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Me an' Algernon – grappling with (temporary) cognitive decline

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Re: Me an' Algernon – grappling with (temporary) cognitive decline

#11

Post by tough »

squigz wrote: post #10
tough wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess we can explore both, but I'd ask you to research how these laws are already affecting families too in new ways on places where eutanasia is already legal. It's easy on older -about to die-, people, but what about not such clear cut cases, some families are actually against their beloved ones taking their lifes, and the state allowing it, (Parents suing their offspring, to try and not have them do it, for exam…

> I guess we can explore both, but I'd ask you to research how these laws are already affecting families too in new ways on places where eutanasia is already legal. Can you provide some reading? Because this doesn't really mean much by itself. > It's easy on older -about to die-, people, but what about not such clear cut cases, some families are actually against their beloved ones taking their lifes, and the state al…

> Almost nothing about our modern life is "natural", including most of medicine. That said, how is death unnatural?

only meant having to bear the death of your child before you, usually a parent dies first, although i guess infant mortality rates where much higher until recent times...

this recent case what i was thinking specifically https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2025-03-17/justicia-av...

Re: Me an' Algernon – grappling with (temporary) cognitive decline

#12

Post by beng-nl »

bluefirebrand wrote: post #7
kevingadd wrote: post #3

If you experience temporary cognitive decline like this definitely pay attention to it, it can indicate serious stressors in your life that need to be dealt with immediately. It can get worse steadily if you ignore it!

I am actually just starting to go on medical leave from work due to this My performance has been going down, my anxiety and stress are through the roof. Honestly you wouldn't know it from talking to me, other than the fact my memory is shot I'm completely forgetting stuff minutes after it happens I'm very unhappy with the feeling, and I hate going on leave for this, but I have to. I'm not even 40 and this is the seco…

Good luck friend

Re: Me an' Algernon – grappling with (temporary) cognitive decline

#13

Post by squigz »

tough wrote: post #11
squigz wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I guess we can explore both, but I'd ask you to research how these laws are already affecting families too in new ways on places where eutanasia is already legal. Can you provide some reading? Because this doesn't really mean much by itself. > It's easy on older -about to die-, people, but what about not such clear cut cases, some families are actually against their beloved ones taking their lifes, and the state al…

> Almost nothing about our modern life is "natural", including most of medicine. That said, how is death unnatural? only meant having to bear the death of your child before you, usually a parent dies first, although i guess infant mortality rates where much higher until recent times... this recent case what i was thinking specifically https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2025-03-17/justicia-av...

> The young woman has been in a wheelchair for years after falling from the top of a building .

> He added that his daughter suffers from mental problems with suicidal tendencies and constant changes of heart, and therefore needed psychological treatment, not assisted death.

> "The patient's capacity to make decisions has also been verified," the ruling states, "by the attending physician and the psychologist at the Hospital Residencia . The plaintiff has not presented any evidence that could refute the conclusions of these reports. They show that Noelia retains her capacity to make all types of decisions, including, therefore, the decision to undergo euthanasia."

This is a terribly sad situation all around, but I don't see this as evidence for why euthanasia laws are bad. The best I can see is that this highlights that we shouldn't push euthanasia as a solution to every lifelong disability, but that s a social/cultural issue, not a legal one - and one that we will certainly have to adapt to as assisted dying becomes more socially accepted. There will likely be more stories where, arguably, it goes too far, but I don't think there will be an epidemic of people offing themselves for relatively minor things.

> only meant having to bear the death of your child before you

Of course this is sad, but given the context of the conversation, the other choice being watching a child lose their mind or suffer in a world that is extraordinarily hostile to disabled people, I don't think saving the parents one type of pain (while subjecting them to another) is a really great idea either.

Also, isn't it better to have a way for people to kill themselves "cleanly", rather than kill themselves at home (or worse, in public)? Presumably finding one's child like that would be far worse?

(Of course, none of this is to say that we shouldn't e.g., make the world more accessible to disabled people, or help people learn to live with their disabilities, or try to cure Alzheimer's and the like - but as said, we can do all of these things at once. In the meantime, before we cure Alzheimer's and make everyone perfectly mentally healthy, we should also deal with the harsh realities that not having done those things entails.)

Re: Me an' Algernon – grappling with (temporary) cognitive decline

#14

Post by yapyap »

tough wrote: post #6
squigz wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now keep in mind that that frustration - the absolute torture of losing who and what you are - applies to everyone going through something like this, not just the greatest minds of their time. Makes me glad that we're starting to look at assisted dying more seriously...

why not try to cure alzheimer or other mental diseases that show up on the elderly instead?

because assisted suicide is a bit more damn easy than “curing alzheimer”

why not cure cancer while you’re at it

Re: Me an' Algernon – grappling with (temporary) cognitive decline

#15

Post by bluefirebrand »

beng-nl wrote: post #12
bluefirebrand wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am actually just starting to go on medical leave from work due to this My performance has been going down, my anxiety and stress are through the roof. Honestly you wouldn't know it from talking to me, other than the fact my memory is shot I'm completely forgetting stuff minutes after it happens I'm very unhappy with the feeling, and I hate going on leave for this, but I have to. I'm not even 40 and this is the seco…

Good luck friend

Thank you, very kind of you

I mostly wanted to share my current state so if other people reading also recognize themselves in it, hopefully they realize it isn't normal and they also go seek help

As for me I will be okay. I've been through this before on my own and managed. This time I have a partner to help me through too

Re: Me an' Algernon – grappling with (temporary) cognitive decline

#16

Post by bryanrasmussen »

tough wrote: post #6
squigz wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now keep in mind that that frustration - the absolute torture of losing who and what you are - applies to everyone going through something like this, not just the greatest minds of their time. Makes me glad that we're starting to look at assisted dying more seriously...

why not try to cure alzheimer or other mental diseases that show up on the elderly instead?

I doubt you can cure these diseases, you can perhaps prevent them, but to cure would mean removing their effects, and if you could remove their effects and say, bring a seriously deteriorated Von Neumann back to his previous mental heights it seems like you should be able to make anyone the equal of Von Neumann - which I agree would be a great thing to be able to do but seems to be a much further along than the words cure or prevent would indicate.

Re: Me an' Algernon – grappling with (temporary) cognitive decline

#17

Post by squigz »

bryanrasmussen wrote: post #16
tough wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

why not try to cure alzheimer or other mental diseases that show up on the elderly instead?

I doubt you can cure these diseases, you can perhaps prevent them, but to cure would mean removing their effects, and if you could remove their effects and say, bring a seriously deteriorated Von Neumann back to his previous mental heights it seems like you should be able to make anyone the equal of Von Neumann - which I agree would be a great thing to be able to do but seems to be a much further along than the words…

> I agree would be a great thing to be able to do but seems to be a much further along than the words cure or prevent would indicate.

If the words "cure" or "prevent" don't indicate that, why did you bring it up? :)

I think this is being needlessly pedantic. Keeping in mind that one of HN's guidelines is to respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of a comment, I think we can assume that GP meant, essentially, "learn enough about these diseases so as to detect and prevent them from causing irreparable damage"

Re: Me an' Algernon – grappling with (temporary) cognitive decline

#18

Post by Forgeties79 »

tough wrote: post #6
squigz wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now keep in mind that that frustration - the absolute torture of losing who and what you are - applies to everyone going through something like this, not just the greatest minds of their time. Makes me glad that we're starting to look at assisted dying more seriously...

why not try to cure alzheimer or other mental diseases that show up on the elderly instead?

We haven’t yet and likely won’t for a lot of people who, to be blunt about it, would quite literally rather die than lose their mental faculties. Ultimately it’s their choice. Honestly it doesn’t strike me as all too different than a DNR.

Re: Me an' Algernon – grappling with (temporary) cognitive decline

#19

Post by zellyn »

bluefirebrand wrote: post #7
kevingadd wrote: post #3

If you experience temporary cognitive decline like this definitely pay attention to it, it can indicate serious stressors in your life that need to be dealt with immediately. It can get worse steadily if you ignore it!

I am actually just starting to go on medical leave from work due to this My performance has been going down, my anxiety and stress are through the roof. Honestly you wouldn't know it from talking to me, other than the fact my memory is shot I'm completely forgetting stuff minutes after it happens I'm very unhappy with the feeling, and I hate going on leave for this, but I have to. I'm not even 40 and this is the seco…

This happened to me during the pandemic. High (insupportable) stress, plus a year or two of significantly too little sleep, plus social isolation.

It was terrifying. I had just seen my mom taken by Alzheimer’s (or something similar) way too young, and thought my life was over.

All the tests coming back negative, making a point of hanging out with friends, returning to the office, and getting enough sleep seemed to help, and it slowly started getting better.

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