Should We Have The Basic Right To End Our Lives?
Should We Have The Basic Right To End Our Lives?
This weekend I watched a quick documentary by The Economist called 24& Ready to die (linked on youtube below), which asks the question whether or not suicide should be a fundamental human right. The documentary featured a 24 year old girl in Belgium who had a lifelong history of mental disorders, self harm and simply no longer wanted to live in the world anymore. Belgium is one of only a few countries in the world that allows selective euthanasia based on many different categories including mental illness or terminal illness. For mental illness, the process takes around two years so most people applying for it aren’t experiencing run of the mill depression and the very few who are actually accepted , have tried almost everything possible. Watch the documentary yourself if it sounds interesting, especially because it isn’t very long. What I really want to ask is whether or not the choice to end our own lives should be a fundamental right for human beings.
Before I start Ill hit you with the conclusion which is that there really is no right answer here, it will mostly depend on your morals and your opinion of what is right and what is wrong. That being said ill continue with saying that I personally think that if someone no longer wants to be part of this world and goes through proper channels and is okayed by doctors to end their life, then is should be allowed. We don’t get the choice to be brought into this world, and many of us do not enjoy being here, whether it is because of mental illness, or physical illness. These people want a way out, but at the same time they don’t want to hurt the friends and family they love by committing suicide in a gruesome way and leave someone else to pick up the pieces. Euthanasia gives an opportunity for families and the unhappy person time to come to terms with the decision they are going to make and have everything put in order before it is done. To some people this could mean the world.
Of course no one wants someone they love to choose to end their lives, but ultimately their live is their own and they can do with it what they want. In fact many of the cases that are approved, end up backing out right before the procedure is going to take place because people realize they don’t want to end their life. Due to the lengthy process of doctor evaluation and the slow bureaucratic system, momentary suicidal people never end up getting to the end. Only the really dedicated and ill end up getting to the end of the waiting period and when some decide to back out, it gives them a new lease on life. Just having the option in many cases lets people try and hope that things will be better and if not they can always use the resources provided to them.
For many people, over time things do get better , but for just as many people they don’t. People with severe mental illness can learn to cope with the illness, but day to day battles are still unavoidable. If someone has to battle the thought of killing themselves and harming themselves everyday, no existence might be better than a painful one. We put injured animals out of their misery all the time, yet when it comes to human beings, completely different rules apply. In some cases, someone who is in so much pain that they would rather be dead, being alive is less humane than letting them have a peaceful death.
Like I stated in the beginning , opinions here are mostly going to be based on your experiences in life and the morals you have. However try to see both sides of the argument and understand that if you believe in basic human freedoms, having control over your life is one of them, even if it means you want to end it. I really recommend watching the documentary and responding on your opinion of what can be done in these situations. I think as time goes by, we will see more countries open up to the idea of doctor assisted euthanasia like Belgium has. Maybe not to the level of allowing those with mental disorders, end their lives, but definitely those with terminal illnesses.
-Calaber24p
Failed attempts to commit suicide, which involved a near death experience (NDE), almost always resulted into a radical change of attitude. There are some sources on this, I would have to google.
I was amazed to hear about this from a relative, who tried to kill himself and experienced the full out-of-body-tunnel-and-light thing. He had the feeling that trying to kill himself was the worst mistake ever and he really changed after surviving it.
But let us not be romantic about the NDEs. Many survivors do NOT experience it as joyful. There are also reports of horror trip- like experiences.
If one could induce these states, it would perhaps be a good idea to send a determined candidate out to that brink - only to decide lateron, whether they would really like to do it.
One of the biggest problems in "assisted dying" is that it attracts very strange people. Journalist friends of mine researched a bit on an organisation, which helped candidates on their last steps.
The findings were ...creepy, to say the least.
They sent out undercover candidates to get footage of the way, one particular "death consultant" did his interviews.
It was exactly the kind of person that should be kept (if not locked) away from anyone with the slightest idea of going suicidal.
I think this is the same state of mind change that people go through, like the woman did in the documentary, where when you finally get to the moment, everything feels fixable. Having the choice might change many peoples lives, just by opening up their eyes to the idea that there might be other options they havent exhausted yet for happiness.
What an interesting topic and blog. I believe the right to die is part of the right to control our own bodies, and of course we constantly have to fight to keep that right. I and other Oregonians voted to allow terminally ill patients to die, and the law has worked well.
I feel more troubled over the issue of allowing euthanasia for depression that is not responding to treatment, because so many people do get better, even after years and years of struggle. I'm one of them. How do you judge when it's at the intractable point? I'm glad the Belgian system requires jumping through a lot of hoops. I wondered whether the young woman who was featured had tried alternative therapies such as hallucinogenics. I also wondered if she had suffered trauma around age 2 that she had suppressed, but hopefully treatment would have sought out any hidden traumas.
I think it would be hard to be those doctors, to get to know a person that you then must usher into death, and never knowing whether they will change their mind at the last minute.
On the other hand, what came through clearly in the video is that legal assisted suicide allows a much different, better kind of death and preparation for death than unassisted suicide, and you also don't leave it to fate as to whether you'll end up brain-damaged instead of dead. In addition, no one has to find your body. My husband and a friend found our neighbor's body after he hung himself.
I think there is a lot of validity to the idea that knowing you can die--that you have the RIGHT to die--would give respite from the burden of living. My husband and I have both done crisis counseling, and you don't talk someone out of suicide. You instead team up with the part that wants to live while clearly hearing the part that wants to die and allowing that pain to be expressed. I think having other people validate that her suffering was really that bad may have changed things for the young woman in the film.
I completely agree, I think the hoops are necessary because it gives time to think about the choice and makes sure that it isnt a fly by night idea. Knowing you have the ability to end it whenever you want imo also lets people want to fully explore other options before they choose death.
I strongly agree with you and have spent a lot of time thinking about this specific issue. And I'll tell you (TMI you, really) why.
I was very suicidal about a year and a half ago. Between my chronic pain (fibromyalgia), a rough breakup and family issues - I was just about ready to call it quits. I still have this running joke with my therapist: "Fuck this, book me a one way ticket to Belgium". I don't really want to die anymore, but I still want to visit there. I hear the chocolate is great. :)
Having tried suicide and failed, I can say with certainty that IMHO - yes, euthanasia should be an option for people whose suffering cannot be eased and/or is worse over time. After all other options have been explored, I think it's just humaine.
Some physical and mental illnesses can be worse than death. You can get over it if it it's a temporary or treatable condition, but if it only gets worse over time and there's no remedy? I think people should be able to make an informed and sane decision to end their lives before said illness takes this ability from them. Because it can.
Thank you for sharing your person story with us, im glad you're still here :) . I think the waiting period is necessary as well because given time many people will choose life over death which is the important part, but if someone is chronically unhappy even after that time then it should be their own choice.
I agree. I think one of the hardest things is telling people around you that you want to die and them just... not accepting it. Robbing you of your right to end your suffering. And that's just wrong, I think. The recognition and acceptance of the environment can go a long way.
Funny!
I too have fibromyalgia too. The rough breakup and family issues probably sent your fibro issues through the roof. I'm glad you survived that dark period.
I am too. At the time I didn't think I would.
hello @calaber24p, I stopped back to let you know that your post was one of my favourite reads and is included in today's Steemit Ramble. You can read what I said about it here.
thank you I appreciate it !
While trying not to be disrespectful, I must say that I do not understand the question as posed "Should We Have The Basic Right To End Our Lives?"
You either have the right or you do not. Self ownership would imply that the right in question is preexisting.
"Going through proper channels" need not apply, if it is a right.
However, if you are merely suffering from depression, or change in life situation, and others depend upon you, then it might be selfish or even negligent. But you still have the right.
Every situation is different, but to ask permission from any authority is very dangerous. They may use the pretense for more nefarious reasons.
You have rights because you are alive. That is a gift which should not be wasted.
Just my opinion.
I agree that if it is a right you shouldnt need to go through proper channels, however in this one case I think that doing so and dealing with the time delay of bureaucracy is a good idea because it dissuades people who are momentarily suicidal. Like you said that might not be defined as a right though.
I don't need any so called "authority" to define my rights. I know what they are, and I can not see how some bureaucracy is going to dissuade someone who is momentarily suicidal, but intent on doing so.
If I want to kill myself, I will do it. I need not ask for permission. How many ways can you think that could be accomplished, without someone else's permission? I could easily put a bullet in my head, but that would be selfish, because someone is going to have to clean up the mess.
I understand that there are cases of imminent and painful death that some may wish to avoid. But that is a personal choice.
My point is; Government should have no say in these personal matters.
If you're someone who's important to me and in good health, I would like to have the option to help you through whatever struggle you face that would make you even consider suicide. I guess that's a selfish response on my part.
But when it comes to failing health, I think people should have the option of having a dignified death.
Either way, it's a tough call. Especially if you have a special place in my heart.
I would recommend this podcast on suicide from the guys at Freakonomics. They did a great job covering the topic. Worth a listen.
http://freakonomics.com/podcast/new-freakonomics-radio-podcast-the-suicide-paradox/
Thanks for the link ill definitely give it a listen, I love freakonomics.
The decision to end your life is one that can only be made once. I don't know how I feel about it.
This is the tough part of the decision, you cant go back once it is made. There are no redos.
It is a great topic for discussion as there is no single correct answer. Personal beliefs, morals, and perspectives play such an important part in this topic.
If we do not have control over the most basic aspect of our lives, or own death, can we ever truly be free? For some people life itself is a prison unlike any other, something the only escape from is death.
Not only do I support a person's right to their own body and life, I believe that trying to keep a person who is truly suffering from ending their suffering is simple greed.
If your dog had cancer and was dying a slow and painful, and possibly a quite humiliating death as well, would keeping them around be considered "saving" them, or would it be cruel? Respect for life has to respect all aspects of life.
This is really interesting. Thankyou for sharing @calaber24p.
I think people should have the right to end their lives. We as the human species are figuring out how to live longer as time goes by and as health/medical/food research improves. Hypothetically, what happens when we can live forever? Do people really want to live forever, is the question?
If that time is to come, why shouldn't we be setting up the foundations now for the ability to end it? Living forever can mean so many things to a lot of people I guess. I think of the christians and their desire to go to heaven for example - you can't go to 'heaven' if you don't die.
The world's a hectic ride, chaotic... One man's trash is another's treasure they say, much like this world.