Discussion do you think that at some point, mental illnesses will be considered 'terminal'?

[adventurer]

mental illnesses are not commonly, if at all, considered 'terminal' in that they aren't perceived as conditions that that actively shorten the lifespan of an individual or will inevitably cause said individual's death earlier than would be considered normal. i'd argue that the description of a mental illness 'terminal' is entirely apt and appropriate, especially when there is a combination of more than one illness present. i present this idea using the statistics for suicide rates and cancer deaths in the year of 2020. while i understand these two things are not entirely comparable in many ways, i believe they will be useful here.

in the year 2020, an estimated 606,520 people died due to cancer. the death occurred either directly due to the cancer itself, or the health complications it caused the deceased (this particular statistic did not include those who committed suicide due to a diagnoses of a terminal illness or life-threatening cancer). in that same year, an estimated 1.2 million people attempted suicide. not all of them succeeded in doing so, obviously, with only around 40,000 successfully ending their own lives, but that number represents the wish to die via life challenges, familial discourse, and, of course, mental illness. regardless of whether or not those 1.2 million actually did die as a result of their suicide attempt, the intent was there, and was followed through on.

so would it be far-fetched to say that sometimes, a mental illness is terminal? if that many people are willing to die, then wouldn't that be fair to say?

 

[tilsleepcomes]

I wish they were looked at the same as a terminal physical illness. I had hoped in my country I could get assisted suicide for mental illness but they are still looking into it.

If I don't die intentionally by my hand, I might very well end up dying by the reckless or crazy things my mental illness and suffering causes me to do.

At least, if assisted suicide was legal for mental illness, like for terminal physical illnesses, I could be certain to go out peacefully, and probably with some dignity.

The end of severe, incurable depression can be the same as incurable cancer- death.

Better to be merciful and help them pass than as an accidental OD trying to cope or something.

 

[Seeking_Peace]

Never. Drug companies invest millions to push out 'medicine' to patients.

 

[hankbank3928]

In a perfect world it would be considered terminal.

 

[adventurer]

I wish they were looked at the same as a terminal physical illness. I had hoped in my country I could get assisted suicide for mental illness but they are still looking into it.

If I don't die intentionally by my hand, I might very well end up dying by the reckless or crazy things my mental illness and suffering causes me to do.

At least, if assisted suicide was legal for mental illness, like for terminal physical illnesses, I could be certain to go out peacefully, and probably with some dignity.

The end of severe, incurable depression can be the same as incurable cancer- death.

Better to be merciful and help them pass than as an accidental OD trying to cope or something.

we live in a world where people are fixated on helping people who don't want it and trying to fix people who are too far gone or disinterested in it. the help they try to give us with treatment blinds them to the merciful nature of letting someone have the out when they need to.

 

[Suspect_Device]

No, because "pro-life" asshats control many governments and they will always need someone to bully and feel superior to.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I wish it were taken more seriously by people in general. I suppose it's harder to diagnose perhaps. A physical illness is much more evident and easier to identify I guess. Honestly, I don't even know how they diagnose mental illness. I once filled in a questionnaire with my GP and they determined I had depression. Is it all based around analysing symptoms or are there actual physical tests they can perform?

I do remember seeing a documentary on a young woman who had suffered with mental illness (depression I think or bipolar) for years. She had tried multiple treatments but nothing had worked. The documentary was about assisted suicide and she had been granted permission at a clinic. In the end, she didn't go through with it.

I think attitudes are slowly coming round to accepting that mental illness can be as debilitating as physical conditions but for assisted suicide, I would imagine you would need a full and detailed medical history detailing the treatments you had tried, plus referrals from more than one doctor. If only we could self refer! Still, I suppose they have to protect themselves from angry loved ones left behind.

 

[miserableforever]

mental illnesses are not commonly, if at all, considered 'terminal' in that they aren't perceived as conditions that that actively shorten the lifespan of an individual or will inevitably cause said individual's death earlier than would be considered normal. i'd argue that the description of a mental illness 'terminal' is entirely apt and appropriate, especially when there is a combination of more than one illness present. i present this idea using the statistics for suicide rates and cancer deaths in the year of 2020. while i understand these two things are not entirely comparable in many ways, i believe they will be useful here.

in the year 2020, an estimated 606,520 people died due to cancer. the death occurred either directly due to the cancer itself, or the health complications it caused the deceased (this particular statistic did not include those who committed suicide due to a diagnoses of a terminal illness or life-threatening cancer). in that same year, an estimated 1.2 million people attempted suicide. not all of them succeeded in doing so, obviously, with only around 40,000 successfully ending their own lives, but that number represents the wish to die via life challenges, familial discourse, and, of course, mental illness. regardless of whether or not those 1.2 million actually did die as a result of their suicide attempt, the intent was there, and was followed through on.

so would it be far-fetched to say that sometimes, a mental illness is terminal? if that many people are willing to die, then wouldn't that be fair to say?

It's been a life long illness for me. Started with OCD, then anxiety, and later on depression.
I wake up miserable and angry and roll my eyes until I finally pass out at 3am.
Wish science had a solution. I know it's many others with the same problem.
Not sure if I'm curable, sure doesn't feel that way.

 

[whitefeather]

mental illnesses are not commonly, if at all, considered 'terminal' in that they aren't perceived as conditions that that actively shorten the lifespan of an individual or will inevitably cause said individual's death earlier than would be considered normal. i'd argue that the description of a mental illness 'terminal' is entirely apt and appropriate, especially when there is a combination of more than one illness present. i present this idea using the statistics for suicide rates and cancer deaths in the year of 2020. while i understand these two things are not entirely comparable in many ways, i believe they will be useful here.

in the year 2020, an estimated 606,520 people died due to cancer. the death occurred either directly due to the cancer itself, or the health complications it caused the deceased (this particular statistic did not include those who committed suicide due to a diagnoses of a terminal illness or life-threatening cancer). in that same year, an estimated 1.2 million people attempted suicide. not all of them succeeded in doing so, obviously, with only around 40,000 successfully ending their own lives, but that number represents the wish to die via life challenges, familial discourse, and, of course, mental illness. regardless of whether or not those 1.2 million actually did die as a result of their suicide attempt, the intent was there, and was followed through on.

so would it be far-fetched to say that sometimes, a mental illness is terminal? if that many people are willing to die, then wouldn't that be fair to say?

Canada MAID includes 'mental illnesses". And Canada MAID does not require terminality. And Canada MAID physicians come right to the home with the IV Nembutal .
Watch the film "A Beautiful Mind".

 

[tilsleepcomes]

Canada MAID includes 'mental illnesses". And Canada MAID does not require terminality. And Canada MAID physicians come right to the home with the IV Nembutal .
Watch the film "A Beautiful Mind".

My provincial govt says that I have to wait until March 2023 before MAID for mental illness is approved. Something about needing time to assess how to apply the law.

Good to know though. I didn't know it had been decided to go ahead already. Thanks for bringing this up. I could even just hit another province to get it, since it is federal.

Can I wait that long is the question now.

 

[eve2004]

My provincial govt says that I have to wait until March 2023 before MAID for mental illness is approved. Something about needing time to assess how to apply the law.

Good to know though. I didn't know it had been decided to go ahead already. Thanks for bringing this up. I could even just hit another province to get it, since it is federal.

Can I wait that long is the question now.

May I ask which province? I'm waiting too.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

Nope. Never. Not all cancers are terminal. Lots of people of various cancers survive. The same holds true with mental illness. Therapy and/or medication help thousands and thousands each year, and they go on to live productive lives. As for the people with a terminal cancer diagnosis, you're already starting to see compassion towards allowing assisted suicide on a limited basis. Mental illness will never be viewed as terminal. Humans are predisposed to help, or at least try to help. As long as one person with mental illness is helped, hope is preserved that (just about) all can be helped. Down's Syndrome is a form of mental illness. Can you ever see society having a system in place to euthanize those with Down's? Can you imagine the outcry if that happened?

 

[toforigivelife]

There are countries that offer assisted suicide in cases of mental illness.

Our neighbors Canada is now one of those countries.

 

[WhatPowerIs]

I wonder at which point a mental illness could become terminal? I know there are a lot of suicidal people who don't want to be helped and don't want to be saved. Would that be when it becomes terminal?

 

[tilsleepcomes]

May I ask which province? I'm waiting too.

I'm in Ontario. Read more on it and the March '23 timeline is federal, apparently.

 

[whatstheporpoise15]

I've thought about this too. My mental illness will never kill me directly, but it's caused me to suffer for a long, long time. Why isn't there more compassion towards that? If someone has, say chronic migraines, we can conceptualize their pain. The same cannot be said with mental illness.

 

[hellispink]

I tbink it will never be seen as terminal. It is not convenient for the masses. They need people to be suffering and have limitations etc. That's how they make money by giving those pills that harm the body and turn into zombie with a bunch of side effects. They won't ever stop going for money.

 

[picklemick]

I think the general public will never understand what it's like wanting so desperately to be normal and happy but not having the capacity

 

[eve2004]

I'm in Ontario. Read more on it and the March '23 timeline is federal, apparently.

I'm sure my province will find a way to interfere since it's technically in the "healthcare" domain...

 

[whitefeather]

mental illnesses are not commonly, if at all, considered 'terminal' in that they aren't perceived as conditions that that actively shorten the lifespan of an individual or will inevitably cause said individual's death earlier than would be considered normal. i'd argue that the description of a mental illness 'terminal' is entirely apt and appropriate, especially when there is a combination of more than one illness present. i present this idea using the statistics for suicide rates and cancer deaths in the year of 2020. while i understand these two things are not entirely comparable in many ways, i believe they will be useful here.

in the year 2020, an estimated 606,520 people died due to cancer. the death occurred either directly due to the cancer itself, or the health complications it caused the deceased (this particular statistic did not include those who committed suicide due to a diagnoses of a terminal illness or life-threatening cancer). in that same year, an estimated 1.2 million people attempted suicide. not all of them succeeded in doing so, obviously, with only around 40,000 successfully ending their own lives, but that number represents the wish to die via life challenges, familial discourse, and, of course, mental illness. regardless of whether or not those 1.2 million actually did die as a result of their suicide attempt, the intent was there, and was followed through on.

so would it be far-fetched to say that sometimes, a mental illness is terminal? if that many people are willing to die, then wouldn't that be fair to say?

Canada includes mental illness for doctor assisted suicide

 

[jackie_boy1337]

There are countries that offer assisted suicide in cases of mental illness.

Our neighbors Canada is now one of those countries.

Do you know if they allow Americans to participate in their program?
Or do they have a "deal with your own country's fucked up system" approach?

 

[UnlimitedPain]

Right to live and Right to die should both be allowed. 2 sides of the coin. The choice should be down to the sufferers IMO.

Am not saying it should be handed out willy nilly but a peaceful way out should be there for all across the globe universally.

There too many people on the planet has it is and it's not sustainable. If some non profit medical option was there I personally believe it would be a humane thing too do. Make it a non for profit thing and have procedure in place where you have to maybe do some interviews and counselling to get approved and a date sorted out, then peace will come in a peaceful way rather then feeling like a far more painfully option is the only way.

Hope this is understandable when read I have always struggle to express myself and get what am trying to say out and across, but this subject has always fascinated and Infuriates me simultaneously.

 

[well2hell]

Medicine relies on biological markers to determine if an illness is at a terminal stage - think metastasis in cancer (observed with imaging) or organ failure (observed with blood tests and/or imaging). There are no validated biomarkers for any mental illness and mental health research has not come up with any solid lead yet, so there is no chance that mental illnesses will be considered as terminal anytime soon.

The discourse might change in 10, 20 or 30 years from now when we understand the biological underpinnings of mental illnesses better (hopefully).

 

[Nigh]

On a wide scale I'm not sure. But unfortunately with the cost of living going up everywhere, far right fascism reemerging, war and climate change displacing people and so on, I think attitudes will change as it retains to mental health because it will start affecting all of us more.

I know there have been people accepted into dignitas because they have a history of mental health with no sight of it improving. I spoke with my doctor one time, I had been bussing my gut trying to get better - trying everything and failing, I had the worse panic attack ever (cos I was trying to fit in), but to prove to society that I wasn't just another layabout, I asked my Dr if there was anything eles she could put me on or put me in. My doctor took a moment and said to me, "Nigh, you've tried everything, you've been on everything. There's nothing eles you can try". A lot of people would say my doctor gave up on me that day, but really it was the first time I had felt seen by her.

 

[BipolarExpress]

I don't know how I feel about legalized euthanasia. Not because I don't think people should have control over their bodies, but because people who actually DO want to live may be pressured into dying because of healthcare costs. Instead, we should just be able to get the drugs on the open market and do it ourselves. We should also be able to talk more openly about suicidal plans without getting thrown onto the psych ward for it. Forced hospitalization is a deterrent to honesty.

 

[toforigivelife]

Do you know if they allow Americans to participate in their program?
Or do they have a "deal with your own country's fucked up system" approach?

I'm so sorry, but I believe that you have to be a Canadian citizen in order to participate in this.

Also, not all forms of mental illness are considered under this law. It has to be diagnosed, it has to be severe and they have to agree that your condition robs you of any quality of life.

So, yes, we've been left to deal with our own fucked up system.

Having trouble finding a method?

I wish I could give you the number to a Canadian hospital and that you could at least speak to someone about this.