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Why is assisted suicide only for the terminally ill?

Why is assisted suicide only for the terminally ill? I live In Oregon were they have the dying with dignity law, basically doctor assisted suicide. But why isn't it available to all? We should be able to chose our own demise,. ill or not. What are your thoughts?

ldfoot1966 3 Dec 20
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The World Health Organization calls suicide a "worldwide epidemic" there are also "deaths of despair", people who just don't go to the doc or take care of whatever their health problem is.

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I support assisted suicide.

If I really wanted to off myself I wouldn't be bringing a doctor into it. I've been depressed and that just doesn't seem right. I know these feelings pass.

If you're really so clear-headed and logical, handle it on your own. You can certainly choose your own demise, but it's a very personal matter you can't just expect others to be at your disposal for.

Cwen Level 4 Dec 29, 2017
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We each are born with a self preservation instinct. This is what makes suicide so hard to do. This also makes suicide an unpleasant topic. Everyone has this. Everyone finding anything unpleasant means society finds it abhorrent.

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Dark question. I have attempted suicide twice due to depression. I wish I could take those attempts back. I'm glad it didn't work. I still struggle with depression today and have thoughts of suicide. I hope my depression never gets that bad again. But guns are so easy to buy in this country that it doesn't really make much of a difference, which is sad. I say no, assisted suicide should not be available for everyone. My biggest fear is that a day may come when my depression is at its peak again, and I really really hope assisted suicide it's not an option on that day.

I hear you Lucas, but you know from your past attempts that you really don't want to be successful so when your feeling like that may be some thing that is on your mind , have a friends number or family member to reach out to and help you get past that difficult time. I am in no way saying anyone should hurt themselves, I am stating that is should be a personal choice of the individual to decide what they do or don't do with their life and body and to do so with no interference or judgement from others. As long as it doesn't risk others and can be done in a professional manner.

I agree that people should have the freedom to choose what they do with their lives and their bodies. I'm looking at it this way. On average there are 3 million cases of clinical depression reported each year. Imagine how many are not reported because people can't afford to see a professional. As someone who's struggled with depression for most of my life I look at the numbers and think, what if 10% of that is people who felt as bad as I did when I attempted. That would be 300'000 people possibly attempting suicide. I say let's make more advances in treatments and coping mechanisms. Neuroscientists have made so many discoveries in the 21st century to understand more about what's happening in the brain of a depression sufferer. Making suicide completely legal is just encouraging the depression sufferer to give up when they're may be a solution they just haven't tried yet. There is no coming back from it... People are going to commit suicide that's just how it is, but legalizing it would increase the number of suicide deaths by alot. I don't agree with that. It should only be legal for people who have excruciating bodily pain, not mental pain - and it's hard for me to say that because depression is real pain - in my opinion.

And BTW, I also do not agree with locking people in a hospital and drugging them up to deal with their problems. I don't know what the right solution is for everyone. I'm just saying doing something that would ultimately increase the number of unnecessary deaths is the wrong way to go.

I feel you.

@Lucas20520 depression is a killer thing to have. Make sure you never have guns in your home. My son feels he'd be dead if he had easy access to guns. He is suffering from depression. And I do agree, assisted suicide would not be a cool idea for people like you.

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Geeze, I've met some guys that would love a quick and painless way out. It's sad. I figure its their choice. Living from day to day eating at the free meal place ( not naming it ) and looking for a place to stay. Ild love it if they would come up with the free and easy. Why not... ? Government thinks people are crazy for wanting it. I say give them a choice.

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In the case of the terminally ill, they are already going to be dead soon. There's nlonger anything to be done. Allowing them to finish themselves off on their own terms, possibly avoiding excruciating amounts of pain and suffering, is just being empathetic.

For those who are not terminally ill however, death is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Those who would commit suicide in those cases do need help, just not with killing themselves.

I agree.... BTW, you have a creepy profile picture, lol.

@MsOliver I've never heard of a single recorded case of anyone who would want to end their lives to save the "limited resources" of this world for the next generation except in extream cases where not doing so could leave their child to starve and so forth.

Even if there is an example I doubt a full psycological evaluation would find them sane enough to make that decision. At least not in any person who isn't facing a life threatening illness of some sort.

Maybe there is someone who is fully sane who wishes to end their life for that reason. I don't know. I do know it would run contrary to every survival instict we have as humans.

@Reydereyes227 Umm, with us baby boomers getting older and increasing the ageing population tremendously, I think there will be greater numbers of people who will just think: I'm done. Much like ms Oliver suggests, too. I knew one old lady who took her life, more or less because she didn't care to become any older still. She had organized this chemical stuff, not legal in New Zealand, and she was an activist for "Exit". ( the fight for the right to choose) But It would be asking a bit much of doctors to help perfectly well people go into the nether nether.

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I agree but you have to draw the line somewhere. everyone is going to die it's just a matter of how.

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I think it is one of the gray areas of morality. Assisted suicide of the terminally ill is an easy argument to make but it gets muddier if talking about a healthy person. I don't think America is ready to have a clear moral discussion of that morality. Remember slavery was only a couple centuries ago and women's rights started around 50 years ago and evolution is still "controversial". Baby steps would be my take.

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I guess they figure if you're not terminally ill - you can handle the details yourself !

that is very true, step in front of a fast train or point a large calibre pistol with hollow points towards the back of your throat in your mouth.

Not if your body is totally non functioning. I actually knew this man who had lost his eyesight, and his hearing was getting real bed, too. And he talked about suicide to me, suggesting that knowing his luck, if he tried to do it, as in walk out into an oncoming truck, he may well be crippled as well as blind and half deaf, but still alive. In his case, I reckon, if you as a friend or spouse helped in the suicide, maybe it should not be counted as murder.

@ZebZaman correction: bad not bed. Can't edit up there, don't want to re-write it all.

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It depends,if you have a bad physical disability’s such as being paralyzed ,Yes, But what about a person that has clinicical depression and wants to die .Depression may be treated with medication

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I don't think doctors should assist healthy people with suicide. If they want to commit suicide they will the same way others do (take pills, jump in traffic, whatever).

Terminally ill people are going to die regardless.

Both pills and traffic can backfire real badly. You live, but with added disabilities. And with traffic, you cause someone else trauma or even criminal conviction as well. No easy answers here, just saying. But I agree, that it is asking too much of a doctor to assist others than the terminally ill.

@ZebZaman you're right about traffic. Just meant to find a way to do it yourself.

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I would love to have an exit strategy. I can't imagine a good scenario under the current circumstances. Is there a good way to die, without assisted suicide? I don't think so.
I love the tidiness of assisted suicide. New homes for my dogs, cash on hand distributed to avoid probate, notification and goodbye to friends and family. It sounds wonderful
The only down side that I can see is choosing death when there is still some joy left.

Yes - I thought of a good way years ago.

But first you need a generator with a push button start, and a full tank.

Bring it into a room, and close all doors and windows. Turn it on. Ya got 20min of consciousness, then another 30 or so of being alive. No fuss, no major mess, no loss of dignity. And you can have pets with you, play music, be eating your favorite exit foods, even invite those that may wish to go also ! AND if you take aspirin beforehand, you'll avoid the headaches that may come with Co2 inhalation. Bye-bye !

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