Man in the Netherlands euthanised due to his alcohol addiction

Amazingfun

Well, not a great development imo.
I am grateful I found AA and a way out of this kind of hellish merry-go-round:

Man in the Netherlands euthanised due to his alcohol addiction

A man in the Netherlands has been allowed to die because he could no longer carry on living as an alcoholic.

Mark Langedijk chose the day of his death and was telling jokes, drinking beer and eating ham sandwiches with his family hours before he passed away.

He was killed by lethal injection at his parents’ home on 14 July, according to an account of the ordeal written by his brother and published in the magazine Linda.

The Netherlands introduced a euthanasia law 16 years ago, which is available to people in “unbearable suffering” with no prospect of improvement.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/man-holland-netherlands-dutch-euthanised-alcohol-addiction-alcoholic-netherlands-a7446256.html

JJEP

And to think people people struggle to survive through problems while in Holland they are given green light to do this . It just doesn't seem right I'd love to know how they family felt it doesn't seem right to me but that's just my opinion.

The flying mouse

WoW, That's very sad, How lucky & grateful am I, that I found a different way out.

duffman13

Extremely sad situation. Very interesting article and it seems his family are at peace with the decision. Unfortunately he felt he hadn't got it in him to get away from addiction, not the right solution for 99.9% of people but according to his brother, the right one for him.

The Bishop Basher

His life, his choice.

I honestly believe everyone should have the right to end their life at a time, place and manner of their choosing.

And while it's desperately sad that he felt he had no other option, it's no different to the hundreds of people who end their own lives here in Ireland for the same reasons other then the fact that he got to do it with the support of his family, with medical supervision and most importantly, with dignity.

pilly

Swanner wrote: »

His life, his choice.

I honestly believe everyone should have the right to end their life at a time, place and manner of their choosing.

And while it's desperately sad that he felt he had no other option, it's no different to the hundreds of people who end their own lives here in Ireland for the same reasons other then the fact that he got to do it with the support of his family, with medical supervision and most importantly, with dignity.

Totally agree.

pilly

duffman13 wrote: »

Extremely sad situation. Very interesting article and it seems his family are at peace with the decision. Unfortunately he felt he hadn't got it in him to get away from addiction, not the right solution for 99.9% of people but according to his brother, the right one for him.

99.9% of people is a very very optimistic assumption. Not sure of exact figures but I think it's something like only 50% of alcoholics recover. Or lower.

aabarnes1

It is indeed a very sad and unfortunate story of how severe and life threatening the disease of chronic alcoholism is.
It is my honest opinion that the taking of ones own life goes against all of what our Higher powers want for us.
Suicide is a true act of self will run riot.
This mans family will now have to wrestle with their own consciences in the future, which will in turn cause them immeasurable subconscious damage.


We who have a program for living and daily recovery are truly blessed.

Amazingfun

I dunno about the family feeling bad, that could only happen if they understood alcoholism as we do--AA members, I mean.
We know, if this man be an alcoholic of the type we are (chronic), that he wasn't sane when making this "decision".
He had hit a patch of hopelessness and probably figured he was doing at least one noble thing with his waste of a life by ending it. I know if I had been offered an option like this during one of my relapses, I too might have said "sure"!

Through our eyes it's a tragic waste, for we who have recovered know there is a way out- but not everyone sees it that way.