It should be a legal right, because people are going to kill themselves whether it's illegal or not. If it's illegal, all that means is that family of the person who kills themselves doesn't get the life insurance money, so not only are they devistated by grief they're also crippled financially by funeral costs, and they're screwed if the person who killed themselves was their provider. So yeah, making suicide illegal is stupid.
__________________
"Personal note: When I was a little kid my mother told me not to stare into the sun. So once when I was six, I did. At first the brightness was overwhelming, but I had seen that before. I kept looking, forcing myself not to blink, and then the brightness began to dissolve. My pupils shrunk to pinholes and everything came into focus and for a moment I understood. The doctors didn't know if my eyes would ever heal."
-Pi
You are right. Even if this post wasn't directed at me, my wording in my last post was stupid.Originally Posted by JuniperWoolf
Suicide should be legal, but I think that health care professionals and family members should have a legal mandate to do everything within their power to prevent it. I am not really up to date on the legal issues. I just know that if someone is a threat to themselves or others they can be involuntarily committed. I am okay with this. As someone who has mental health issues I support this wholeheartedly.
People with mental health issues often reject help when it is offered. Sometimes it has to be forced. Its never been forced on me but there were times when it almost was and I honestly wish it had been.
Heh. That's true, Tony. I'll just have to hope that none of you report me to crazy houses....but you just told us Varenne
Very good points, Delta. It's likely that I'll finish up before the age of 50. I'll make arrangements for family to live comfortably. I never should have been here. People in the real world tend to view me as being quite delightful, but out of place, because I am. Everything seems false to me; the very fabric of reality.
No, I plan to go, sincerely and in the full sanity of which I am healthfully equipped. If this brings anyone to sadness, rest assured that I am comforted that we will all be dead in 100 years or less. Not long at all. I will have a rich human experience before I fade to black. I will do everything that I want to do, unless some hideous accident should befall me before I am able. Either way, I am resigned.
.......
Last edited by Darcy88; 08-29-2012 at 10:23 PM.
I was sectioned last week under the Mental Health Act as an involuntary patient. It was a brutal affair. Fortunately, I was able to put up a forceful argument and get the psychiatrist to discharge me otherwise I could rot anywhere up to 27 days before my legal rights would be considered. If the psychiatrist doesn't want to see an involuntary patient, he can wait a whole 27 days and then see them on the 28th day to honour their legal right then and not be considered abusive under the law. There is no other avenue except the psychiatrist once you have been sectioned.
Before sunlight can shine through a window, the blinds must be raised - American Proverb
I hope both of you are OK, Delta40 and Darcy88. You might want to try writing stories about your experiences. I think they would be interesting to read.
One can still be rather healthy at 50, Varenne Rodin.
My blog: https://frankhubeny.blog/
I hope Darcy and Delta are really OK. I always think about the onlitters who, like everyone, have their own challenges. I'm never completely sure why issues involving mental health feature so high with creative minds, but there's a common thread of extreme sensitivity.
On a selfish note - it can be distressing for me to hear from talented, important and vital onlitters speak about something that causes a hell of a lot of pain for a giant circle of people affected.
With all the confusion, disappointment, and at times unfullfillment - life to me is beautiful, sometimes I have to go out and grab happiness.
Last edited by tonywalt; 07-04-2012 at 12:43 PM.
The point is to go before life isn't worth living, YesNo.
To the others, those are frightening stories. I won't ever permit myself to be cornered and caught by anyone.
I disagree with you and I am pretty sure just about everyone feels the same way.I never should have been here.
Last edited by tonywalt; 07-04-2012 at 02:24 PM.
I know there is constant discussion about mental illness and creativity. I read one piece of research but it was totally flawed since the mean IQ of the participants was 105 and none of them had a diagnosis of mental illness so I didn't see it's relevance at all. The other issue was that they were all students.
Before sunlight can shine through a window, the blinds must be raised - American Proverb
Thank you, Tony. That's a sweet thing to say.
I agree with that disagreement.
But if you "go before life isn't worth living" then you're going while life is still worth living, correct?
And while you may start declining physically in middle age, you can still grow mentally.
Why call a halt with heights still to be reached?
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. -- Mahatma Gandhi
It is legal in Canada at least, but you still don't get the life insurance, I think that'd have to do with what contract you have with the insurance agency. Usually the death has to be accidental or due to disease to claim.
As an aside, bans on assisted suicide have been ruled unconstitutional by the BC supreme court, so the federal government has one year to challenge the ruling or re-write the law to give people the right to assisted suicide.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...de-ruling.html
"If the national mental illness of the United States is megalomania, that of Canada is paranoid schizophrenia."
- Margaret Atwood
It's not stupid when a teenager takes their life though. I guess the issue for me is that the rates of suicide are much larger in this age group and twenties than any other. Folk who are terminal happen to make up a much smaller proportion.
Assisted suicide and young people offing themselves are perhaps two different issues then?
Before sunlight can shine through a window, the blinds must be raised - American Proverb
People in their mid 30s to 50s are the most likely to kill themselves, at least according to Statistics Canada.
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tabl...lth66d-eng.htm
Rates for seniors and teenagers are actually similar.
Anyway, the main reason suicide was legalized in Canada was so that the approach would be medical rather than criminal. Instead of locking up and punishing those who try to commit suicide, you offer them help which they have the right to refuse or accept. The government can't even hold you for longer than 3 days, if they want to hold you longer they must determine that you are a risk to others.
I think this is the best approach as it doesn't abandon those who are in need of help, but it also respects individual liberty.
Last edited by OrphanPip; 07-05-2012 at 06:31 PM.
"If the national mental illness of the United States is megalomania, that of Canada is paranoid schizophrenia."
- Margaret Atwood
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