Is someone always considered to lack capacity/choice when make the decision to die? U.K.?

[Embers]

Is a person always assumed to lack capacity and/or insight / the ability to properly make the decision to take their own life?
I guess I am trying to ascertain whether someone who is actively suicidal would always be classed as 'unwell' Simply because they wish to end their life?
I'd imagine that someone with prior history and involvement with mental health services would be more likely to be deemed to lack capacity / be acutely unwell and therefore their decision to end their life would be seen as ' inappropriate' and they would perhaps be safeguarded against making this decision.

But does society / services ever deem the act of suicide, or suicidal thoughts/actions to be proportionate / acceptable / a decision that person should be allowed to make?
I'm curious.
Thanks!

 

[The Schizoid]

Well, assisted suicide and euthanasia is illegal in the UK in any circumstance involving humans, so that tells you a lot about UK's attitudes towards CTB.

You'll be asked if you intend to act on your suicidal thoughts, if you say no, nothing will happen and you'll just go on a waiting list for therapy. If you say yes, you'll be sectioned as it will be deemed you're having a mental health crisis.

 

[Embers]

Well, assisted suicide and euthanasia is illegal in the UK in any circumstance involving humans, so that tells you a lot about UK's attitudes towards CTB.

You'll be asked if you intend to act on your suicidal thoughts, if you say no, nothing will happen and you'll just go on a waiting list for therapy. If you say yes, you'll be sectioned as it will be deemed you're having a mental health crisis.

Thanks.

Do you think this would always be the case?
Im purely curious as to whether because I have previously experienced depression and hospitalisation, this would automatically lead services to use the ' you're suicidal because you're unwell' even if I am indeed not unwell, and my reasons for not wishing to be here are all very valid, legitimate and make perfect sense and I should be allowed the choice anyways. I wonder if it's ever ok for anyone to choose to end their life in this country, or whether anyone with suicidal thoughts is immediately labled unwell/lacking capacity.

 

[Darkover]

people end their life for all kind of reason for instance someone who's had a relationship breakup the mental pain can be very painful and they might not be able to live without that person in their lifes and don't see a future for themselves so they choose to die instead of continuing to live so no i dont think it is the case someone lacks the capability to choose to die

 

[Grave]

I think from a "professionals'" point of view, yes, any person who wishes to die lacks capacity - in the very least that is my experience of the system.

I have been detained under the mental capacity act before just because I wished to do an act which could have resulted in my death (even though that was not my explicit intention) and even though I expressed clearly that I was aware and willing to accept the risks.

 

[bagot77]

I don't think it's the case from a legal POV. In law it would be possible to have capacity to make a decision to end life, right?