Story As a US citizen, I (personally) would be willing to go through MAiD in Canada under it's current criteria

[TAW122]

Note: First off I want to preface this thread by stating that I'm an US citizen and not a Canadian citizen, and also, this specific story is only speaking for myself. I still support the right to die for all, but I'm keeping in mind the real world (reality) in which we are living in, so my post and response will be tailored towards those factors. Also, this is presuming that the current criteria for MAiD is in effect and that the expansion for MAiD for those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness passes on March 17, 2024 and that there are no more extensions or postponements.

Brief, short background story (for context):
With that said, a brief background along with some facts for me are that I live in and grew up the US, and while I don't currently have any physical ailments (maybe mild problems that I don't know of, but overall doesn't affect my everyday life that much), I do have some psychological disorders that do impede my day to day life and make it a living hell. As mentioned in previous threads, I have Aspergers syndrome and on the spectrum (the biggest curse and ailment), generally hate life and very pessimistic (could qualify as depression according to psychiatry), and have general anxiety which is getting worse overall. There may even be other ailments that I'm not aware of myself. Additionally, I'm in my early 30's and have seen as well as experienced enough of the world to know how it works as well as deciding whether I wish to continue existence in the long term.

Why I (personally) will be willing to go through the process of MAiD:
I am speaking for myself of course. In MAiD's current form (and eventual expansion for those whose sole underlying medication condition is 'mental illness', on/after March 17, 2024), one has to jump through many hoops in order to qualify (this is taking into account that one is guaranteed MAiD after meeting all the criteria set forth by the government). I would be willing to go through the current process (albeit long considering the amount of time needed) because I know there is an endpoint towards suffering, and that the waiting period and the hoops, while lengthy there is a definite end. It is also not drawn out unreasonably long as long as I meet all the criteria set forth by the Canadian government (e.g. if it is after 1-2 years, but then I am 100% guaranteed, no ifs, ands, buts, or questions asked, then yes I would gladly endure the temporary hardship for a permanent, peaceful, dignified exit.) I am, of course, speaking for myself and my comfort level (which isn't solely tied to duration/wait time, but also guaranty and the amount of effort to 'reliably' access it), and while ideally, as us SaSu members want it for any/every reason and with fewer restrictions, in it's current form, I would be ok with it (I can't speak for others of course).

Finally, if anyone is from Canada or knows more details about the process and system, feel free to chime in, correct me if I'm wrong, or just give me your two cents on this. Again, I'm just speaking as if I were a Canadian citizen, then I would be ok with enduring the finite (provided it is reasonable) amount of wait time, therapies, and whatever other requirements/criteria I must meet in order to be granted it, if I know that I will get there in a timely manner and more/less guaranteed (in other words, no moving goalposts, indefinite goalposts, or false promises, but 100% guarantee after meeting whatever said criteria there is to meet).

 

[FuneralCry]

Those who will eventually be able to get it are fortunate, to me it sounds ideal not having to plan the suicide method in secrecy and worry about the method potentially failing. I hate how where I live is still very anti suicide.

 

[iwantdeath6969]

i live in canada, i asked my former therapist to look into it and she told me that maid isn't being expanded to include people /solely/ based on mental illness, rather that apparently maid currently isn't accessible if you're physically disabled AND mentally ill. she told me that they're only expanding it to those who have terminal illness/physical illnesses/disability of some kind AND mentally ill as well.

i don't know if she was lying to me or not or if she didn't understand it properly, but that's just what i heard. i hope she's wrong, i would love to go through with this option. i would get on the waitlist and go through the hoops and then if i really wanted to ctb before the date, i would just do it.

 

[Dominicka]

Can a US take advantage of this program? I'm physically disabled with multiple mental illnesses.

 

[tams]

You sound just like me, even around the same age. I'm Canadian and I believe I would qualify for it with a physical disability I have, but can't say so for sure. It would definitely be ideal. The biggest issue would be bringing it up with family, I doubt they would support it until my level of disability is intolerable. Plus telling friends and acquaintance would be really awkward. Would be easier to just ctb and not have to have those uncomfortable conversations with anyone. That is the only downside I see.

 

[Kundalini Guy]

I would go through it or a similar one in Europe but how the flip do you guys deal with relatives and friends persuading you to not have it? With how worrying mine are, this method is as impossible as getting Nembutal.

 

[shinohara]

I haven't looked too much into MAiD, so the only thing I can add is that (in my experience dealing with canadian healthcare/government services) actually getting together the proper documents and contacting the right people can be difficult (sometimes). It feels like I'm always getting conflicting info from different sources.
Then again I don't know if that's any different from the states? Good luck anyways

 

[LaVieEnRose]

Autism should be enough for to qualify for assisted death. This composition of this site's membership makes that pretty clear.

 

[Disaster]

You sound just like me, even around the same age. I'm Canadian and I believe I would qualify for it with a physical disability I have, but can't say so for sure. It would definitely be ideal. The biggest issue would be bringing it up with family, I doubt they would support it until my level of disability is intolerable. Plus telling friends and acquaintance would be really awkward. Would be easier to just ctb and not have to have those uncomfortable conversations with anyone. That is the only downside I see.

But why would you have to? I understand that it may be a good decision to some, but isn't it a medical decision you could make as with any other decision (surgical procedure, medications, therapy) without consulting your family? It seems unfair to force people to discuss this kind of decision with family. It may be a good idea to discuss it, but it shouldn't be mandatory.

 

[Forever Sleep]

But why would you have to? I understand that it may be a good decision to some, but isn't it a medical decision you could make as with any other decision (surgical procedure, medications, therapy) without consulting your family? It seems unfair to force people to discuss this kind of decision with family. It may be a good idea to discuss it, but it shouldn't be mandatory.

I don't know for sure but I imagine a company providing this 'service' would prefer it if families were involved and supportive. I imagine they can't exactly be sued if they had permission by the individual and their healthcare providers. Still- no company is going to want angry relatives coming after them.

Plus, as I understand it- you need at least one person who knows you with you- to identify you before and your body afterwards- although, I suppose this doesn't have to be a family member.

If regulations ever become so relaxed that assisted suicide becomes very widely available- I imagine this will come into play even more... Imagine an 18 year old with little medical history of illness being granted assisted suicide unbeknownst to their parents. Imagine how the parents would react- presuming they do actually care if a 'professional' organisation helped their son/daughter to die. I think people who really want assisted suicide laws to be relaxed this much- to the extent that it is ONLY the indvidual involved that is consulted- don't take into account what I imagine would likely happen in response.

 

[TAW122]

Those who will eventually be able to get it are fortunate, to me it sounds ideal not having to plan the suicide method in secrecy and worry about the method potentially failing. I hate how where I live is still very anti suicide.

I agree, there are people who would be at peace knowing that there is an end, even if it takes years but the option exists and that brings relief for them.

i live in canada, i asked my former therapist to look into it and she told me that maid isn't being expanded to include people /solely/ based on mental illness, rather that apparently maid currently isn't accessible if you're physically disabled AND mentally ill. she told me that they're only expanding it to those who have terminal illness/physical illnesses/disability of some kind AND mentally ill as well.

i don't know if she was lying to me or not or if she didn't understand it properly, but that's just what i heard. i hope she's wrong, i would love to go through with this option. i would get on the waitlist and go through the hoops and then if i really wanted to ctb before the date, i would just do it.

Well according to the government of Canada's website regarding MAiD, the expansion to include those whose sole underlying condition is a 'mental illness' is postponed until March 17, 2024. I'm guessing she probably is either misinformed or not being honest and transparent. I suppose if one is able to get on the waitlist and still retroactively qualify (once that postponement or expansion successfully passes through the legal system), then I suppose that itself can bring some relief to the continuous suffering.

You sound just like me, even around the same age. I'm Canadian and I believe I would qualify for it with a physical disability I have, but can't say so for sure. It would definitely be ideal. The biggest issue would be bringing it up with family, I doubt they would support it until my level of disability is intolerable. Plus telling friends and acquaintance would be really awkward. Would be easier to just ctb and not have to have those uncomfortable conversations with anyone. That is the only downside I see.

I hear ya, and I too don't really discuss it IRL, I cannot afford nor wish to be in a situation where my day to day actions and behaviors are scrutinized more than it is now. Furthermore, I don't trust that people will respect my decision when the time comes, especially those close to me.

Autism should be enough for to qualify for assisted death. This composition of this site's membership makes that pretty clear.

I agree with you, autism (even if there are minor perks that come with it) has brought me more misery than pleasure and certainly made life in general less pleasant for me. Ironically, perhaps autism (specifically Aspergers) allowed me to see the truth and not be blind like the masses when it comes to critical thinking and seeing the world for what it is.

I don't know for sure but I imagine a company providing this 'service' would prefer it if families were involved and supportive. I imagine they can't exactly be sued if they had permission by the individual and their healthcare providers. Still- no company is going to want angry relatives coming after them.

Plus, as I understand it- you need at least one person who knows you with you- to identify you before and your body afterwards- although, I suppose this doesn't have to be a family member.

If regulations ever become so relaxed that assisted suicide becomes very widely available- I imagine this will come into play even more... Imagine an 18 year old with little medical history of illness being granted assisted suicide unbeknownst to their parents. Imagine how the parents would react- presuming they do actually care if a 'professional' organisation helped their son/daughter to die. I think people who really want assisted suicide laws to be relaxed this much- to the extent that it is ONLY the indvidual involved that is consulted- don't take into account what I imagine would likely happen in response.

You brought up a good point, that family members and loved ones would likely push back and even if the legal and medical systems have greenlighted the individual, there is still social and familial backlash from the individual's kin. One simple solution (and there can be more) would be to legally protect and absolve the medical community, services, vendors, and governmental regulating bodies of any responsibility when said individual qualifies and consents to going through with MAiD. It could be verbal, written, and even video taped consent (or a combination of) just to further confirm that the decision is solely made by the individual and said individual has consented to it.

 

[tams]

But why would you have to? I understand that it may be a good decision to some, but isn't it a medical decision you could make as with any other decision (surgical procedure, medications, therapy) without consulting your family? It seems unfair to force people to discuss this kind of decision with family. It may be a good idea to discuss it, but it shouldn't be mandatory.

I guess I wouldn't have to. But I feel like if I was to go that route, it would only be fair. It's kind of putting the cart before the horse though, I'm not sure my physical condition is bad enough to qualify anyways. I would definitely make it sound worse than it is though, even though i feel it is bad enough already.

 

[iwantdeath6969]

this is honestly good to know. maybe i'll look into qualifying again, i have bpd which is included in the mental illnesses listed

 

[Blue_mist]

I'm Canadian and MAID will not be available for mentally ill individuals until March 2024 and you have to be covered by provincial or territorial health care. This is what my psychiatrist told me when i asked for MAID and according to Canada website. Hope my reply is helpful

 

[TAW122]

I'm Canadian and MAID will not be available for mentally ill individuals until March 2024 and you have to be covered by provincial or territorial health care. This is what my psychiatrist told me when i asked for MAID and according to Canada website. Hope my reply is helpful

That's interesting and I suppose as an US citizen, I would need to immigrate to one of the provinces there, establish permanent residency (will take multiple years), and only then I would be get provincial or territorial health care. Then, assuming that there is no more delays or postponement towards MAID for mental illness after March 17, 2024, then I could start the clock by then (maybe sooner if they allowed backdating). It may seem like a lot of work and probably is, but if I am unable to CTB on my own for any reason or cause, then I would certainly wish to go through that if it meant a guaranteed (or close to guaranteed, peaceful dignified exit).

Also, yes, your reply is helpful.

 

[lachrymost]

I am currently paying out the ass to suffer through seeing a counsellor (for a therapy modality I've never tried before) in the hopes that one day I'll be able to access MAiD. Even if it takes a decade, I'll need a good resume. I'm terrified that the Conservatives will get in power and vitiate the whole thing. I also know that no one will be willing to even assess me, and I'll be kept waiting indefinitely, even though I read the new guidelines and they say you have to be referred in a "timely fashion". How could they even enforce that? Here, you can't get referred in a timely fashion to see a regular psychiatrist. The whole thing is very bizarre.

 

[doneforlife]

That's interesting and I suppose as an US citizen, I would need to immigrate to one of the provinces there, establish permanent residency (will take multiple years), and only then I would be get provincial or territorial health care. Then, assuming that there is no more delays or postponement towards MAID for mental illness after March 17, 2024, then I could start the clock by then (maybe sooner if they allowed backdating). It may seem like a lot of work and probably is, but if I am unable to CTB on my own for any reason or cause, then I would certainly wish to go through that if it meant a guaranteed (or close to guaranteed, peaceful dignified exit).

Also, yes, your reply is helpful.

I don't understand the need for citizenship. I mean if one is going to stay in the country and use it's resources and government welfare schemes, then citizenship is needed. In other words, citizenship should be a criteria to live in a country , not die.