Discussion What's the point of not allowing chronically ill people to ctb safely?

[Ta555]

I guess it's a rhetorical/philosophical question. I think we're all aware here that many people with chronic but not terminal/fatal conditions no longer have a satisfactory quality of life and would ctb if given a safe and sure option like medically assisted suicide.

Why governments oppose this is beyond me. People in these situations often do not or cannot work so the 'they just want us to be slaves to capitalism/pay taxes' argument doesn't work because people like this are costing the government money in disability pay and healthcare costs. These people are basically saying 'Look, I don't want to be here anymore. And it would be better for everyone if I was gone since I won't be taking up medical resources etc' and yet they're still not allowed to go on their own terms. It makes no sense to me. I don't work because if my condition but I'm not disabled to get a benefit so I'm neither here nor there. But I see so many people suffering with chronic illness that just want to go peacefully, it makes sense and probably is better off economically for everyone but still they won't let us have that option. It boggles the mind.

People with chronic illness have like a four fold suicide rate and all I hear is how we need to throw more money at their mental health care. No, how about you throw money at research into cures for these conditions or let these people go peacefully if that's their choice?

Idk...it's fucking crazy to me.

 

[antoniamonroe]

Control, maybe. The people most against death with dignity are also often the same people who don't support a social safety net anyway. They expect the indigent to be taken care of by their families, or rounded up into group homes where they can be worked or warehoused for profit.

There's a number of people who are against state-supported suicide because they believe it will be used to influence people who are not really suicidal, as a means of freeing up resources. I understand their perspective, they aren't wrong, but I'm on the side of bodily autonomy (not just because I happen be someone with chronic illness who is seeking safe ctb).

 

[Ta555]

Control, maybe. The people most against death with dignity are also often the same people who don't support a social safety net anyway. They expect the indigent to be taken care of by their families, or rounded up into group homes where they can be worked or warehoused for profit.

There's a number of people who are against state-supported suicide because they believe it will be used to influence people who are not really suicidal, as a means of freeing up resources. I understand their perspective, they aren't wrong, but I'm on the side of bodily autonomy (not just because I happen be someone with chronic illness who is seeking safe ctb).

Yeah it's just with all these issues of overpopulation and resource scarcity there's a whole bunch of people who are desperate to leave this world and you'd think we'd let them because of the overpopulation and resource scarcity, but we demand they stay on and suffer. It's mindblowing.

 

[SelfHatingAspie]

I suspect the reluctance to allow chronically ill* people a choice to ctb is a combination of Judeo-Christian morality that's baked into many Western societies, along with the economic benefits in propping up the healthcare and aged care industries.

Were I not in a perpetual state of tiredness, I'd try and quantify my second point by doing some research and some math. As in working out how much of an impact choice might have on a society insofar as increased suicide rates and/or the financial costs of same.

*not to be confused with being terminally ill; whilst some progress has been made for people with terminal illness to ctb with dignity, those with chronic illnesses that have a negative impact on quality of life yet aren't terminal are the ones who would most stand to benefit from being able to safely make their own choice

 

[Starylain001]

Because big pharma benefits from it. Im chronically ill, with neverending pain, and my parents spend so much on the doctors and meds. Im fully dependend on them and dont make my own money, so from economic perspective im useless. If it wasnt about them, I would be useless from economic and med perspective because i cant function on my own.

 

[RN12]

I'm completely crippled by a pharmaceutical drug. I don't understand why they can kill me for 90% but won't do the other 10. It's a bit sadistic.

 

[YourNeighbor]

Most jurisdictions don't even allow medical aid in dying for the terminally ill. Why aren't chronically ill people not granted access to MAiD? There are probably many reasons. How many people in your jurisdiction are pushing politically for such access? Are you?

 

[Life interrupted]

I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (incurable disease) caused by covid. I'm out of breath all day and been out of work for 10 months. It's torture 24/7. On top of that I still suffer from long covid. Also I can't get ph medication in my country to reduce the nasty symptoms of this horrible disease. I have no quality of life whatsoever. As you said I don't understand why our stupid governments won't allow us to die peacefully

 

[RN12]

I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (incurable disease) caused by covid. I'm out of breath all day and been out of work for 10 months. It's torture 24/7. On top of that I still suffer from long covid. Also I can't get ph medication in my country to reduce the nasty symptoms of this horrible disease. I have no quality of life whatsoever. As you said I don't understand why our stupid governments won't allow us to die peacefully

Can it get better? Maybe it's possible over time. I guess they don't know exactly because COVID is around for only 2 years..?
I'm sorry

sending strength your way

 

[FuneralCry]

It is a very cruel world we live in where people are expected to suffer for decades and then die a slow painful death from health problems. Chronic illness can be torture and to me it is horrifying that so many health conditions even exist, the right to die should always be respected. There is no limit as to how bad things can get as well. I'm pretty sure that many of the anti choice people would become suicidal if their health declined and then they would want to exit this world peacefully.

 

[hankbank3928]

Yeah it's just with all these issues of overpopulation and resource scarcity there's a whole bunch of people who are desperate to leave this world and you'd think we'd let them because of the overpopulation and resource scarcity, but we demand they stay on and suffer. It's mindblowing.

It is mind blowing. It shows just how evil the world can be.

 

[its-about-time]

Disabled people cost money from the government (directly by social security, indirectly by opportunity cost, etc). That money goes to paying for very expensive medications alongside other things. The big pharma companies that profit then give money to politicians. Those politicians vote to keep the system rolling. Economically, it may be senseless in the "big picture," but the people in positions of power are benefitting tremendously and that's what matters to them. It's not about quality of life or altruism or whatever, it's about money.

 

[antoniamonroe]

Can it get better? Maybe it's possible over time. I guess they don't know exactly because COVID is around for only 2 years..?
I'm sorry

sending strength your way

I don't know about the pulmonary condition, but long covid is a post-viral chronic condition. Many viruses come with them, you just don't hear about it because a lot of doctors refuse to accept that they exist. My primary condition is also a post-viral illness. Some people recover, many do not. Little research of sufficient quality has been done into these conditions, but the community of survivors are hopeful that this is changing with long covid. We shall see.