New Health Minister Supports Right To Die

[sammason]

Tony Nicklinson's death wasn't the end of his fight. His widow Jane says she'll keep fighting for what Tony wanted and a newly appointed Minister, Anna Soubry, has spoken out about the Right To DieIn my opinion Ms Soubry still isn't going far enough. But when the anti-choicers say that any change in the law could be 'the thin end of the wedge' I

Comments

[fallconsmate]

an able bodied person is free to take their own life whenever things get too much for them to bear. (i'm setting aside mental/emotional issues and focusing on bodies that work as designed.) it's discouraged, and can land you in the psych ward to "help" you see things in a better light and not want to end your life, and in some countries attempted suicide is illegal, or your family can be punished if you kill yourself

[nightshade1972]

You're absolutely right. The problem is that those who disagree like to whine about how it's a "slippery slope". If they "let" you end your life because you were truly suffering physical/emotional/mental pain from an organic disease process, where (according to the naysayers) would it stop? If suicide in any form is illegal, so the theory goes, maybe that'll keep the jilted teenager from overdosing on pills. It's much better (in their view) to force everyone to endure physical pain and frequently pointless "counseling" sessions, than to "allow" the jilted teenager to kill herself. While I absolutely agree that, in the case of the jilted teenager, it's a permanent solution to a temporary problem...IT'S NOT MY CHOICE TO MAKE. *That's* what I wish the naysayers understood.

[fallconsmate]

i'm 21 years, 3 months, and 13 days out from my suicide attempt. roughly 40 antidepressants (which i will NEVER take again), syrup of ipecac because i was still sort of awake (tastes like black licorice! who knew?), followed by a large amount of activated charcoal and then 3 days in the ICU. oh and a 6 week stay at the macadamia ranch after that.

(macadamia ranch = nut farm. i'm silly.)

am i glad it didnt work? yes. if i had wound up on the other side? it would have been an end to the emotional pain that i was suffering AND the physical pain i STILL have not gotten away from.

there are countries that have a "suicide panel" of doctors who listen and make an informed decision, then give patients a humane overdose of medication to help them to the other side. i'd like that for every person who suffers.

[nightshade1972]

Pain control for terminally ill patients is getting better in this country, but it's still not close to what it should be. I still hear a lot about "but we can't keep increasing your dose of Powerful Narcotic, you'll become addicted!" Yes, and if my pain is *never* going to go away and is *never* going to get better, what's your point? Over time the body develops a tolerance. The "ZOMG!" ppl would tell me that it's better for me to keep taking a useless dose than for me to become "addicted". But there's a huge difference in "addiction" as a result of actively trying to get high, and "addiction" as a result of the necessity to take pain pills in order to function as a reasonable human being