[Discussion] Should assisted suicide be legal (for depression)?

[SirCaedus]

I recently came across an article about a 24 year old Belgian woman who was granted the legal right to kill herself (assisted suicide) because she was suffering severe depression since she was small (was convinced that life wasn't for her.

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Do you think with the help of doctors that people who are so very depressed can get the states approval and help to commit suicide?

I personally think that it shouldn't be legal, it's a step too far in my personally opinion among other reasons.

Note:I am not talking about people in physical pain or who are terminal ill, but people who are all around healthy, except they are very depressed like the woman in the article.

 

[Bimbonium]

It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, other than that living is a choice.

 

[Punk Hazard]

If you really want to kill yourself, you'll find a way to do it. A law making it legal or making it legal for doctors to help or whatever is pretty irrelevant.

 

[Αizen]

If it's legal and that person genuinely doesn't want to live anymore, then I don't see why? Although for the people who are the person that helps with the assisted suicide I think it might cause them some discomfort.

 

[SirCaedus]

If you really want to kill yourself, you'll find a way to do it. A law making it legal or making it legal for doctors to help or whatever is pretty irrelevant.

I disagree and agree at the same time. While true that people who really have truly made up their mind (almost no chance of turning back)will probably find a way, they are not the only type of people who comprises this group. There is also a group who don't have the will to take their own life directly, but will do so under the care of a doctor legally. Now the moral issue becomes, would they have had found something that keeps them alive and happy in the time they decided to take comfort in the doctor?

I also don't think depression is fully understood.

If it's legal and that person genuinely doesn't want to live anymore, then I don't see why? Although for the people who are the person that helps with the assisted suicide I think it might cause them some discomfort.

This is true, but they choice it.

 

[SSU]

Assisted suicide should be legal for specific reasons. If someone is paralyzed for the rest of their life they should have the right to do what they want. But if someone is severely depressed, then I'm not so sure.

 

[SirCaedus]

Assisted suicide should be legal for specific reasons. If someone is paralyzed for the rest of their life they should have the right to do what they want. But if someone is severely depressed, then I'm not so sure.

What justification do you have for one, but not the other? One is physically crippled (emotionally too), while the other is mentally crippled. It becomes a moral question.

 

[SSU]

What justification do you have for one, but not the other? One is physically crippled (emotionally too), while the other is mentally crippled. It becomes a moral question.

I simply said that I'm not sure on depression. Depression comes in many forms and stages, some are easy to overcome and others are not. If someone is paralyzed for the rest of their life well then it's pretty obvious that there is no recovery from that.

 

[Jazzy Stardust]

A law isn't needed. She just wasn't brave enough to do it herself and needed someone else to. I mean you really need someone to hold your hand with killing yourself? Come on now.

 

[SirCaedus]

I simply said that I'm not sure on depression. Depression comes in many forms and stages, some are easy to overcome and others are not. If someone is paralyzed for the rest of their life well then it's pretty obvious that there is no recovery from that.

I suppose it's my fault for not stating it in my reply to you, i was mainly talking about a sever case, like the woman in the article. And true there isn't a recovery for that by our human means, but the severely depressed individual can find happiness once again, so to can the paralyzed individual and the inverse is true as well. So I guess what I am getting at is, do you think it's morally logical to accept one form of assisted suicide, while refusing the other when both feel just as strongly to their right? (Ik you said you weren't sure on depression).

 

[SSU]

I suppose it's my fault for not stating it in my reply to you, i was mainly talking about a sever case, like the woman in the article. And true there isn't a recovery for that by our human means, but the severely depressed individual can find happiness once again, so to can the paralyzed individual and the inverse is true as well. So I guess what I am getting at is, do you think it's morally logical to accept one form of assisted suicide, while refusing the other when both feel just as strongly to their right? (Ik you said you weren't sure on depression).

All I'm saying is that in the absolute worst case scenario, assisted suicide should be allowed, regardless of if it being physical or mental. The problem with depression is that people genuinely feel like they have hit rock bottom and they can't get back up. But after a while with treatment and therapy they realize that it wasn't the end and that they were completely wrong about the way that they were thinking. Obviously not everyone is the same so it gets complicated when talking about depression. Maybe after a few years they realize how great life is, or maybe how bad it is.

 

[SirCaedus]

All I'm saying is that in the absolute worst case scenario, assisted suicide should be allowed, regardless of if it being physical or mental. The problem with depression is that people genuinely feel like they have hit rock bottom and they can't get back up. But after a while with treatment and therapy they realize that it wasn't the end and that they were completely wrong about the way that they were thinking. Obviously not everyone is the same so it gets complicated when talking about depression. Maybe after a few years they realize how great life is, or maybe how bad it is.

Agreed with the bold, I don't think science understands depression as much as people like to think.

 

[SSU]

Agreed with the bold, I don't think science understands depression as much as people like to think.

Our minds are really complicated, I would be amazed if science could accurately understand it lol.

 

[Defence]

Absolutely not. It would be difficult to regulate and monitor and abuser in family / care providers will take advantage of the vulnerable. How difficult would it be to prove competency of someone with severe depression compunded by long term illness?

 

[MangaArtist007]

Religiously the answer is no whatever the case. Morally it us also wrong to throw your life away and to allow someone to throw their life away when you can stop them and make things better for them.

 

[LustyLover]

Yeah, I think it should be legal. Just my opinion.

 

[Luther]

No. The only time i agree with this is in terminally ill patients.

 

[LogicnoJutsu]

if you wanna kill yourself just jump off a building, or in the ocean and wait, or just shoot yourself, or anything really... no need to get the law involved. Then they're gonna start taxing suicides. DO we really need that?

 

[LustyLover]

if you wanna kill yourself just jump off a building, or in the ocean and wait, or just shoot yourself, or anything really... no need to get the law involved. Then they're gonna start taxing suicides. DO we really need that?

Um...really?

 

[SIR HERDERP PRESIDERP SDO]

I dunno, the Assisted Suicide Group Dignitas doesn't accept depression as a qualification for their assistance.