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Load grenade and run!

(53 Posts)
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Artdecogran Fri 29-Nov-19 14:07:38

Does anyone else think that we should have the right to do away with ourselves when we wish without someone facing prosecution for aiding a suicide. I know that I could go to Switzerland but I don’t have a passport and I can’t afford it. I don’t know any drug dealers to get drugs and overdose. Paracetamol overdoses are apparently horrible. My husband died a year ago and his end was drawn out and cruel with no chance of recovery, how kind it would have been to give him something so he could have slipped off quietly. My mother in law had dementia and kept asking to die, but of course she had to be kept alive for years. Every time she got an infection that could have ended her life they took her into hospital and pumped her full of drugs and she would recover until the next time. My health isn’t great and I would so like to be able to have something to take when I wanted to. I dread being a burden on my sons. They have their own families to care for and I want them to take care of them, not me. I absolutely dread having to go into a care home, financially and emotionally frightening.
I realise that there are problems with both practicality of suicide pills flying around and families wanting to ‘off’ an elderly relative. But how many people, young as well as old, in either terminal condition or continuous pain would like to end it all.

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Hetty58 Sat 30-Nov-19 09:24:51

It's just terribly sad that people have to take these drastic measures to avoid a lingering death. We should have a system.

When I was young, the very old and very ill patients were 'drugged up', tucked up in bed and kept clean. They looked just like a row of skeleton statues to me.

On a recent visit to a relative, there were restless, screaming, shouting, distressed people with dementia instead. A nurse said that they should be allowed to express themselves and drugging them was no longer good practice.

I know which I'd prefer - just give me the drugs!

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sodapop Sat 30-Nov-19 12:14:13

I'm not sure about that Hetty58 have you never heard the expression "chemical cosh"
It depends a great deal on why medication is being given to people whose behaviour is challenging. Sometimes it's for the convenience of the staff so they don't have to address the needs of the person concerned. Often other avenues are not explored, is the person shouting because they are in pain etc. There are ways of dealing with distress other than reaching for medication. That is not to say there is not a place for medication but its not the only thing which will help.

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