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Friday, September 05, 2008

Depression as major factor for assisted suicide request

I've just came across with the site Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. I'm for euthanasia and assisted suicide in terminal cases but I've just read this on the site:

  • Depression is the most common factor in requests for assisted suicide. Depression can be diagnosed and treated successfully. Requests for assisted suicide is a call for help.

Now I will have to rethink it all not only on assisted suicide but what does it mean depression can be treated successfully. If they've found the treatment I didn't receive the memo.
I'm deeply concerned that the most common factor is depression because there is not only one kind of suicidal ideation and not only one reason why people who are depressed want to die.
Its a very complex issue.
Request for assisted suicide from a depressed person is not a call for help and can be the expression of a desire that vanishes when the person gets better or a decision after years of fight with no relief of ups and downs usually more downs than up.
I'm also thinking about people who are suicidal because of SSRIs that I've talked about here.
According to my experience I had drug induced suicidal ideation, a condition that is still not officially recognized, when I was tapering off Effexor as I have reported on this post. I thought about assisted suicide.
What if I had found it?


I also will have to check this data:

  • Sanctioning of euthanasia and assisted suicide (as in the Netherlands) has led to increased use of euthanasia without consent, circumvention of the law, and abuse of the vulnerable.

As I said I'm for euthanasia but this discussion is another topic but as far I'm concerned under some circumstances I want the right not to keep on surviving. I wish this right was respected.

7 comments:

susan said...

((((ANA))))

thank you for finding this piece and posting it.

Wow, lots to assimilate here. I cannot comment. But I understand. I once wrote to Dr. Kevorkian during a very bad bout with the black dog.

Take care.

Ana said...

(((((SUSAN)))))
Yes! I also have to think a lot.
I cannot comment here yet.
Another topic that I'm keeping silent are Philip's posts on crimes committed by people with mental disease.
I'm just pissed off because some people are claiming this or that based on so little information.
As if a person once diagnosed schizophrenic or bipolar or no matter what followed a scrip and and had to behave according to it.
It takes time to gather information on any crime.
What would it be different with a mentally il?
Why the media love to put on their headlines "Mentally ill has killed..."?
Wow!
I'm trying to avoid stress an anger for a while!
:)

Clueless said...

To me it is alarming that euthanasia is being used for depression related assisted suicide. Having been depressed my whole life, an attempted suicide, too many bouts of major depression to count with only two receiving treatment and constantly battling with suicidal ideation, it still alarms me. I really understand when I get into that dark empty space how I would want that, but I also know that there is treatment and a long process. However, that place is temporary, so to me it abuses the system of euthanasia and preys upon the most vulnerable. I'm glad that I'm still here even though I've been really, really depressed for a long time and today was one of those days where wanting to die was constant. But, I understand and have those days where if you help me kill myself, I will.

Ana said...

(((((clueless)))))
I totally agree with you.
Under no circumstances assisted suicide must be done on a depressed person.
But what I fear about this data is that they are not correct and biased since they are from the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.
I'll try to collect data from people who works for euthanasia to try to have their data and be able to find a balanced view.
It's a hard topic and I'm a little bit suspicious about some some statistics and data concerning suicide.
But please, when those bad days arrive always remember that you're not really wanting to die.
When we are depressed and see no meaning in anything not even on our existence, feel all kind of emotional and physical pain all with no relief of any kind and no one to speak we just want to get read of this terrible pain not of our lives.
Stay blessed.
Yours truly, Ana

Sinjin said...

This,
"they are not correct and biased since they are from the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition."
is exactly what I was thinking.

We need to get some data from an independent source in the Netherlands.

Ana said...

Thank you Sinjin!

It's still very difficult to find data from independent source not only about euthanasia but for many things.

It's all over the world!

Love,
Ana

Ana said...

Thank you Sinjin!

It's still very difficult to find data from independent source not only about euthanasia but for many things.

It's all over the world!

Love,
Ana