34 year old assisted euthanasia

I don’t feel able to judge this young woman.After seeing someone I know in dark places from being a young child and going into adult life with depression and always having this overwhelming sadness within them is hard. This person is well loved has received many years of mental health help but the darkness never leaves them. Watching the pain this person has suffered for years and the pain they go through daily makes me not want to judge anyone who feels this is their only way out.

When I said "her" in my post, I was referring to Jolanda, specifically. Anniebach I am terribly sorry for your loss.

I remember that time, Annie.
Just terrible, terrible times.

I am surprised that medical science could not treat her pain and suffering. Surely there are other options.

My darling daughter took her life 6 years ago, she went in the night alone to the river , jumped from the bridge

I saw a woman on youtube who had been battling an illness.
I got to follow her struggles, as she gave a "warts and all" rundown of the issues she faced.

Eventually, she was given some kind of deep sedation, meaning that she died in her sleep.

I think she may have been in Canada.

Would that be a similar thing?

Her partner would make short videos, and you could hear snoring in the background, which was the sedated woman.

I found it quite shocking, but certainly very humane.

She was in her own home, with her pets and her wife, and had called a halt to her suffering.

I recently lost a very close friend who opted for Medical Assistance In Dying (MAID) here in Canada where MAID is legal. I'll refer to her as "S".
S had had a serious, chronic physical condition since childhood which resulted in hospital admissions which became more frequent as she aged. However when at home "S", who lived alone, managed to live a very happy and independent life and managed all the usual daily living activities without help. She always said she would never go into residential care. Unfortunately in March her condition deteriorated further and she was admitted to a seniors unit in hospital where I visited her. One afternoon I visited "S" said, "CocoPops I can't look after myself any more". She knew she would not recover and regain her independence again. The options of residential care or 24hour care at home following hospital discharge were discussed at length with her medical team but my dear friend was not interested . She had all her marbles and some!
"S" applied for and was assessed and approved for MAID. She told me she had seriously been thinking about it since Christmas. The day before it was to be carried out she appeared firm in her decision. calm and happy. I left her at 3 pm before her son brought her grandchildren to say Goodbye. The following day MAID was carried out with her son present who said his Mom had died very peacefully. It was a very stressful time for all but I feel very grateful that MAID is available for those who want it.

Me too MissI. I'm glad you came back.

Kate1949

With apologies to those who have lost loved ones (I have lost many, young and old), no everyone likes being alive.

I think that is hard for many people to understand unless they've actually been there (and I have). Some of us are lucky enough to find a way back from that dark place - but many others don't.

With apologies to those who have lost loved ones (I have lost many, young and old), no everyone likes being alive.

So sorry you are suffering such mental health problems User138562 life must be very difficult for you. Your post resonated with me and I hope helped others to understand that mental health issues are just as traumatising as physical health problems.
I hope you find the strength to deal with it all.

MissAdventure- I think we seriously do need to talk about it.
More than that we need to provide proper help and services for those suffering.

Does it help you to talk openly about it?

Is this kind of discussion uncomfortable for you, if you don't mind me asking?

The fact is that depression can be "terminal". Treatments don't work for some people. If someone is suicidal and can't be helped with treatment, that's pretty terminal.

The reason why a clinic is preferable to "do it yourself" is that most of the time "diy" forces you to involve unwilling people and is often very messy. A friend committed suicide when I was in high school and was found by her sister. If they have no loved ones, a stranger will find them eventually. That person didn't ask for that trauma. If suicide is inevitable for a very sick person, bringing it to a professional is the responsible and kind thing to do.

Getting help is hard. Getting good help is almost impossible for some people. Sometimes the mental health conditions make it 100 times harder to seek that help.

I have suffered and still suffer from mental health conditions that can make life as unbearable as any terrible physical conditions. On top of that, people downplay, mock, and stigmatize invisible illnesses. Society as a whole looks down on people who can't keep up with healthy neurotypicals. The more we try to keep up, the more we neglect our mental health. And then we can't keep a job or pay bills.

Therapy is mocked openly, but is the only solution offered if medications don't work. People who need therapy are told they don't need it because of this internalized stigma surrounding mental health.

I'm safe and treatment helps me enough to get by, so despite my strong feelings I'm not in danger. But I understand the desire to do this, and I sincerely hope the world can develop more empathy for people who suffer from mental health conditions. The stigma makes it harder to recover and a little understanding and kindness to people goes a long way.

I must sound like a tv addict, but I watched a 999 episode of the ambulance people dealing with a man who was intent on jumping from somewhere.

They did coax him round, and he was interviewed later, and said that he his partner had ended things, he had a lot going wrong all at once; work, money, the break up, that he felt absolutely desperate at that time and could see no other way out.

It's a testament to the so caring ambulance heroes that he was persuaded to seek help.

The point being made was that really, they are out of their depth with this kind of call.

Depression comes in many forms from down times to the black hole which engulfs one. I was with a charity which manned phone lines, one could ring anytime , always someone there.I don’t know now if there are flying squads too, someone phoning about to jump under a train or off a building , phone
liner would phone squad and that person who go immediately
to try to help, often with success so it was a cry for help, but some jumped
We must never judge or compare these horrific happenings,
mental illness can strike anyone

Years ago I saw on "this morning" or some programme, the situation where two very young men had been paralysed in sporting activities.

One got straight on with his new life, finding different ways to do the things he always had, without the slightest, fleeting thought about ending things.

The other, within a few months, had gone to Switzerland and and taken the euthanasia option.

It's impossible to say what anyone of us would feel like, or do, I suppose, without being in the situation.

No wrong or right.

I find myself unable to judge this young woman’s decision to end her life. She’s had support for mh but remains desperate to end her life. Assisted suicide involves detailed discussion and ensures the individual dies in comfort.
I definitely agree assisted suicide should be available to people facing painful degrading death

A great deal, over the years, apparently.
None of which has helped her.

I think assisted suicide should be for terminally ill people, not a young woman with depression. It is desperately sad she feels so broken though, if you feel loneliness inside it doesn’t matter how busy your daily life is. I wonder if there has been any treatment for her depression.

Without detailed knowledge of the person involved and her state of mind as well as health I don’t think anybody should speculate as to whether this was/is right or not.

Thank you GSM, I have just found the link, sad case.

Yes, a lot.

Do we know she has ever received support from MH?

keepingquiet

This just expresses what a dire state our society is in that we allow people to kill those suffering from mental illness?

Where is the care this girl needs for pity's sake?

Every life has value and should be valued regardless of how ill or healthy they are.

I just feel such sorrow reading stuff like this.

Although she wasn't from the UK, I share your sorrow. MH has always been the poor relation. The stigma and taboo and shame continue to this day.
Apart from the cruelty of not helping people, if they were given the righht support at the right time, they could be productive members of society.