Venting Extreme prolifism upsets me

[freedompass]

I've been bingeing dr Phil on YouTube. I know, and I'm sorry. He kind of is a shit, it definitely is exploitative. But for this armchair (or bed) psychologist I can't seem to look away. Anyway there was this one beautiful vibrant girl who'd become anorexic and ends up having a seizure. Guess her brain got starved of oxygen or something, not sure, but she ended up severely brain damaged, confined to a wheelchair, unable to talk or do anything for herself…she's in a literal vegetative state. They wheel her onstage like an animate object and discuss her as some kind of cautionary tale to budding anorexics everywhere. To be fair it's clear there's no longer an actual person to feel humiliated…but still, right? Kinda not the point. I was absolutely horrified and honestly angry seeing her like that. Making those weird, loud, random noises that people in that state will make…yes I must refer to her as a person, for her dignity, but you gotta say there's really nothing there anymore. The mum and the dad wait on her hand and foot 24/7. Is this what they ever pictured for their lives? Of course not. Yet you could still see the absolute devotion in their faces as they fussed around her…

Please, someone. Explain me how that is a desirable outcome for anyone. What goes through these parents' heads. How do they rationalise this. What makes it ok. Don't they suffer crippling cognitive dissonance? I know I would. Are they comforted and grateful that she's still there with them in body being wheeled onto National TV as a freak show to scare young girls straight?

To me that is and always will be just. So. Wrong.

 

[MideonNViscera]

It's selfishness in most cases. Not in the petty way we usually think of it of course. It's difficult to accept that a loved one is gone forever when you can clearly see them alive.
Now, most people get past this relatively quickly, but not everyone. You see it with people who refuse to put down their suffering pets too.

 

[IamFree]

Didn't watch the show, the mere existence of that show looks like a dishonor to whole humankind, but it doesn't really seem like prolifism.
It looks like a graphic version of authoritarian sermon, which just terrifies people struggling with anorexia, rather than giving them practical solution to overcome that. Think about those religion guys who gave people 'you-are-going-to-hell' sermons for some thousand years. They demanded those poor people, panicked by the concept of (near-)eternal fire, to just submit to authority above them, whatever it is. The show you saw has a striking resemblance with them.

What goes through these parents' heads. How do they rationalise this. What makes it ok. Don't they suffer crippling cognitive dissonance?

Not trying to be insulting to those parents, but I don't think they were good caretakers for the pitiable girl before the incident. Making their daughter an example for the whole world actually tells a lot about them.

 

[FuneralCry]

Those people must know that it's wrong really to keep someone here in such a horrific low quality of life situation. If they do see it as being the best thing for the person then those people must be insane. It's beyond selfish to keep that person here, it's incredibly cruel to me how the option of assisted suicide gets denied and how people are trapped here having to constantly suffer. The view that life must be prolonged at all costs feels so incredibly wrong to me as the reality is that there is no benefit to being endlessly tortured.

 

[freedompass]

Didn't watch the show, the mere existence of that show looks like a dishonor to whole humankind, but it doesn't really seem like prolifism.
It looks like a graphic version of authoritarian sermon, which just terrifies people struggling with anorexia, rather than giving them practical solution to overcome that. Think about those religion guys who gave people 'you-are-going-to-hell' sermons for some thousand years. They demanded those poor people, panicked by the concept of (near-)eternal fire, to just submit to authority above them, whatever it is. The show you saw has a striking resemblance with them.

Not trying to be insulting to those parents, but I don't think they were good caretakers for the pitiable girl before the incident. Making their daughter an example for the whole world actually tells a lot about them.

Ah well just to clarify.

The prolifism I was referring to was that her life was artificially prolonged in this way by medical science because of the societal consensus/diktat that 'life is always good' no matter under what conditions.

Sorry I didn't make this clear.

 

[WhiteRabbit]

There was another case like that, a bulimic woman had a heart attack or something and became a vegetable. Her name was Teri Schiavo. It was big news when I was younger. Her husband said she wouldn't have wanted to live like that, but her parents were in deep denial about her diagnosis, and kept fighting the courts to keep her alive. It's really important to have a living will to outline what your wishes are in a situation like that.

 

[Seiko]

It's selfishness in most cases.

I think that selfishness and also self-righteousness fuel many pro-life beliefs. I completely understand not wanting to see a loved one take their own life. And as unfortunate as it is, I don't think you should detain anyone by forcing them to live another day against their will. As people should be respected, their wishes should also be respected; intruding by "intervening" usually only exacerbates the issue.

But what I don't understand are people with religious or moral convictions that refute euthanasia in any case, even in terminal illness or prolonged suffering on a deathbed. At that point, it's blatant virtue-signaling.

 

[Nanako]

That sounds like an absolute fucking nightmare. It's not worth living in a world where that sort of thing can happen.

 

[Angst Filled Fuck Up]

He needs to start sending some of these parents to the ranch.

 

[DeadButDreaming]

I'm not a parent but think only a parent would understand.

 

[freedompass]

I'm not a parent but think only a parent would understand.

I'm a parent. Still don't get it

 

[Forever Sleep]

I agree- I couldn't imagine seeing anyone I know suffer like that. It would break my heart. Plus, it seems pretty vulgar to exploit her on television. (Unless they feel like somehow- this is what she wants. Is she able to communicate at all?)

I guess I do wonder about the full circumstances though. It sounds like she must have been hospitalized at the time of having a seizure. At the time- this seems logical- if you saw your child fitting- would you just let them die (because she may have been struggling with life at that stage- with an eating disorder), or would you call for emergency services? Once medical proffesionals are involved, I imagine they do all they can to save a person's life- no matter the outcome. So now the poor kid is in the state she's in and the only way to do the 'merciful' thing now is to apply for assisted suicide or kill her themselves.

If she isn't able to understand or communicate at all- I suppose a clinic might accept the wishes of the parents but I don't know. How old is she?

For me, yes- I hope I'd have the strength to not be selfish and let them go. I certainly hope I wouldn't parade them on TV as a warning. Still, I guess we never know all their circumstances.

 

[freedompass]

Oh tbh if my child was fitting I would call 911 right away of course. I mean she was a grown woman.

UK people might know about the young girl Angel Lynn who was almost killed falling out of a van at 60mph after being 'kidnapped' by her vile ex (all caught on CCTV). Same deal really. Severe brain damage, needs 24/7 care. I heard the poor dad saying how great it was that wellwishers helped them buy a new home all fitted out with the necessary appliances.

LiFe Is A gIfT