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'I'm 28. And I'm Scheduled to Die in May.'

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Re: 'I'm 28. And I'm Scheduled to Die in May.'

#3
post #2

As hard as this story is to read, I remain convinced that we must be sovereign over our own lives, and should be legally entitled to end it if we so choose.

I agree, I just don't want this right to be tied to any perverse financial motivations: e.g. a nurse walking around an overwhelmed and understaffed hospital, calmly asking anyone if they want to an injection.

Re: 'I'm 28. And I'm Scheduled to Die in May.'

#4
Yup. Totally agree to the right to your own body.

On a personal note: I know some of the protagonist's sentiments from myself. If anyone is interested, the following things have helped me monumentally during very hard times:

- Device-free time outside, in nature, with your phone at home

- Self-cooked meals from basic ingredients

- Drinking around 1 liter of water for each 30kg of body weight per day

- Follow a daily wind-up and wind-down routine

Just the physical act of going through these motions can already help. You can trick your brain to respond positively even if you don't feel like it (e.g., http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000194).

Re: 'I'm 28. And I'm Scheduled to Die in May.'

#6
This is incredibly sad to read. I will never stand in the way of someone's absolute right to decide their exit.

I watched my father suffer in pain and misery up until his last breath, and I just don't want that for myself. It was hell on my family, and I don't want to put everyone or myself through that.

I never understood why we force humans to suffer so much.

Re: 'I'm 28. And I'm Scheduled to Die in May.'

#7
post #2

As hard as this story is to read, I remain convinced that we must be sovereign over our own lives, and should be legally entitled to end it if we so choose.

I 100% agree. Bodily autonomy is, I think, one of the instincts (yeah, I think it's hard-coded: an instinct) of the most importance to a human being, along side survival, safety and reproduction. Taking bodily autonomy away from a person it's very close to murder, asymptotically so. It's infuriating seeing people clamoring for a curtail of this right, for the greater of good of course.

That being said.

>"In those years, I saw the Dutch euthanasia practice evolve from death being a last resort to death being a default option."

That's absolutely not ok. I would go so far as forbid doctors introducing this option to a patient; I would favor leaflets and online campaigns and have a discussion only _after_ the patient brings it up. At least in Netherlands (and Canada) everyone is aware of being an option, so it's not like the patients will suffer without knowing it exists; but it might reduce some pressure on people that don't need to take it just yet.

Re: 'I'm 28. And I'm Scheduled to Die in May.'

#8
post #3
post #2

As hard as this story is to read, I remain convinced that we must be sovereign over our own lives, and should be legally entitled to end it if we so choose.

I agree, I just don't want this right to be tied to any perverse financial motivations: e.g. a nurse walking around an overwhelmed and understaffed hospital, calmly asking anyone if they want to an injection.

Unfortunately, that's what's happening now. Angels of mercy, unfortunately, I think some of them are also murderers. You make a good point, but I don't think we will ever get to that laissez-faire point of dying.

Assisted euthanasia should be a deliberate, purpose built process. Overseen by a doctor, and a guardian social worker, independent of the family and the state, to see at the persons wishes are carried out.

Re: 'I'm 28. And I'm Scheduled to Die in May.'

#9
> the number of people who increasingly choose to die is startling.

I expected this sentence to be followed by some statistics, but the article didn't give any. The review committee does publish yearly reports: https://www.euthanasiecommissie.nl/de-toetsingscommissies/ui...

The total number (8720 in 2022) is indeed increasing. But the number due to psychiatric disorders was 115, and the number of people under 30 was only 28. To me it seems like the case reported here was a (tragic) outlier. The vast majority was elderly people with terminal diseases, as you'd expect.

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