Canadian Psychiatric Association says mental patients should not be discriminated against on eligiblity for assisted-dying

[cursum.perficio]

https://www.cpa-apc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020-CPA-Position-Statement-MAID-EN-web-Final.pdf

"Patients with a psychiatric illness should not be
discriminated against solely on the basis of their
disability, and should have available the same
options regarding MAiD as available to all patients."

Hopefully some good news for Canadian users on here.

 

[faust]

https://www.cpa-apc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020-CPA-Position-Statement-MAID-EN-web-Final.pdf

"Patients with a psychiatric illness should not be
discriminated against solely on the basis of their
disability, and should have available the same
options regarding MAiD as available to all patients."

Hopefully some good news for Canadian users on here.

I wonder if anybody of people living in 21st century will ever see such a thing in Vatican...

 

[lowres]

I hope this becomes realized. It would be great to have a safer option where i could at least spend my last moments with those who care

 

[autumnal]

https://www.cpa-apc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020-CPA-Position-Statement-MAID-EN-web-Final.pdf

"Patients with a psychiatric illness should not be
discriminated against solely on the basis of their
disability, and should have available the same
options regarding MAiD as available to all patients."

Hopefully some good news for Canadian users on here.

Important to note that this does NOT mean they support euthanasia FOR psychiatric illness. They merely don't discriminate against people with psychiatric illness who are at the same time eligible for euthanasia due to PHYSICAL causes.

Apologies if stating the obvious.

 

[cursum.perficio]

Important to note that this does NOT mean they support euthanasia FOR psychiatric illness. They merely don't discriminate against people with psychiatric illness who are at the same time eligible for euthanasia due to PHYSICAL causes.

Apologies if stating the obvious.

Where does it say they oppose assisted dying for psychiatric reasons?

 

[autumnal]

Where does it say they oppose assisted dying for psychiatric reasons?

Sorry, that was my initial conservative reading of the statement, after seeing your response and reading a bit deeper, it seems that it could be read either way and I may have assumed wrong.

Certainly this article suggests euthanasia FOR psychiatric conditions, although it's just an interpretation op-ed in a right-wing publication.

The proposed 2020 changes to the laws do appear to give more scope for euthanasia FOR psychiatric conditions (compared to the current 2016 laws which do not), so maybe the timing of the CPA release does suggest they are also referring to the same concept.

Someone with a better knowledge of the specifics will have a better idea than me

 

[cursum.perficio]

Sorry, that was my initial conservative reading of the statement, after seeing your response and reading a bit deeper, it seems that it could be read either way and I may have assumed wrong.

Certainly this article suggests euthanasia FOR psychiatric conditions, although it's just an interpretation op-ed in a right-wing publication.

The proposed 2020 changes to the laws do appear to give more scope for euthanasia FOR psychiatric conditions (compared to the current 2016 laws which do not), so maybe the timing of the CPA release does suggest they are also referring to the same concept.

Someone with a better knowledge of the specifics will have a better idea than me

No worries!

 

[Jessica5]

The proposed law changes would allow suicide on the basis of physical disability. That's excellent news for the Canadians on this forum, because it would mean you could get assisted suicide if you end up as a quadripeligic or other type of vegetable after a suicide attempt. (At least if you can find a doctor who's willing to carry it out.)

The assisted suicide law in Canada allows assisted suicide due to dementia. Once you allow assisted suicide for dementia, it kind of becomes hard to see what medical condition you shouldn't allow assisted suicide for. I mean, dementia is technically a terminal illness, but I don't think your average person really thinks of dementia as such.

 

[autumnal]

[...]
The assisted suicide law in Canada allows assisted suicide due to dementia. Once you allow assisted suicide for dementia, it kind of becomes hard to see what medical condition you shouldn't allow assisted suicide for. I mean, dementia is technically a terminal illness, but I don't think your average person really thinks of dementia as such.

Although dementia does have a fairly guaranteed prognosis and decline, in the way that psychiatric illnesses do not.

Not agreeing BTW, just playing devil's advocate

 

[Cashewmilk]

I'm in Canada. When the law changed I saw a glimmer of hope for myself. I am now hoping to get a terminal illness like cancer or something that will cause irremediable suffering so I can CTB in peace. At least I have that option if I'm sick as hell.

 

[Jessica5]

Technically speaking, assisted suicide is allowed for disabilities in Canada even now. A person can get assisted suicide if they "have a serious and incurable illness, disease or disability." But since a person in Canada also is required to have a "reasonably foreseeable" death in order to get assisted suicide, that essentially prevents people in Canada from getting assisted suicide because of a disability. Basically, assisted suicide for disabilities is currently allowed in Canada de jure, but prohibited de facto.

This bill seeks to eliminate the "reasonably foreseeable death" requirement. That would mean you'd actually be allowed to get assisted suicide if you fail at a suicide attempt and end up quadripeligic.

Anyway, I saw somewhere that some (ostensible) disability rights activists are against this bill for facilitating the "myth" that quadripeligia is worse than death. To hear them talk, being unable to move a muscle, laying in bed in the same position all day, being unable to get a job, being unable to feed yourself and even being unable to poop yourself aren't a problem. The real problem is the Hitlerian societal attitudes towards quads. Heck, we never had beheadings in America because it was considered barbaric to make somebody a living head for about 4 seconds-but apparently being a living head for 40 years is a great life. People who aren't living heads just don't realize it.

 

[cursum.perficio]

Technically speaking, assisted suicide is allowed for disabilities in Canada even now. A person can get assisted suicide if they "have a serious and incurable illness, disease or disability." But since a person in Canada also is required to have a "reasonably foreseeable" death in order to get assisted suicide, that essentially prevents people in Canada from getting assisted suicide because of a disability. Basically, assisted suicide for disabilities is currently allowed in Canada de jure, but prohibited de facto.

This bill seeks to eliminate the "reasonably foreseeable death" requirement. That would mean you'd actually be allowed to get assisted suicide if you fail at a suicide attempt and end up quadripeligic.

Anyway, I saw somewhere that some (ostensible) disability rights activists are against this bill for facilitating the "myth" that quadripeligia is worse than death. To hear them talk, being unable to move a muscle, laying in bed in the same position all day, being unable to get a job, being unable to feed yourself and even being unable to poop yourself aren't a problem. The real problem is the Hitlerian societal attitudes towards quads. Heck, we never had beheadings in America because it was considered barbaric to make somebody a living head for about 4 seconds-but apparently being a living head for 40 years is a great life. People who aren't living heads just don't realize it.

Those disability "rights" activists make my blood boil. They are against the right to die with dignity of your own choosing. Fuck them and the horse they rode in on. A bunch of sanctimonious pricks.

Opinion: Why mentally-ill people should, of course, be eligible for assisted dying

There should be no debate that those who are decisionally capable and suffer from an irremediable severe mental illness should have access to MAID

www.theglobeandmail.com

https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/opinion-assisted-dying-maid-legislation-mental-health-1.5474025

 

[TheTraveller]

I was the advocate for best friend trying to access the MAID program in Canada just like everything else here it was a bureaucratic nightmare an ended up being. joke that just traumatized both of us.

It was NOT designed to help people die well; it is designed to protect doctors and others in the medical establishment.

You have to be dying and dying soon. I know that the courts have sent it back and told them to expand it but it will be another cluster fuck I'm sure and with very province allowed to implement it in a different way.... Well lets just say I'm not holding out hope.

The other obstacle is you have to be "in your right mind" to consent and there is this idea that you are mentally ill if you want to die.

I hate this country, its an abusive relationship that I can longer leave and that with each passing day has more control over my life

 

[Donk]

what about those who are force to go back to the workforce and wants access to MAID program. if my insurance company decides im in my right mind to go back to work then by the same token i should be in the position to decide whether i want to die in dignity.

 

[TheTraveller]

what about those who are force to go back to the workforce and wants access to MAID program. if my insurance company decides im in my right mind to go back to work then by the same token i should be in the position to decide whether i want to die in dignity.

As far as I know you have to consent twice right now and it's up to that doc or nurse practitioner in charge of your case. in those two moments (at application and then just before death) you MUST meet the requirement of being of sound mind to consent (which is super subjective to the assessor). It also makes it so you can't set this up ahead of time; for example you know you are at the beginning of Alzheimer's you set up the MAID program you have to consent again at point just before your death if you have allowed the disease to progress too much and they decide you're not in your right mind you can't consent the second time and then it doesn't happen.

All this said it has been sent back by the courts as unconstitutional but it will be years of litigation as far as I can tell.

Im not an expert just someone who tried to help my best friend die- successfully, which fucked with my mind in several ways.

The one thing they did get right is on death certificate it will say the original disease not MAID (so not sure how this works with mental illness if they allow it) and insurance must pay out.

 

[Buffy5120]

I'm in Canada. When the law changed I saw a glimmer of hope for myself. I am now hoping to get a terminal illness like cancer or something that will cause irremediable suffering so I can CTB in peace. At least I have that option if I'm sick as hell.

How are you going to get cancer? It takes a long time can doesnt it? I literally was trying to do the same

 

[TheTraveller]

How are you going to get cancer? It takes a long time can doesnt it? I literally was trying to do the same

you could fuck everyone and tried to catch HPV although I suspect that shakes a bit, so does smoking, if it were me I'd drink until my liver shrivelled and died they won't even consider transplant if you are still drinking (that said there is a human rights challenge in court for that one) then your dying and they'll kill you.