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Maybe the euthanasia is better left un-codified. It's not difficult to obtain the means for relatively comfortable suicide -- and people do it left and right, m

Maybe the euthanasia is better left un-codified. It's not difficult to obtain the means for relatively comfortable suicide -- and people do it left and right, mostly for reasons of mental illness -- so it's not like people are being oppressed by not having such a "right".

DoreenMichele 7y ago
I occasionally wonder how many people with something terribly wrong sort of secretly commit suicide by "accidentally" screwing up their meds or something.
- yencabulator 7y ago
  I hear there's a semi-established tradition where a medical practitioner explains to you how much a lethal dose is for a self-administered or a caretaker-administered pain medication (typically with old people, a bottle of morphine), and repeats this explanation a couple of times, and well...
pmoriarty 7y ago
"It's not difficult to obtain the means for relatively comfortable suicide" Except that so many people botch their suicides, and then have to live a life that's really worse than death. Or they try again, some fail again. And again. And again. Each time with agonizing, terrifying, miserable results. They usually have to hide their attempts, too, so they can't be surrounded by loved ones, can't talk about their plans or feelings with loved ones, and can't be in a familiar place for fear of being stopped. Sometimes other people are unintentionally harmed as others risk their own lives to stop them, or the chosen method (such as running out in to traffic) inherently endangers the lives of others. All this misery and terror could be avoided if there was a legal way to end one's own life safely, reliably, comfortably, without stigma, and with dignity.
downerending 7y ago
It's not so much that it's difficult as that it requires a certain amount of sustained, intelligent thought, and some people probably can't really reason it out. Methods that absolutely cannot fail and that aren't too awful for the subject and survivors aren't initially obvious. Thus the large number of failed and awful suicides. (Source: Have been suicidal in the past and cracked this nut.)
- DoreenMichele 7y ago
  It's also hard to get good info precisely because helping someone or encouraging someone to kill themselves can get you charged with something -- or make you feel at fault, even if you don't get charged with something. So most people don't want to provide that info by any means whatsoever. See, for example, the Michelle Carter case.
  - downerending 7y ago
    I generally agree that random individuals shouldn't be providing this sort of information. Rather, I think there should be a considered, bureaucratic process, perhaps with a waiting period, and with that, most people should be allowed to peacefully self-euthanize.

DoreenMichele 7y ago

I occasionally wonder how many people with something terribly wrong sort of secretly commit suicide by "accidentally" screwing up their meds or something.

yencabulator 7y ago
I hear there's a semi-established tradition where a medical practitioner explains to you how much a lethal dose is for a self-administered or a caretaker-administered pain medication (typically with old people, a bottle of morphine), and repeats this explanation a couple of times, and well...

pmoriarty 7y ago

"It's not difficult to obtain the means for relatively comfortable suicide" Except that so many people botch their suicides, and then have to live a life that's really worse than death. Or they try again, some fail again. And again. And again. Each time with agonizing, terrifying, miserable results. They usually have to hide their attempts, too, so they can't be surrounded by loved ones, can't talk about their plans or feelings with loved ones, and can't be in a familiar place for fear of being stopped. Sometimes other people are unintentionally harmed as others risk their own lives to stop them, or the chosen method (such as running out in to traffic) inherently endangers the lives of others. All this misery and terror could be avoided if there was a legal way to end one's own life safely, reliably, comfortably, without stigma, and with dignity.

downerending 7y ago

It's not so much that it's difficult as that it requires a certain amount of sustained, intelligent thought, and some people probably can't really reason it out. Methods that absolutely cannot fail and that aren't too awful for the subject and survivors aren't initially obvious. Thus the large number of failed and awful suicides. (Source: Have been suicidal in the past and cracked this nut.)

DoreenMichele 7y ago
It's also hard to get good info precisely because helping someone or encouraging someone to kill themselves can get you charged with something -- or make you feel at fault, even if you don't get charged with something. So most people don't want to provide that info by any means whatsoever. See, for example, the Michelle Carter case.
- downerending 7y ago
  I generally agree that random individuals shouldn't be providing this sort of information. Rather, I think there should be a considered, bureaucratic process, perhaps with a waiting period, and with that, most people should be allowed to peacefully self-euthanize.