what is the difference between suicide and euthanasia?

[ksp]

what's the difference between suicide and voluntary euthanasia / assisted dying?

to me, these aspects are important:
- acknowledgement of suffering, by society (family, friends)
- making peace with my decision, without pressure or stress
- closures for loved ones (goodbyes and understanding)
- respect of personal autonomy, and dignity
- peacefulness: no anxiety, no agony or torment, no pain
— the difference between peacefulness and agony is unconsciousness
- reliability: no risk of failure or undue suffering
- legality: acceptance of death and human condition

---

humanity should be ashamed for inflicting suffering and torture on people
current laws are not allowing mercy and compassion

cases that should make politicians and doctors reconsider their reluctance:
- man killed his wife in act of love, calls for assisted dying law (UK)
- woman killed her terminally ill husband in his Florida

(not to mention all the right to die movement cases and jack kevorkian's early advocacy - "dying is not a crime")

 

[rationaltake]

Efficiency.

 

[Somber]

Legality

 

[Gustav Hartmann]

If you commit suicide, you kill yourself no other person is involved. Volontary euthanasia means you want another person to kill you and your wish is satisfied. A person who is able to kill himself should not make others to murderers, it could conflict with thier conscience. Unless he finds a sadist who is keen on killing someone. There are very few cases when someone is not able to kill oneself. If someone knows that he will not be able to commit suicide in the near future due to a progessive desease he should do it at once and not bother others when it´s too late.

Voluntariness is another problem with euthanasia, if it is legal it´s easy to get rid of unwanted persons.

 

[ksp]

If you commit suicide, you kill yourself no other person is involved. Volontary euthanasia means you want another person to kill you and your wish is satisfied...

Voluntariness is another problem with euthanasia, if it is legal it´s easy to get rid of unwanted persons.

how about the sarco pod - voluntary euthanasia, without any involvement from others

also, if you kill yourself, you might kill others (jump from hight), or traumatize bystanders (train), etc

 

[Forever Sleep]

Actually- I read on Dignitas that they don't use the term 'euthanasia'- as it tends to imply putting someone down. They go for 'assisted/accompanied suicide'. (I know you specified 'voluntary' euthanasia- I just think it's interesting and right actually that they prefer the term 'suicide' because it focuses on it being a self imposed act- just with assistance.)

Differences between the two- I'd say risk is the major one. Assisted suicide is going to be 100% effective. None of these places want a reputation for bodging the job. I imagine there are procedures- if something fails- to act quickly so that the person doesn't suffer.

Possibly forewarning for family and friends. When a death has been 'authorised' it seems like people are able to say goodbye properly and maybe come to terms with it better than if it is a complete shock.

Compassion: as you say- why are we allowing people to suffer if they truly don't want to? In what way is that humane?

Support- I imagine a lot of people going for assisted dying have a loved one with them. We'll likely mostly be alone and frightened.

Less messy- clinics are presumably set up to hand the bodies over to funeral companies to take care of. Some of us will likely leave one hell of a mess for either our families or complete strangers to find and some other poor sod to clean up. Using a clinic would also prevent the possible stigma on where the person CTB otherwise- whether that be a hotel, flat, house or public space.

Organ donation: guessing this would be more possible with assisted dying- seeing as the organs will be fresh.

Waste of police time: presumably, ALL suicides are investigated as suspicious deaths- all that time and resources could be saved.

Thought of one more... Ironically- if assisted suicide were offered- there's a chance it could SAVE lives! Some people will kill themselves without ever having told a soul. I wish I remember who posted it but someone said that there is research to suggest some people DON'T go through with assisted suicide after their evaluation. That it somehow just helped being able to talk about it openly.

Off topic but that's what frustrates me SO much about some of the therapy I've heard about- that suicide is a topic that can't even be discussed. Talk about 'the elephant in the room'! How does that help?!! I think that's where people fail to see why places like this can help. Many people here will at least TRY to hang on a little longer. Some might even recover- partly BECAUSE they finally found somewhere they could be honest- without being gagged.

 

[ksp]

I read on Dignitas that they don't use the term 'euthanasia'- as it tends to imply putting someone down. They go for 'assisted/accompanied suicide'. (I know you specified 'voluntary' euthanasia- I just think it's interesting and right actually that they prefer the term 'suicide' because it focuses on it being a self imposed act- just with assistance.)

personally, i don't have a problem with the term 'euthanasia', or 'suicide', but i think that 'suicide' has negative connotations - 'suicide' has terrible stigma associated with it (an uphill battle in today's society). i'm ready to use whatever society is comfortable with (i love splitting infinitives, and ending propositions with a preposition - i'm a rebel, but i think i forgot my initial cause - i just replaced it with several smaller ones :)

- risk is the major one… 100% effective
- possibly forewarning for family and friends... 'authorised' vs complete shock
- Compassion: as you say- why are we allowing people to suffer if they truly don't want to? In what way is that humane?
- Support- I imagine a lot of people going for assisted dying have a loved one with them
- Less messy- clinics are presumably set up to hand the bodies over to funeral companies to take care of.

- Using a clinic would also prevent the possible stigma on where the person CTB
- Organ donation
- Waste of police time: presumably, ALL suicides are investigated as suspicious deaths (resources could be saved)

excellent !

there's a chance it could SAVE lives!

even more excellent.er… !

Off topic but that's what frustrates me SO much about some of the therapy I've heard about- that suicide is a topic that can't even be discussed. Talk about 'the elephant in the room'! How does that help?!! I think that's where people fail to see why places like this can help. Many people here will at least TRY to hang on a little longer. Some might even recover- partly BECAUSE they finally found somewhere they could be honest- without being gagged.

exactly !
i saw a thread in the offtopic section, called 'Fuck reddit'
monika made me lough out loud with an obvious question:

Why an earth do they even have a sub entitled suicide watch if people who are actively suicidal get their posts deleted, locked or find themselves permanently banned for expressing their suicidal ideation

this society is so contradictory and ridiculous!!
it almost looks like the 'suicide watch' on reddit is meant to literally: watch suicidal people commit suicide