Right to commit suicide...

having watched a terminally ill loved one struggle for every breath, unable to walk or talk without oxygen being forced into his lungs and us having the choice of him not being resussitated if he arrested i can truly say he chose not to be resussitated and I had to sign the form stating his wishes. this was the hardest thing i ever have done, but it was what he wanted and we both knew he had had enough struggling and would never get better.
now i have a deteriorating condition, no one can tell me how much worse this will get, if it continues the course it is on at present, i will be a brain in a dead body that is struggling to breathe in a couple of years time, do i want to live like that, honestly no! would i like the option to end my life whilst i still have some dignity and control, definitely i would, after all i have done everything i have wanted to do, had the dream man , had the dream job, ran my own buisness, been to all the places i ever wanted to go, experienced more than i wanted and although i am only in my 40's, i feel i have lived my life to the full and had more experiences than most in their 90's for which i am grateful, so if i had the choice to end my life tomorrow, end my pain and suffering i definitely would.
i feel everone should have the right to choose their end, but it has to be totally their choice and they have to be given all the info around their illnesses progression and the options available so they can make a fully informed decision. Any sign of pressure from another person and the option should be revisited after a thorough session with a psych to ensure the choice is really what the patient wants for themself, not just for others.

I understand what you mean by this but if it were legal for assisted suicide you would be dead because they would make sure the job got done. I have nearly died from ODs but never succeeded does not mean I was playing when I attempted. Respiratory arrest was my closest but we do not have the proper tools and have the fear if survival goes wrong. There would be no outs if you sign up to legal assisted suicide. Where as now it does not make attempts any less real, just open to more variable outcomes. That's what I think anyway.

A sad question. I think everyone should be able to make that decision for themselves. Some people are more tolerant of pain than others and some find ways of healing themselves that are just short of miraculus. If one decides to end their suffering then I think a medically assisted procedure is the most humane and should be respected.

Sure. Variable outcomes. It is harder than it sounds to die successfully.

What I mean is that I think it sounds wrong to suggest to someone that they go ahead and do something I wouldn't do, myself. And how do they know I wouldn't do it? The fact that I am available to suggest it.

Whether a person has the right to commit suicide, with or without assistance, the important question is whether it will make things better. We can only guess.

I actually have to study this subject of Euthanasia in my English class. I do believe Euthanasia should be legalised. My mum is a Nurse at a retirement home and I have seen what some of these elderly people have been put through. I know that with elderly and younger people the situations are different but ultimately the same. Their diginity and whole quality of life has diminished and they cannot be cured. They do not deserve to suffer in this way! When a animal is in extreme pain and there is no help available for it, we put them down and put them out of their misery. And yet we let Human Beings suffer this way, you would think that humans are higher up on the evolutionary scale and that we would be treated in the same or better way then animals.

Recently a close friend of mine died due to taking too much of the medicine he was given for permanent pain. He knew what would happen if he took too much and exactly how much he needed. I learned that the medication he was on could mess with his mind even in prescribed use, which may have been the reason for taking the meds but it was too close to our conversation, in my mind, to be coincidence. Two days before he passed we were talking by phone about our views on suicide. His being that he was very against suicide and would never attempt to do this. My view was one (speaking for my own situation) I unknowingly might have encouraged him to do so. I have many regrets about our conversation that day. He was a very dear friend. Whatever my view on suicide is/was, I feel it is not a view to use in helping someone else set themself up. I realize that my friend is no longer suffering and am happy for him in that regard but it simply wasn't my place to say what I did. I never thought about it that way until I learned he was gone. I never thought he or anyone else for that matter might put that much weight on what I said. I will never discuss suicide with another vulnerable person in the way I did that day, that much I know for sure.

Suicide never makes things better for the people left behind. It’s hell. If people could understand the value of themselves.....abusers don't make that easy but it doesn't change a person's value - which is a great value.

At times I struggle with suicidal thoughts/ideation. When I get to the point where I think I could just do it, my children's faces and my grandkids faces come up to me - their smiles, their hugs and the good times we've had and then I don't think I could destroy their worlds like that. They don't know that I struggle with S. But I don't want them to ever have to deal with it on my account. Ever. So I hope my memories of them will always be there to remind me.

just because you are in favour of assisted suicide doesn't mean you have to carry it out straight away. you could be in favour of the idea of it being an option available if or whenever you may get to the point of no return. i have been in favour of it being an option for many years/decades, but only in the last few years would i say i would take it up tomorrow if it were available

I'm going to keep this short because it's late. I do believe we should have the right to commit suicide. I'm not saying someone shouldn't seek help, because every situation is different, but if a person is so miserable, it's not fair to tell them they have to suffer because I'll miss them if they're gone. That's about me, not them.

As for religion, I can't believe a merciful, loving God would send you to hell for ending your own misery. You can talk all you want to about putting it all in God's hands and you'll get through it, but that's just not true for some people. Sometimes they have religious thoughts that they can't get rid of, worry about failing God, and just give up. I can't understand a God who wouldn't want to accept you and comfort you after having suffered as you did.

i think assisted suicide is okay, as long as ther is really no other option, and no other treatment.

if a patient is really struggling, and fed up of what they are going through on a daily bases, then why shouldn't they be allowed to?

in the UK, i don't believe it's legal- but i did watch a documentry about a place in finland where you go, it's a special place for people that are being assisted to die

shocking fact for you: even though their were a lot of people who went their who chose to die because of physical reasons, pplenty went their because they were just tired of life itself, and they just couldn't see anyway forward.

it's narated by terry pratchett- well worth a watch.. even though their are plenty of triggery sceenes

My Nan had terminal cancer and very late stage dementia. She had virtually no awareness of her surroundings and therefore no power over the tough decisions we faced. I think she would have wanted us to let her go. My Mum had her power of attorney and said she couldnt give up on her, but in the end it was the doctors who said they were stopping her treatment. It took my Nan 16 hours for her to die. She lay there, barely conscious struggling for SIXTEEN HOURS until she eventually gave out and stopped breathing. I watched every painful rise and fall off her chest for sixteen long hours. I would have given anything to just end her suffering earlier. Does that make me wrong or a murderer? I dont think so. You wouldnt leave an animal to die that slowly.

I do however appreciate the complexity of this issue and every case should be treated individually as its no black and white. The difficulty with that is it often takes longer to reach a decision than the person lives. Its hard.

Your right its not legal in the UK and only recently been argued in the courts Sept last year.

The case was regarding the right to assisted suicide by men with locked in syndrome, they patitioned the courts for the right to choose death. It was very high profile unfortunately they did not win. I think it was close but fear for setting case law the judge was not prepared to set a precedence as that would bind all courts on same level and below to stand by their ruling. That is how it works in the UK. The Lord justice who ruled qualified his decision reported in the telegraph:

Lord Justice Toulson said that allowing the two men to be helped to end their lives would have implications far beyond their cases, and a ruling in Nicklinson's case in particular would have amounted to a major change in murder laws which exceeded the powers of the courts.

"It is not for the court to decide whether the law about assisted dying should be changed and, if so, what safeguards should be put in place," he said.

"Under our system of government these are matters for parliament to decide, representing society as a whole, after parliamentary scrutiny, and not for the court on the facts of an individual case or cases."

If you are interested in the topic of Euthanaisa this case is currently being appealed and still very much a hot topic for UK law.

I don't know if they should have the right to commit suicide, but I am sure that anyone who actually does commit suicide would have an impossible time being prosecuted for such an action.

I think people should have the right to do what they want with their own lives...suicide included.

But since we live in a completely ****ed society that likes to decide what every person should and should not do with every single decision of their own personal lives, it doesn't work that way.

Once a person makes up their mind, it really doesn't matter what you say, and as in this case, he didn't end his life after "calling you for help".... if that's what you think he did... he waited. He may have felt you gave him permission so to speak, but you are not at fault imo, in any way. A person doesn't usually reach out for help once they've fully decided imo.

For many people it isn't about those left behind... imo... the thinking is "if those people really cared they WOULD be in" my life.... so why care about them if I'm still suffering... why stick around in suffering when they can't care less about "me"... (this is common thinking which is why I'm posting it.) But yes, those who can keep some type of connection, even if only mental or spiritual, with someone they love... suicide is less likely.

I've always considered suicide an option, and while it's only purpose (the thought) is to help me realize that IF life ever really stayed unlivable, I wouldn't have to put up with it (the pain.) However, it really serves no purpose as an option, and may in fact prevent full acceptance that I'm worth more than that?

All those people who would regret it tend to feel like cold theory. Like, if I buy enough lottery tickets then some day I could win serious money.

QUOTE=(JD);2963050]Once a person makes up their mind, it really doesn't matter what you say, and as in this case, he didn't end his life after "calling you for help".... if that's what you think he did... he waited. He may have felt you gave him permission so to speak, but you are not at fault imo, in any way. A person doesn't usually reach out for help once they've fully decided imo.

For many people it isn't about those left behind... imo... the thinking is "if those people really cared they WOULD be in" my life.... so why care about them if I'm still suffering... why stick around in suffering when they can't care less about "me"... (this is common thinking which is why I'm posting it.) But yes, those who can keep some type of connection, even if only mental or spiritual, with someone they love... suicide is less likely.

I've always considered suicide an option, and while it's only purpose (the thought) is to help me realize that IF life ever really stayed unlivable, I wouldn't have to put up with it (the pain.) However, it really serves no purpose as an option, and may in fact prevent full acceptance that I'm worth more than that?[/QUOTE]

This is a loaded and complicated questing - like it or not esentally physician assisted where cronic pain is involved happens all the time - it's just not put that way.. Example, patent is sick with no chance of recovery and in constant pain enver though already on hihgh doses of Morphine, well more Morphine than they are already taking will kill them for sure, the doctor and patent both know this, patent begs for it anyway, doctor dose it claim the idea was pain relief even though he know full well what was likely to happen by giving them more..
As for personally - well my religion would say it's wrong period, fortunately, I don't use that alone as a moral compass. I really can not agree with laws (and they are actually on the books, even if not used by law enforcement) that actually make suicide illeagal, that is just ridiculous. As far as doctor assisted that I don't know about. But I would say if an attempt was made, but they were bought to the ER first, but it was clear that was there intent, and the doctor there agrees that there is really nothing anyone can do for them anyway, perhaps error on the side of caution and say, it had to have been know for some time to be sure it's not an impulsive act - if the ER is sure of that, I would say they should just leave the guy alone, and if the survive despite them doing nothing - no 72 hour hold or whatever, just walk right out to be free to try it again. HOWEVER that's only after being absolutely sure that was not impulsive, or due to a temporary situation.

I believe that there are as many answers to this question as there are people on the planet. Since I do not have the answer for everyone I believe that this decision should be made by the person with the illness, his/her doctor and family members. I believe that this is a conversation that you should have with you loved ones before it becomes an issue.

I have spoken to each of my family members because their wishes are important to me. I would definately want my family to pull the plug and I have made these wishes clear to everyone. I hope that they would honor these wishes. If, God forbid I was in the postion to make this choice for one of my children I do not know that I could, unless I knew it was their wish. A decision made with sound mind and body.

I was so mortified by my inlaws when my MIL passed away. My MIL was very clear about what she wanted if there was an illness and when she passed. My FIL and oldest SIL did not honor any of these final wishes. It was all I could do to make my husband attend her services because their choices drove a large wedge in the family. My FIL and SIL were well aware of my MIL's final wishes but said "she's gone now, this service is for us." How do you even respond to that? To me (her DIL for 25 years at that time), my husband, his two other sisters, and his brother and wife this was such a display of disrespect. There was a "compromise" of sorts, because the latter all refused to attend the service if they did not at least honor her wish to be cremated. She did so much for all of us, and yet her wishes were disregarded.