Can a hunger strike work today?

[wish_to_live_again]

As someone who has been disabled as a result of high-doses of antipsychotic drugs prescribed for insomnia, I feel powerless to achieve any kind of justice. And I know many others have been harmed by irresponsible psychiatrists who basically walk around unaccountable. I talked to a few lawyers about my case and they basically said it is too risky for them. My impression was they want cases that are slam dunks, like badly botched surgeries or malpractice deaths. (Well, they basically killed me in all but leaving me breathing. I posted my story here https://sanctioned-suicide.net/threads/sad-dad-with-broken-body.112879/)

As a result, I am without recourse. So I wonder...could a hunger strike be politically effective? And is it physically possible? (I do not care if I die; my physical pain is so horrible that would be a kind of bonus).

I have gone without eating before for 2-3 days without issue, but never beyond that. And I eat little as it is.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

There was that guy who lit himself on fire in support of the environmental movement. That didn't seem to shift things in a forward direction as far as that cause was concerned.

Starving yourself is the literal definition of Tantalus. It' can take a lot longer than 3 days to die. It seems ghost who successfully pull it off do it in a controlled medical setting and in an already very weakened state.

 

[wish_to_live_again]

I think it's unlikely to work. I'm a normal weight (170 lb male). My body is broken in a lot of ways but I can still walk, talk, do the basics.

I think probably I would survive 60-90 days. But just a guess. I am already in extreme pain daily. If the process was very painful, I guess I would need medical support ( pain meds, possibly other meds?)

I do personally think a hunger strike might be more effective than self immolation because it is slow and highly visual. Whereas burning to death takes a few minutes. Certainly having media willing to cover the story is a big deal. Without that, it probably has little impact.

 

[Kattt]

If your healthcare provider deems your life to be in jeopardy, they can get a judicial decree to endorse force feeding. Not nice.. believe me!!

 

[Foxes]

I talked to a few lawyers about my case and they basically said it is too risky for them. My impression was they want cases that are slam dunks, like badly botched surgeries or malpractice deaths.

Ugh. I'm so sorry, friend. I was really hoping you could get some sort of justified recourse after everything you've suffered through. It's not fair.

 

[sadjenny]

I am so profoundly sorry you've been abused in this way. I am reading your other thread rn and I feel angry for you.

 

[wish_to_live_again]

@losingmyreligion @sadjenny

I am most sorry for my children. Without their father now and if I choose death, they will be left to wonder what happened. My wife unfortunately just thinks I went psycho, but I challenge anyone to have non stop tremors and spasms all over for two months, near to no sleep ...and stay sane. Healthy people don't suddenly go nuts...

For now, I guess I will try to reach out to the journalists. Maybe my horror story is shocking enough for them to help shine the light in our broken mental health system.