Healthy Woman Granted Right to Die For Depression

Doctors in Belgium are granting a 24-year-old woman who is suffering from depression but is otherwise healthy the right to die as she qualifies for euthanasia under the Belgian law, even though she does not have a terminal or life-threatening illness.

The 24-year-old woman, known simply as Laura, has been given the go-ahead by health professionals in Belgium to receive a lethal injection after spending both her childhood and adult life suffering from "suicidal thoughts", she told local Belgian media.

Laura has been a patient of a psychiatric institution since the age of 21 and says she has previously tried to kill herself on several occasions. She told journalists: "Death feels to me not as a choice. If I had a choice, I would choose a bearable life, but I have done everything and that was unsuccessful." The date of Laura's death is yet to be decided.
europe.newsweek.com...

This is just crazy, while I completely understand someone in pain connected to imminent death with absolutely no hope, you don't get to kill yourself doctor's assistance or self inflicted, I have never been severely depressed to the point of ending it all so I am not really qualified to speak on it , but even if I did have that thought hopefully some one would give me a hard slap the back of the head and tell me to snap out of it. Belgium need to rethink this policy and walk it back a little.

a reply to: Spider879

I understand what you're saying Spider but with all respect a hard slap to the head does nothing for those who are so severely depressed. Until one has suffered from depression there is no understanding, not one eensy bit, of what a demon it is.

This is so sad. Poor woman.

And it's interesting - is this better than someone dying alone from the effects of depression? I am just thinking out loud.

Man. She just hasn't found the right drugs yet.

a reply to: Spider879

I hear things like "Cheer up" or "a hard slap to the head" etc alot. There's a HUGE difference between depression, and Depression. Being sad because you got dumped, is depression. Barely being able to get out of bed, being in constant pain, hardly being able to function, is Depression. A good slap to the head doesn't cure it.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Spider879

I hear things like "Cheer up" or "a hard slap to the head" etc alot. There's a HUGE difference between depression, and Depression. Being sad because you got dumped, is depression. Barely being able to get out of bed, being in constant pain, hardly being able to function, is Depression. A good slap to the head doesn't cure it.

You and ccseagull are correct off course, it must be much more than I make it out to be, but ending it all?? I can't accept that either.

Why does it matter what she does or does not have? IMO that has absolutely nothing to do with it. The government did not grant you or anyone else with life so why do any of us need permission to snuff it out/quit/throw in the towel? As long as she is harming no one she should have the freedom to die if she so chooses it. We are asking permission to do something from people who do not and should not have the capability to give it or take it away as far as I am concerned.

I don't care if there is nothing at all wrong with her. She is of age and should damn we'll be able to quit this life whenever and however she chooses as long as she isn't taking others with her in the process.

Whether it is selfish or not is a whole other story. Whether I myself believe it is the right thing to do is a whole other story. The fact remains... It's her life. She is old enough to consent. That's all she should need IMO.

a reply to: Spider879

When you fight something year after year after year, and you can't see an end in sight, and it never gets better, you get very very tired. I've done that fight, and I definitely understand the feeling of wanting to end it all. Think of the worst day you've ever had. Now imagine having that same day, every day, for 10-15 years or longer. Eventually, you would stop seeing the point of getting up and doing the same thing over and over again.

The Europeans are insane. This is why I fight against anything European coming to the US. We already fought one war to free ourselves from European oppression and I would like to keep them OUT of the US.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Spider879

I hear things like "Cheer up" or "a hard slap to the head" etc alot. There's a HUGE difference between depression, and Depression. Being sad because you got dumped, is depression. Barely being able to get out of bed, being in constant pain, hardly being able to function, is Depression. A good slap to the head doesn't cure it.

Thanks for pointing out those differences. From one that suffers from Depression . Drugs help somewhat but a hard slap to the face only makes it deeper.

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

I don't care of there is nothing at all wrong with her. She is of age and should damn we'll be able to quit this life whenever and however she chooses as long as she isn't taking others with her in the process.

The problem with your 'logic' is that people that are depressed are suffering from mental illness and by definition aren't able to make rational decisions for themselves.

a reply to: Gothmog

And it never goes away. You can be "cured", and then suddenly just have one bad thing happen, and it slams back into place before you know it. Even if it's something minor.

a reply to: Metallicus

Those are the ones that go off and do it and their families have to come in and hire cleaning teams after the coroner leaves the house. If someone is going to commit suicide, they do not need permission. They will find a way. Why make that way harder than it needs to be?

Nobody needs permission to OD on sleeping pills, put the gun to their head, run off the road, jump off the bridge, etc. but they do it and it's not quite as peaceful as it could have been had they been offered help instead of judgement.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Spider879

When you fight something year after year after year, and you can't see an end in sight, and it never gets better, you get very very tired. I've done that fight, and I definitely understand the feeling of wanting to end it all. Think of the worst day you've ever had. Now imagine having that same day, every day, for 10-15 years or longer. Eventually, you would stop seeing the point of getting up and doing the same thing over and over again.

But in the end you won or at least haven't pulled the plug on life just yet, there must be something all these bright expensive folks can do, isn't there???

Not a chance in hell I'd ever judge someone for choosing suicide. I got far too much respect for life to disallow people to let go.

a reply to: Spider879

I know. I hear the same comments from certain family members when I discuss the depths of utter hopelessness that intense depression can cause. The only way I can explain it is that you stop functioning rationally because the pain, the despair, the hole is too deep. Your rational mind is saying one thing but the emotions are the reality and I can only imagine that for those who take their own life they have passed beyond any rational thoughts. I'm not saying that they have gone insane but I mean that the despair has consumed any belief that it will get better. Perhaps it is an "insanity" of sorts.

I don't judge anyone who has ever made that decision. And I'm not saying that's what you are doing. Just saying that until you are the mind of such a person there is no understanding to be had.

I have had many physical issues causing physical pain - to the extreme. Day in and day out. And I've suffered from debilitating depression. I would rather deal with the physical pain because at least you are still in your own mind compared to the soul sucking defeat of depression. I guess you could say it's like being possessed in a way. You are aware of these thoughts and emotions that are not the reality but yet you cannot control them and you just can't rationalize or cope with the power of it's evil power over your entire being.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Gothmog

And it never goes away. You can be "cured", and then suddenly just have one bad thing happen, and it slams back into place before you know it. Even if it's something minor.

You sound as if you have first hand knowledge as I do. I hope not for your sake.

a reply to: Spider879

I'm lucky. Not long after my lowest point I found someone who understood me, and accepted me and was willing to stand beside me no matter what. Without that, I don't know what I would have done in the end.

a reply to: Gothmog

Thirty plus years off and on.

a reply to: DaRAGE,

Strangely enough you are right, if you weigh up an injection of Nembutal, or whatever they use, or turn to party pills. At least on the party pills, half your life's on an upper.

originally posted by: Kangaruex4Ewe
Why does it matter what she does or does not have? IMO that has absolutely nothing to do with it. The government did not grant you or anyone else with life so why do any of us need permission to snuff it out/quit/throw in the towel? As long as she is harming no one she should have the freedom to die if she so chooses it. We are asking permission to do something from people who do not and should not have the capability to give it or take it away as far as I am concerned.

I don't care if there is nothing at all wrong with her. She is of age and should damn we'll be able to quit this life whenever and however she chooses as long as she isn't taking others with her in the process.

Whether it is selfish or not is a whole other story. Whether I myself believe it is the right thing to do is a whole other story. The fact remains... It's her life. She is old enough to consent. That's all she should need IMO.

I respectfully disagree, taking it to an extreme you have Heaven's Gate or groups like them, it will cost society in the end if left unchecked.