Archived Should a depressed person be allowed to End their life? (AskVoat)
submitted ago by PM_ME_YOUR_BOOBS2
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Archived on: 2/12/2017 1:51:00 AM
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Archived Should a depressed person be allowed to End their life? (AskVoat)
submitted ago by PM_ME_YOUR_BOOBS2
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[–] Stavon 0 points 23 points 23 points (+23|-0) ago
Every person should be in control of their own life.
[–] Scruffy_Nerfherder 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
It shouldn't be easy, but yes. I've battled depression my whole life and it sucks. Things are good now and I wouldn't do it but I would have.
[–] brian9577 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
so as someone who would have take the option but then changed your mind, do you think we should allow people to give in and end their life if they have the potential to make a recovery and live a happier life? I think before we allow people to make the decision to end their life we should increase support so hopefully they can make recoveries rather than giving in.
[–] Scruffy_Nerfherder 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
Not wanting to kill yourself and wanting to live are two separate things. Right now I don't want to kill myself, but I don't really want anything this world has to offer. I am trying to recover but it has been years - this is probably the best I'm going to get.
It shouldn't be easy, but it should be possible.
Edit: my situation is hardly unique. This is why people drink themselves to death. They don't want to live - but don't want to kill themselves. Drinking is how they manage the pain of living.
[–] [deleted] 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
[–] TelescopiumHerscheli ago
Of course it's their life. The problem is there are vast numbers of religious people who think they and/or their god know better, and think they should be in control of your body. (This, of course, is just the same reasoning as all those appalling people who say that a woman should not be allowed to abort a non-viable fetus.)
[–] Thememeking 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
While I think they shouldn't, I also think they should be allowed to under certain circumstances. Being depressed should not be a reason for suicide, you can treat depression. Although if you have Alzheimer's, a terminal illness, or are tired of being old, sure.
[–] Jasoman 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago (edited ago)
has other treatment options been used. What is causing this depression. The idea of erasing unwanted memories would be a better option than ending it all.
Edit: Than
[–] PM_ME_YOUR_BOOBS2 [S] 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
Lets say all other options have been explored and there is no end to this persons pain. Should they be allowed to end it all?
[–] DigitalRefugee 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
*all other options.
Not possible. Did you dive into spirituality? Travel to see what life is like elsewhere?
There's no possible way you could exhaust every option.
Likewise you should ask yourself if what you feel is not deep down, cognitive dissonance between reality and what you wished it could be. What you and your life could be.
Let go of those illusions and you'll find you shed a lot of suffering.
[–] Jasoman 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
Complete brain wipe I mean they would technically die but still could be a function person in society.
[–] [deleted] 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
[–] Jasoman 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
thanks fixed
[–] Antima 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago (edited ago)
You're asking the wrong question. The real thing we have to ask ourselves is when are we ok with a depressed person wanting to kill themselves? People have been killing themselves since humans have been around. It is going to happen. Depression itself is a harder topic. We have treatment for depression and there are things we can actively do to improve depression. Most rational people would see the value in trying treatment before trying suicide. The problem is depression makes a person irrational. A depressed person no longer thinks with reason and critical thought. So we as a people decide we should treat them against their will because we could possibly ease their condition. So now what if this doesn't work? Do we allow someone to kill themselves after we have tried all possible drugs and therapies?
My answer is it doesn't matter. Whatever we think about suicide we only have two options. Leave them to their will or continue treatment which may never work. My personal philosophy is to treat that depression as hard as I can but understand it could be fatal just like other disease.
[–] TelescopiumHerscheli 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
I'm OK with a depressed person wanting to kill himself. And if they want to, we should make it possible for them to do so easily and painlessly. I'm envisaging a shop where you can walk in, buy a pill - no questions asked - and leave with a little notebook of instructions and a list things you should do before you take the pill (send a note to your next of kin and your bank, turn off all appliances, make sure to leave the door unlocked, etc.).
I expect that this would prove a remarkably cost-effective approach. First, there would no longer be the cost of handling botched "real" suicides: people who were truly determined to kill themselves would be able to do so effectively at the first attempt. Second, I would expect the incidence of parasuicides to decline sharply: people who "attempt" suicide so as to draw attention to themselves and their unhappiness would be forced to consider alternative behaviour, as anyone who picked a non-effective alternative to the pill would clearly not really intend to die. I would not expect the effect to be so strongly marked in males, but the availability of a suicide pill would force the many females who "attempt" suicide to seriously consider the consequences of their "cries for help". (Substantially more women "attempt" suicide than actually accomplish it.)
[–] Antima ago
I think a lot of people who would attempt suicide as a cry for help will likely continue doing so. It would still attract they attention they are looking for. I think as long as we are really careful about how we decide who is allowed to get the pill it would work. I don't believe anyone should be able to get it as a walk in. I believe in treatment first but using the suicide pill as a last treatment option of sorts.
[–] G4 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
Yes. I think that help options for people who need it should be easily available, but I also think that it's your life, nobody else can stop you from ending it.