For those of you who live in countries where euthanasia is legal, do the restrictions of the law prevent you from processing it?

[Anonymus]

For those of you who live in countries where euthanasia is legal, do the restrictions of the law prevent you from processing it?

In Spain, which is where I live, access to euthanasia is restricted to very particular cases, so it is not universal access. I was curious to know if in the other countries where it is legal there are similar restrictions while processing it.

For example, I couldn't process it right now because I don't meet the requirements (but at the pace I'm going I have no doubt that in a few years the doors will be wide open for me). Although perhaps the most important impediment would be myself, because the whole process scares me so much and I will possibly never dare to ask for it even if it is served to me on a tray (I don't like chemical methods at all).

But basically it's this, what kind of restriction is there where you live, if it's strong, normal or anyone can ask for it.

Thanks.

//

Als que viviu en països que és legal l'eutànasia les restriccions de la llei us impedeixen tramitar-la?

A Espanya, que és on visc jo, l'accés a l'eutanàsia està restringit a casos molt particulars, no és doncs d'accés universal. Tenía curiositat per saber si als altres països on és legal hi han restriccions similars alhora de tramitar-la.

Jo per exemple, ara mateix no podría tramitar-la perquè no cumpleixo els requisits (però al pas que vaig no tinc dubte que d'aquí uns anys m'obriràn les portes de bat a bat). Tot i que potser l'impediment mes important sería jo mateix, perquè em fa moltíssima por tot el procés i possiblement no m'atreviré a demanar-la mai encara que me la serveixin en safata (no m'agraden gens els métodes químics).

Però bàsicament és això, quin és el tipus de restricció allà on viviu, si forta, normal o pot demanar-la qui ho vulgui.

Gràcies.

 

[Little_Suzy]

Terminally ill Americans with fewer than six months to live can apply for euthanasia. Seniors, cancer sufferers, etc.

Psychiatric disorders and their debilitating effects on quality of life and functioning are not covered. I'm not allowed.

I told my psych team how hypocritical it is that cancer patients and even dogs have access to peaceful euthanasia. Yet, the mentally ill are told to "suck it up, buttercup," and are persecuted, arrested, killed, stigmatized, and hospitalized against our will because we want to end our own misery.

Mental illness is equally as incapacitating as cancer, yet we receive no sympathy or humane euthanasia rights!

 

[Anonymus]

Terminally ill Americans with fewer than six months to live can apply for euthanasia. Seniors, cancer sufferers, etc.

Psychiatric disorders and their debilitating effects on quality of life and functioning are not covered. I'm not allowed.

I told my psych team how hypocritical it is that cancer patients and even dogs have access to peaceful euthanasia. Yet, the mentally ill are told to "suck it up, buttercup," and are persecuted, arrested, killed, stigmatized, and hospitalized against our will because we want to end our own misery.

Mental illness is equally as incapacitating as cancer, yet we receive no sympathy or humane euthanasia rights!

This is precisely the problem, that if you have mental illness you are dismissed immediately. What happens is when you have been suffering like this for many years, you end up developing, due to somatizations, quite significant chronic physical illnesses. But they don't care, they are really cruel.

//

Aquest es precisament el problema, que si tens malalties mentals quedes descartat de seguida. El que passa es quan fa molts anys que estàs patint així, acabes desenvolupant, degut a les somatitzacions, malalties físiques cróniques força importants. Però no els importa, son cruels a mes no poder.

 

[Little_Suzy]

This is precisely the problem, that if you have mental illness you are dismissed immediately. What happens is when you have been suffering like this for many years, you end up developing, due to somatizations, quite significant chronic physical illnesses. But they don't care, they are really cruel.

//

Aquest es precisament el problema, que si tens malalties mentals quedes descartat de seguida. El que passa es quan fa molts anys que estàs patint així, acabes desenvolupant, degut a les somatitzacions, malalties físiques cróniques força importants. Però no els importa, son cruels a mes no poder.

Yes, and much more! The social issues it causes in people's lives, such as inability to work and a lack of financial stability.

Factors include homelessness, self-medication with illicit drugs, risky suicide attempts, and susceptibility to exploitation.

They compel the mentally ill in America to stay alive, so we fund their lucrative healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.

These doctors can't take advantage of terminal cancer, old age, or dogs. —So, they have no problems euthanizing this group!!!


Hopefully, a Canadian will weigh in next, given their country has legalized euthanasia for psychiatric disorders.

 

[tiny_dancer]

It's not legal in Canada yet for mental illness…they pushed back the date until March 2024. Even with physical illness (unless terminal) it's quite the lengthy process to apply and get approved. Lots of safeguards in place to ensure all the legal requirements are met.

 

[TAW122]

Terminally ill Americans with fewer than six months to live can apply for euthanasia. Seniors, cancer sufferers, etc.

Psychiatric disorders and their debilitating effects on quality of life and functioning are not covered. I'm not allowed.

I told my psych team how hypocritical it is that cancer patients and even dogs have access to peaceful euthanasia. Yet, the mentally ill are told to "suck it up, buttercup," and are persecuted, arrested, killed, stigmatized, and hospitalized against our will because we want to end our own misery.

Mental illness is equally as incapacitating as cancer, yet we receive no sympathy or humane euthanasia rights!

Yeah, this is a big problem for people living in the US. I live in a state that doesn't even have death with dignity laws, and while I'm still relatively young and don't have any serious debilitating physical conditions, I don't want to grow old in the US or end up in a life altering event that could diminish my quality of life or debilitate my capacity (both physically and mentally). I hope that while I'm still young if I don't CTB or unable to for any reason that I would be able to move to a country (preferably Canada) that allows MAID for those who are severely physically ill, not just terminally ill, and one day (I believe, I hope!) that they expand it to cover those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness. While I know there may be many hoops to jump through especially if the primary condition is mental illness, at least I know I will be able to get it after some reasonable amount of time (reasonable being a year or two at most, not decades of suffering), and meeting certain criteria.

I wonder how the psych team responded after you made such a statement? Did they threaten or antagonize you, or did they deflect, dismiss, and ignore what you said while moving on to other talking points? (You don't have to answer if you don't feel comfortable).

It's not legal in Canada yet for mental illness…they pushed back the date until March 2024. Even with physical illness (unless terminal) it's quite the lengthy process to apply and get approved. Lots of safeguards in place to ensure all the legal requirements are met.

Yeah, and assuming in 2024 (if I'm still alive by then), I would hope that I could get it, although I would need to become a permanent resident (which will qualify me for provincial healthcare plans) and then meet some other criteria listed by MAID to qualify. I believe that if I have a reasonable chance to obtain it and reliably use it when the time comes, that would greatly help relieve my stress and suffering, even if the interim.

 

[tiny_dancer]

I believe that if I have a reasonable chance to obtain it and reliably use it when the time comes, that would greatly help relieve my stress and suffering, even if the interim.

I've heard that about MAID actually, that sometimes just knowing you qualify and that there's an out if you choose is enough to really reduce suffering for some.

 

[fkcvd]

I'm going through it. It's incredibly complicated and can take up to a year for non-terminal physical illnesses. You need a ton of documentation.

I'm going through it. It's incredibly complicated and can take up to a year for non-terminal physical illnesses. You need a ton of documentation.

In Canada.