Why do we have to keep living when we dont want to?

[52yoandmiserable]

eli5: Why aren't we "allowed" to take our own lives due to lifelong mental illness?

More and more countries and several states in the US allow people who have terminal physical conditions to take charge of their own lives and end their suffering.
Why does a lifelong, debilitating mental illness not have the same possibility?
I'm 53, 2/3 of my life is over. I have been depressed and fearful for as long as i can remember. I have fighting suicidal ideation since I was a preteen. I have been through all kinds of counseling, taking all kinds of meds, been given several diagnoses, been hospitalized voluntarily several times, and involuntarily.
Nothing has changed. Ever.
I have 150 mgs of sodium Nitrite in a safe place. But if anyone else knew that, they would lock me away again and could force me to take meds, they could force feed me too.
Isn't it obvious that I have a lifelong, debilitating condition?
What gives anyone the right to tell me that I have to continue to suffer?
If you were reading a book, watching a movie, or playing a video game and 2/3 of it sucked, would you look forward the the last third?
Obviously my physical well-being is adversely affected by my mental well-being. But for some reason I have to stay alive and live in this incredibly fucked up world.
Why??

 

[Pluto]

I agree. The vibe I get from most people is, "Damn, I'm glad I'm not in your shoes." Yet supporting a genuine right-to-die movement is completely taboo in society. I think it will change over the coming decades, but that's no help to us now.

 

[Praestat_Mori]

I'm sorry you have to go through this and life is so rough to you. It sucks how society is so much anti-suicide and legal euthanasia is only available in very few countries.

 

[MatrixPrisoner]

Because they think we're "physically healthy" and have the ability to "snap out of it".

 

[UKscotty]

Because it is so hard to tell when depression is genuinely untreatable.

Most people recover given time, so society can't just kill everyone with depression except as a last resort but it's so difficult to tell when that point is reached.

Usually when someone is at that point, they find a way and the battle is often with ourselves and not society.

Living the in UK I would just be concerned about making this readily available with a right wing government in charge. Our is so pro suicide and anti poor it would be called genocide if it was in Africa or the middle east. They push people to breaking point, then took away all suicide support and prevention.

 

[Nagito]

It depends a lot on the culture you're raised in. Not every culture views death and suicide the same way.

Assuming you're in a western society, regardless of whether you believe in the bible our culture/mindset is still framed by the idea of sin and martyrdom. Many people have a general feeling it must be "bad/selfish" to kill yourself and "good" to live and suffer for the sake of others.

If you are in a very capitalist society it's magnified. I was watching one researcher present statistics that found for every dollar spent on suicide prevention society saves two dollars on people prevented from committing suicide. The rich may lose capital when impoverished workers die and if they can prevent the suicides of those before the age of 60 they will try, even if it's through guilt and physical force.

 

[mortuarymary]

You don't have to. You can CTB if you choose that life isn't for you.
Some is treatable and others are not. The not treated that end up dying.
Guilt got a lot to do with it too. Lots stay around because of guilt.

 

[FuneralCry]

Because humans are a disgusting species who are obsessed with prolonging the suffering of others even know none of us asked for this existence and aren't obligated to continue. It's beyond unacceptable how assisted suicide isn't legalised, it'd prevent so much unnecessary suffering to allow people the option of that, it's truly hellish how it's not avaliable everywhere even know there is no limit as to how much a human can suffer.

 

[barkbark]

eli5: Why aren't we "allowed" to take our own lives due to lifelong mental illness?

my incredibly room temperature take on this matter: it's rooted in an ingrained ignorance of suicide, disability, and mental health, with the belief — whether conscious or subconscious — that 1. mentally ill people and people with disabilities must be treated like children who couldn't possibly know what they want, and 2. that suicide is never a rational option, it necessarily stems from not just mental illness but a temporary depression from a temporary crisis.

keep in mind that most non suicidal people do not understand that suicidal feelings can last longer than a week or two after a bad breakup. even a lot of people who are supposed to be experts on this sort of thing, people like some psychiatrists or therapists or people leading suicide prevention orgs have this weird notion that all suicidal people fall into this tidy little box of being totally fine once a personal / emotional crisis ends. frankly i think it's because people project their experiences onto others — and i can't even blame them really because it's the only real way to try to understand such strong emotions — but they don't understand that some of us have felt like this for our entire lives. it's not just a thing we go into crisis for a few days and then we're suddenly perfectly non suicidal.

 

[hibikikyuxx]

Because the government is corrupt and society is full of brainwashed slaves. Brainwashed by religion, the government, their parents, etc.

 

[Cara7177]

eli5: Why aren't we "allowed" to take our own lives due to lifelong mental illness?

More and more countries and several states in the US allow people who have terminal physical conditions to take charge of their own lives and end their suffering.
Why does a lifelong, debilitating mental illness not have the same possibility?
I'm 53, 2/3 of my life is over. I have been depressed and fearful for as long as i can remember. I have fighting suicidal ideation since I was a preteen. I have been through all kinds of counseling, taking all kinds of meds, been given several diagnoses, been hospitalized voluntarily several times, and involuntarily.
Nothing has changed. Ever.
I have 150 mgs of sodium Nitrite in a safe place. But if anyone else knew that, they would lock me away again and could force me to take meds, they could force feed me too.
Isn't it obvious that I have a lifelong, debilitating condition?
What gives anyone the right to tell me that I have to continue to suffer?
If you were reading a book, watching a movie, or playing a video game and 2/3 of it sucked, would you look forward the the last third?
Obviously my physical well-being is adversely affected by my mental well-being. But for some reason I have to stay alive and live in this incredibly fucked up world.
Why??

THIS. I've had depression since I. Was ten (my grandfather marked my tenth birthday by taking me to his bed). Right now I'm unemployed, facing homelessness, trapped under a mountain of credit card debt, estranged from family, friends have all turned their backs (because why should they help me or even check on me when they can could go to happy hour), and I am comp[letely isolated from everyone and everything and I do not wish to continue living. My landlord refuses to give me the eviction paper I need to qualify for a homeless shelter & instead demands my clothes, my furniture, and the money from my father's estate, so my plan is to kill myself in the apartment so he can never rent it again (because no one wants ot live where a suicide or a murder took place).

 

[Linda]

I noticed that you say you have 150 mg of SN. 150 mg is nowhere near a fatal dose. Did you mean 150 gm? Sorry if I sound pedantic, but you need to be sure you have got this right.

 

[TheSpookyNameGuy]

Cuz the elite need your labour, gotta pull up those bootstrings and get back to the production line!

Man the human experience is fucking drab i agree

 

[nobody11]

We need poor and sick ppl for the speach

 

[52yoandmiserable]

I noticed that you say you have 150 mg of SN. 150 mg is nowhere near a fatal dose. Did you mean 150 gm? Sorry if I sound pedantic, but you need to be sure you have got this right.

You are correct, I meant grams.

Because humans are a disgusting species who are obsessed with prolonging the suffering of others even know none of us asked for this existence and aren't obligated to continue. It's beyond unacceptable how assisted suicide isn't legalised, it'd prevent so much unnecessary suffering to allow people the option of that, it's truly hellish how it's not avaliable everywhere even know there is no limit as to how much a human can suffer.

I wonder how many people in this society, if given the actual freedom to choose death, without any of the religious crap, and morality nonsense, would actually throw in the towel?
I dare say that the number of people that would choose to die would be staggering!
What would the Capitalists say If 25% of their precious serfs, oops I meant obedient consumers just disappeared?
Who would they oppress and steal from to grow their hordes?
I would give my right test...I mean arm to see the looks on their greedy hog like faces when millions of people just collectively said, "I quit."
Of course it would not have any effect other than to make life even worse on those that are insane enough to actually want to live.
(I honestly believe that the people who actually look forward to the next day are the real insane people.)

 

[Homo erectus]

This is probably because the medical and pharmaceutical industries have great influences in many places to hinder euthanasia. They benefit from suffering and aging people. Most other industries probably perform better with young, active and healthy population.

 

[Install-Gentoo]

Because you are government and corporate property. You exist to create tax revenue. You exist to consume products. Why allow you to cut off that revenue stream?

 

[ctb_warrior]

Because humans are a disgusting species who are obsessed with prolonging the suffering of others even know none of us asked for this existence and aren't obligated to continue. It's beyond unacceptable how assisted suicide isn't legalised, it'd prevent so much unnecessary suffering to allow people the option of that, it's truly hellish how it's not avaliable everywhere even know there is no limit as to how much a human can suffer.

I completely resonate with this. It's selfish of them to allow the suffering beyond our will to not continue

 

[TransientEternal]

Because you are more of a resource than a living being, because people care about "you" (They really just care about the suffering they'll incur on themselves with your passing), because people can't see your suffering, because people are ignorant, because people are hypocrites, because people don't know what it's like to be you, because humanity sucks.

 

[Doemu]

Cause we are slaves, and they won't allow you to kill yourself meanwhile you can work.

 

[sserafim]

Because we're all slaves to the system.

 

[thepiecessatup]

eli5: Why aren't we "allowed" to take our own lives due to lifelong mental illness?

More and more countries and several states in the US allow people who have terminal physical conditions to take charge of their own lives and end their suffering.
Why does a lifelong, debilitating mental illness not have the same possibility?
I'm 53, 2/3 of my life is over. I have been depressed and fearful for as long as i can remember. I have fighting suicidal ideation since I was a preteen. I have been through all kinds of counseling, taking all kinds of meds, been given several diagnoses, been hospitalized voluntarily several times, and involuntarily.
Nothing has changed. Ever.
I have 150 mgs of sodium Nitrite in a safe place. But if anyone else knew that, they would lock me away again and could force me to take meds, they could force feed me too.
Isn't it obvious that I have a lifelong, debilitating condition?
What gives anyone the right to tell me that I have to continue to suffer?
If you were reading a book, watching a movie, or playing a video game and 2/3 of it sucked, would you look forward the the last third?
Obviously my physical well-being is adversely affected by my mental well-being. But for some reason I have to stay alive and live in this incredibly fucked up world.
Why??

42 year old here and completely agree.

 

[Homo erectus]

There was a 1973 futuristic movie, Soylent Green, describing a world in 2022. While it got most of the 2022 world wrong, euthanasia is available in the movie. Everyone can just walk in. Is the world becoming more prolife? Were people more open-minded?

Soylent Green - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[lifewasawillowtv]

This is probably because the medical and pharmaceutical industries have great influences in many places to hinder euthanasia. They benefit from suffering and aging people. Most other industries probably perform better with young, active and healthy population.

Yeah exactly, it's just to fuel capitalism that they keep us alive because we generate more money for the system. They don't actually care about us, it's not out of good intention that euthanasia is restricted.

 

[Homo erectus]

Yeah exactly, it's just to fuel capitalism that they keep us alive because we generate more money for the system. They don't actually care about us, it's not out of good intention that euthanasia is restricted.

Many diseases are created. They create some fancy terms and set a "normal" value for them. Then they sell people pills. People take the pills for a long time because the pills never bring them to the "normal" value.

 

[DEATH IS FREEDOM]

No one should have to suffer. Anyone who wants euthanasia should be able to get it. It is bad that´s not the case. But that will probably change in the future. However, perhaps no one wants to work with killing people and take care of bodies every day. The executioner, an employed person who executed capital punishment, had low status in the society and he probably didn´t feel good about the work himself. Would you like to work with killing humans yourself? Maybe those who procreated should do the job - it is because of them that there are humans. I myself think that euthanasia is better for everyone than patients lying in palliative care and being tortured to death for months or years after being tormented for years before that.