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I don't know what your overall situation is but I read that you drink half a bottle of vodka per day. I don't know if it will get better if you stop, but I do know that it will never get any better if you don't.
I watched a man drink himself to death in 6 months. His wife left in November, he switched from beer to liquor, and was dead in May. I definitely don't recommend that route. The more he drank, the more miserable he got.
I don't drink anymore. I stopped like 7 weeks ago. It doesn't make any difference except now time doesn't pass by quickly enough and my intrusive obsessive thoughts are louder now.
Another factor to be taken into account is if individuals attempt suicide on their own, then sometimes those attempts can backfire. Without describing the methods here, sometimes those backfires will result in a much more anguishing situation such as brain injury causing total paralysis of the body. So a physician's assistance is needed in the euthanasia.
I worked in a LTC/Rehab facility for 17 years and there was a patient who came to the facility in his 40's, married with 3 children, who attempted to commit suicide, the first shot grazed his skull, the 2nd did the most damage, and it took them about a year to piece him back together in a hospital. Out of the hospital he comes to our facility for Rehab. We were rather surprised at his progress, finally able to use a wheelchair on his own. And then? One afternoon, another patient, outside the facility, saw him wheeling his wheelchair towards a heavily trafficked street, intent on rolling his wheelchair into traffic. The nursing staff caught him just in time.
Looking at his family photo's at his bedside, even with his children fishing, there wasn't a hint of a smile on his face, he looked depressed in every photo.
One alternative, if not living in Belgium, is to get a one way ticket to Switzerland to Dignitas, the most liberal suicide clinic in the world. Price: $5850. Why do I know? I was in so much pain 3 years ago I was ready to fly over there and end it.
And don't suggest suicide by gun! I've witnessed, over 17 years, 3 cases of malfunctioned suicides by gun, or there was a Good Samaritan who called 911 quick enough. I one case the wife called 911 quick enough and "saved her husband's life", if you can call it that, him connected to tubes and brain dead!
In the case above, I think this man tried everything under the sun to rid himself of continual depression and had lost hope! Time to end it!
In Belgium it's legal to request and receive physician-assisted suicide for mental illness. After all, there are some people who suffer from chronic depression that is intractable and untreatable. It's not the normal type of gloom that's temporary but a chronic depression that lingers 24/7. And psychiatric meds don't help either.
More could be said. But from what I've said so far--do any of you favor physician-assisted suicide for the mentally ill who request it?
If mentally ill people are not even held competent to stand trial in many jurisdictions, what makes them deemed 'competent' to make a life-ending decision?
How long before mandatory euthanasia? And for whom?
With this ruling, each of us is next, as they move the line in the sand inch by inch. It should terrify anyone with half a brain.
If mentally ill people are not even held competent to stand trial in many jurisdictions, what makes them deemed 'competent' to make a life-ending decision?
How long before mandatory euthanasia? And for whom?
With this ruling, each of us is next, as they move the line in the sand inch by inch. It should terrify anyone with half a brain.
I am "against suicide," but just from a logical standpoint, if you're going to allow assisted suicide, allow it for any reason - otherwise it's just mind-control to say "you can kill yourself for this illness, but not for this one."
If mentally ill people are not even held competent to stand trial in many jurisdictions, what makes them deemed 'competent' to make a life-ending decision.
How many times does it need to be said that 'mentally ill' covers anything from a mild form of OCD to a full on schizophrenia, dementia, and so on. Not only that but a person can be declared unfit to stand trial for any number of reasons besides mental illness. Mental health is NOT an explicit requirement for competency to stand trial (CST).
The actual requirements are as follows:
A defendant must have "sufficient present ability to consult with his attorney with a reasonable degree of rational understanding and a rational as well as factual understanding of proceedings against him" (Dusky v. United States, 1960) and have decision-making capacity, such as whether to plead guilty or not (Godinez v. Moran, 1993).
A defendant who "lacks the capacity to understand the nature and object of the proceedings against him, to consult with counsel, and to assist in preparing his defense may not be subjected to a trial." (Drope v. Missouri, 1975).
Should a question of CST arise, a defendant would be expected to undergo an independent forensic evaluation (a present diagnosis is not enough). If this uncovers a mental disorder, a battery of tests and assessments are then conducted to determine whether the condition impairs any of the capacities related to:
Understanding of criminal charges;
Understanding of the implications of being a defendant;
Understanding of the adversarial nature of the proceedings;
Understanding of the role of defense counsel, prosecutor, judge, and jury;
Ability to work with attorney and relate pertinent information; and
Ability to make important decisions that arise in the course of adjudication: how to plead, considering plea agreements, strategy of defense.
If no impairment is found in respect of these competencies, a defendant can be considered as CST, regardless of any present mental disorders.
It seems like it'd be pretty easy to gaslight a person into thinking they'd want to be dead, especially if they suffer from mental issues already. So the potential for abuse is massive. One wonders how many people who ended up recovering from tough stretches in their life would instead be dead if suicide-on-demand was a thing everywhere.
Assisted suicide for terminally ill people who have no hope of recovery seems sensible, assisted suicide for people who are able to live but don't seem to want to seems reckless. If such individuals are so eager to end their lives, there's many ways they can achieve that without starting down the slippery slope of handing a third party the poison to legally kill a person who otherwise could otherwise perhaps live another 40-50 years.
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