If euthanasia/assisted suicide for the mentally ill was legal in your area would you pursue it instead of 'traditional' suicide methods?

[Slate128]

In New Zealand a bill allowing choice for the end of life for the terminally ill may become law later this month. It appears that if it is going to pass at all, the clauses and 'loopholes' for the mentally ill pursuing euthanasia will have to be struck out. While it's a start, IMO, I am annoyed that those being passed around our shithouse public health system (myself included) waiting for an opportunity like this may have to wait a few more years or decades. The whole thing is set up to ensure people 'are kept safe' i.e. not attempt suicide through methods that will harm if unsuccessful. I believe that I wouldn't be attempting risky methods anyway, if a safe and voluntary option was available.

I'm interested to know whether this view is shared with anyone here. I'm considering writing to my MP and it would help to know whether or not this is a product of the echo chamber in my head lol. Do you think the rates of 'traumatic' suicide attempts would go down if euthanasia was legal for those with mental illness?

 

[hunter_lewis]

I would pursue it within in a heartbeat.

 

[Bagger]

Sure i do, professional help with this kind of stuff helps immeasurably at least for me. I don't want to mess up, so when i'm presented with that option i'll go for it. If not, then well, i will fight for myself more to the last option before i will commit my act.

 

[Rocksandsand]

I am in Victoria, Australia, and we just had assisted dying laws come in. It's not nation-wide, just this state.

I would absolutely utilise a service like this. If I could set a date with a medical professional and then be able to talk with my brother and dad and anyone else about why I feel like this all the time and that it is unbearable, I would be so much more comfortable within my decision making

 

[RedPanda]

Why is this even a question. Absolutely 1000% i would go that route. I guess you die peacefully and with dignity as well. Saves me from having to constantly research daily on this website how to kill myself that is starting to drive me mad. If i could die right now, in peace, with no pain i wouldn't even think twice about it.

 

[laila888]

Lol. Who wouldn't?

 

[Marz]

abso-fucking-lutely

 

[LogicalConclusion]

abso-fucking-lutely

I was going to say exactly this lmao

 

[Fragile]

there is legal euthanasia in my country, but in order to access it you need to be in extreme and unbearable pain for years, with cancer and have a lot of luck. most doctors are against it and most families are catholic so there is a huge stigma against anything other than enduring the most dehumanizing kind of deaths.

in order to have a death with some dignity, you need to have already lost all of that dignity in the process.

i can definitely see a future in which people are allowed to choose how they die regardless of how others perceive their suffering, but most of us will be dead way before that time.

 

[TAW122]

Assuming it is legal, sensible, and accessible, then yes, I would definitely approach it. It would also have to be almost fool-proof, meaning that there isn't a way for doctors and healthcare workers to screw me over by denying me the right (dangling carrot in front of me, metaphorically speaking).

@Fragile Yes, which means that in our lifetimes, we'd still likely have to cling onto traditional methods (usually less peaceful, gory, possibly painful, and uncomfortable). However, yes I could see this being a benefit for future generations.

 

[Guizin239]

Definitely, no doubt about it.

 

[Sailfisher]

That would be preferable to making my own attempt.

 

[Queer_Kenny]

I wouldn't hesitate! If it would be at all possible, i would request that I get to choose the method for how I want to die.

 

[Dystopia]

I think almost everyone would. It always makes me wonder if this was law worldwide how much the population would drop

 

[LifeOver]

Definitely. However, this might not be possible for me even if it was legal because family would speak out against it if I signed up.

 

[CTB-London]

I favour assisted suicide but not euthanasia because the latter effectively turns doctors into executioners.


I want my end to be administered by my own hand.

 

[Thanatos]

I've even stupidly contacted my government on the issue with only some lame response back. Very passionate about this personally, it needs to happen.

 

[Kjo]

Yes, in a heart beat yes

 

[oopswronglife]

No because I find the idea of dying in some weird clinical setting with a doctor or nurse to be repulsive. If it made means available for your own place and time that would be one thing. But I don't want to die in some "appointment"...rather if I HAVE to go out intentionally, I want it to be when its right for me and I cannot schedule that.

 

[Mbound]

I think 95% of people would prefer to die in a comfortable, painless way surrounded by family and with the help/assurance of medical professionals, vs hanging themselves in their closet or trying their luck with drug combos people recommend on the internet. It's a huge gamble and there's a high likelihood of failure/undue suffering when one goes about this on their own.

 

[Lennox]

Yes, for sure.

 

[NemoZeno]

I'm going to be one of the few who says "no": if it were legal and easy-peesy I would not pursue it.

My reasoning is pretty asinine but a part (1/4ish) of the reason is laid out nicely by Mbound: "I find the idea of dying in some weird clinical setting with a doctor or nurse to be repulsive. " + "I want it to be when its right for me and I cannot schedule that."

 

[Painted Bird]

I would not. You'd have to rely on some "shrink's" decision if your depression/mental illness is suitable for the "procedure". Trying to convince some zombie psychiatrist, beg him to let you die, no way, that'd be humiliating. You are the only one to decide about that, not them. Just let all the doctors prescribe N on any adult's demand or make it OTC, problem solved.

 

[Hel]

Of course. The problem is that I don't know if I would be considered as "suitable". My depression and anxiety come from a reason which people always thinks it's temporary. So it wouldn0t be easy to convince them to euthanize me. But would be my preferred method, of course. As a matter of fact, something similar would be my dream way. I wish I could convince a doctor to do it ilegally and then conceal what it happened (could be a "heart attack" or something like that in the "official version) because I don't want my family and friends to know that it was a suicide

 

[AnnonyBox]

If depression counted as a mental illness on their charts, I would pursue it in secret until I had everything finalized, if at all possible, so I wouldn't have to get any of the 'suicide victims are bad people tho' or 'suicide isn't the answer' nonsense talk from people around me.

 

[Jessica5]

Of course I would. Not even a question.

 

[letmeseethedeath]

I would pursue it within in a heartbeat.

same. i can't suffer like this

 

[No_more]

Yes I would. I would like someone trustworthy to help me die. I would prefer it to dying alone and possibly messing it up and maybe ending up worse off.

 

[Black_Knight]

Yes, if only so I wouldn't have to hide it.

That being said I'm against state-assisted suicide in general, depending on how regulated it is, especially over something as vague as mental illness.

Do you think the rates of 'traumatic' suicide attempts would go down if euthanasia was legal for those with mental illness?

Yes, but the number of coerced suicides might increase.

 

[dramaqueen]

Yes, yes and yes!