else to have to go through that either.
It’s beyond inhumane for people to suffer like that.
Recently there was a case of an elderly woman who made an agreement to end the life of her elderly, terminally ill husband if his condition didn’t improve. Lo and behold, it did not improve, and [she went into the hospital and shot him…](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/ellen-gilland-shoots-kills-terminally-ill-husband-florida-hospital-police-say/) She had intended to kill herself too apparently but couldn’t go through and ended up being taken into custody. She’s since been charged with first degree murder.
Many of comments I’ve read about this case detail how others had to watch the slow, painful, decline of a terminally ill family member. After read how horrific this situations sound, I can’t imagine having to watch and not being able to consider humane euthanasia as an option in circumstances like this.
And on the other side of the argument: the Bible says Thou shall not kill. The Constitution bans cruel and unusual punishments. Yet executing criminals is still a thing, and Ron DeSantis wants to make them even easier.
[Life expectancy](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/27/magazine/global-life-span.html) has doubled in the last 100 years due to health care and advancements in living. Some areas of health care haven’t been able to keep up. As we live longer, we’ve hit unexpected bumps in the road such as dementia and that sort of thing. Medicine will again catch up with life expectancy and the longer life we have will be more pleasurable for everyone.
You are right that we should be able to die with dignity. A friend of mine died a couple of years ago. He had terminal cancer with a month or two at most, in pain, with a trachea tube for breathing and a feeding tube into his stomach. Rather than being able to say “I want a party on Thursday to say goodbye to my friends, then Friday, let me slip off quietly.” he was forced to choose between a slow and agonising decline over the month(s), or starve himself (the one thing he did have control over) and die in a few weeks. He chose to starve. It was horrendous. Because he couldn’t choose his time he died alone rather than with friends and family around him. The system is shit.
As I said earlier, we live twice as long. The whole argument about God counting our days has now been shown to be a load of nonsense. Let people have the choice, you wouldn’t treat a dog like some people are treated.
Write to your local MP or representative.
I live in Oregon, USA, and I’m currently being charged with trying to take my own life. Added to those charges is attempted assault of a public safety officer and Second Degree Disorderly Conduct.
Long story short I have severe ptsd personality disorder. I e also had an extremely abusive past where I was tortured by fister parents after being surrendered to the state of California by my mother because she was heavily using Meth. The whole thing has really messed me up. I’ve been in and out for therapy and on several different drugs for depression and aniexty and more.
2 months ago I attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge. I climbed up and sat on top for a while before deciding to climb down and just kinda aimlessly walk around. I wanted to die but couldn’t do it right then. No real reason just couldn’t.
Several cops showed up (guessing someone called) while I was walking away and they surrounded me and began harassing me. My arm was I a sling due to an injury to my shoulder and because it was under my jacket they said I was resisting despite the 6 cops holding me and handcuffs and slammed me on the ground. They dragged me around and beat me pretty good.
My city DA wasn’t gonna charge me and now 2 months later I get a paper saying I’m being charged with everything and if I don’t show up warrants will be issued.
Long story short I tried to kill myself due to a lifetime of pain making living too much, decided not to right then and there, was attacked by cops, thrown in a cell naked under “suicide watch” released the next day then charged 2 months later.
It seems my body isn’t my choice nor is taking my life. I feel like a possession of the state and government and don’t feel I have the autonomy to have my own life despite starring my own business and actually trying to make the next 30 years better than the first were.
One of my buddies called me from out of state where he is visiting his dying dad. Just to chat. I asked about his dad and he explained how the tumor is growing and pressure on nerves somewhere that is causing one of his eyes to completely shut. He said “he’s pretty much waiting to die at this point, it could be weeks or months.” He can’t live out of state because of a family and a job… so there are good odds he will just not be there when his dad dies.
I can’t say what he would want or his dad would want but I imagine there is another family in a similar situation who would like these things to happen on their terms rather than watch a painful waiting until death.
Yeah, I agree.
I’d even choose this for myself if it was possible.
Well stated post
Every human has total rights over THEIR OWN BODY, and no government or hideous religion has any rights to tell anyone they must go on living against the person’s will
An enlightened society could make death a pleasant and peaceful transition by making a drug cocktail easily available to people
But instead, we read about so many who have to resort to horribly painful and flawed methods
I predict it will take another 500-1000- years at least until humans finally rid themselves of the guilt inducing religions that plague our societies
The problem is capitalism. Canada has MAID and its being applied to disabled and veterans.
Without fixing capitalism this just means the poor who dont actually want to have no choice. Its incredibly cruel to enact this and NOT try every other avenue of social safety first for those cases.
I live in a country where assisted death is illegal, even on the ground of terminal illness(Romania).
About the thing with mentally ill people, I agree that should be a waiting time and those people should be offered help, but there are some cases (speaking as someone with mental illness), where even with reality altering disorders are still able to make rational choices if they have moments where they can be grounded, in my case can’t say without official diagnosis(I presume its schizophrenia but still skeptical) I can only say that I am on the psychosis spectrum and each day becomes harder to discern reality from illusion (it evolves over time and messes with my memories), yet I can hardly still distinguish them from reality and gets worse every day, they are short, I may hear a voice calling me of some whispering something to me, or may see a person who isn’t there, and then they disappear when getting closer, and general paranoia when I am around people, I tried counseling only meds can reduce them and I found no way to get rid of them, I sympathize with the post because I don’t want the worst to happen for this to evolve further, it’s a gamble when and how it will evolve. My recent therapist (Christian) told me that we can’t take our lives and don’t own our lives and other crap like this.
Sorry for the rant (thought it will be relevant to share my experience) but, mental illness should not be excluded from euthanasia, there should be safeguards to differentiate rational from impulsive suicide and offer help to those who need it, or even in cases of reality bending/warping disorders people can sign up sooner if they might be having one of them later like a decision taken way back to be euthanized if the illness come into the stage they are completely unable to make a rational choice (Alzheimer, Dementia, some extreme schizophrenia cases)
I don’t know if it is still the law there, but New Jersey used to have a law that made attempted suicide punishable by death. I guess it was kind of like, if you can’t finish the job, the state will do it for you.
So grateful I’m Canadian. We have the right to die even for mental health reasons now. Suffering is suffering and everyone should have the choice to opt out.
Voluntary euthanasia for those who are suffering should absolutely be legal. I do not believe the religious opposition to euthanasia springs from compassion but rather it flows from a desire to dominate, humiliate, defeat, manipulate, and make a mockery out of a suffering individual.
I prefer caution when it comes to euthanasia. But you are correct it is silly how we expect people to hang on to their last stuttering gasp in clearly hopeless medical or natural end of life situations.
It’s simply not necessary.
Everybody has the right to end their life at any time.
Obviously, we might choose to give help to people who seem likely to do so in an impetuous manner under the influence of either substances or short term psychological issues. By help, I mean assistance in better decision-making unencumbered by such issues.
We might also choose to give assistance to people who have made a well informed and unencumbered decision to end their own lives, as it just gets messy and inhumane if they have to resort to desperate measures, whatever they might be.
Due to the nature of end-of-life cognitive decline and the difficulty of consent in such circumstances, we absolutely need to allow people to make assertions before this stage that will have legal force later on. When I get diagnosed with something slow and degenerative, I want to be able to easily pre-specifiy conditions such that I should be not kept alive any longer. Even if I am in no immediate danger of death.
These mechanisms should be easy to use and universally available and recognized so that I do not have to go live in Oregon for the rest of my life or some other stupid shit.
Many of our societal and legal systems are infected by an inhumane and disgusting cultural hangover from centuries of religious dogma. There is no debate here, only the regressive bullshit forced on us by theocratic authoritarians.