Canada legalized MAID in 2016. Over the last six years, they've expanded the criteria to include non-terminal people with physical illnesses and next March, those whose sole illness is mental will be eligible.
I know Belgium and Netherlands allow it as well.
A good move. The audacity of people who want to keep people who wish to die alive is pretty appalling. Usually related to belief in some religious BS. If someone wants to go, then the option should be there imo.
A mental illness is a diagnosis of some symptoms that cause apparent dysfunction of a person in our current society. It does not necessarily follow that the person is not ever capable of having clarity of thought, rational or logical decisions for their lives.
Or do you think that everyone with any kind of mental illness is incapable of making important decisions for their lives?
Not every mental illness equates to an unsound mind.
Eh?
It's pretty much the definition of a mental illness that the person is of unsound mind.
I'm a big proponent of assisted suicide for people who support and enable assisted suicide
It's interesting that we have people in this world who would fiercly oppose capital punishment for the worse sort of bastards but will happily off someone suffering from depression.
Was looking for more info on this and came across the disabled veteran who was in contact with veteran affairs to get a stair lift installed and was sent information on availing of assisted suicide instead, in other words if you're that stuck for help why not just off yourself, mental stuff.
As far as it being offered to people suffering with mental health, I couldn't think of a worse idea. When treating people in the depths of depression for example suicidal ideation is exactly what health professionals are trying to keep the patient from. Sounds more like a society just giving up on its vulnerable and seeing a way to save money and resources. Pretty sick stuff.
The argument for those with terminal illness is quite different and I would welcome a debate on it, but at the minute I wouldn't be in favour of it.
Physical pain is not the only kind of pain. No one should be denied a safe medical procedure because the general public cannot fathom the complexities of a mental illness. Not every mental illness equates to an unsound mind. Not every mental illness is "curable". I don't believe anyone should be denied support if life is unbearable for them. I also don't believe that they will just take in a distressed patient and immediately offer them a drug cocktail, no doubt there are procedures put in place, plenty of legal and medical advice and information.
As I said there is always some hope with mental illness there isn't with terminal illness.It's not that controversial a view because it is 100% true.I don't think we should be allowing other people to kill someone if they have severe mental health issues .
If people really want to die they will almost always find away to do it themselves. I have always believed the whole intention of legalizing euthanasia was to provide an option for people who are not capable of committing suicide themselves due to physical difficulties caused by their condition.I think legalizing the ability to kill physically healthy people is a dangerous path to go down.
I’m not sentimental about death and see euthanasia as an act of mercy, I intend to vote for it should a referendum be held here but I think extending its eligibility to those who are depressed is beyond a slippery slope
should strictly be reserved for people with terminal illness who are in pain IMO
I couldn't read past your first sentence. Spoken like someone who has never had to endure PTSD, or (like me) can't fully understand nor comprehend the depth of suffering from severe mental illness. "Curable" is questionable, at best.
There is almost always a way back from Mental illness, there isn't a way back from terminal cancer, motor neuron disease etc
People who have mental illness are not rational in their thoughts and therefore allowing them to option of assisted suicide is dangerous for them and makes it too easy for them.At least people with non mental illness are more rational in their thoughts and therefore deciding to opt for assisted suicide can be a sensible decision, this is not the case with mental illness.
There is a difference though. There is always (well, usually) a way back from mental illness, though often difficult.
But not for terminal physical conditions, where the person is under such care that prevents them from escaping their pain.
I don't see a problem with assisted suicide for mental illness. A lot of suicides in the world are people who have mental illnesses so a safe way to do it if you were going to anyway seems like a good option.
As of two weeks ago, the Canadian govt was looking to delay this.
Starting March 2023, Canada is expected to become one of the few countries in the world to allow physician-assisted death for chronic mental disorders. But on Thursday, the justice minister, David Lametti, said the government would seek to delay the expansion of medical assistance in dying (Maid), following criticism from psychiatrists and physicians across the country. “We are listening to what we are hearing and being responsive, to make sure we move forward in a prudent way. We know we need to get this right in order to protect those who are vulnerable and also to support an individual’s autonomy and freedom of choice,” Lametti said.
I'd agree with most of what you expressed. I don't see mental illness as a candidate for dignified dying. I'm in favour of this action though, as an act of compassion for those who face terminal illness with physical pain.
I don't think this debate has been fully expressed in the Irish public realm.
It's wrong , mental illness is something that is curable and I do not believe assisted suicide is appropriate for mental illness.
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The 2 stories above prove that assisted suicide as an option in some countries has gone too far.It clearly should be available however the circumstances where it is allowed need to be very strict and I don't believe mental illness should be one of them.I always believed the reason assisted suicide existed is that it only to be used where people would be too weak to be able to commit suicide themselves and need someone else to do it for them to put them out of their misery because they were incapable of doing it themselves.
I suspect due to the way the opening post in this topic is though that the mods will now close the thread.
Hardly a Current Affair.
Have you got a point? Do you need a sponsor or something?
Right thanks for the heads up. I'm off to Canada in the morning to kill myself. I'll see you on the other side.
Is there a point you want to make?
Thanks for letting us know 👍
