Oh yes, I can think of many cases I would rather be dead… Cant wipe my own ass and not knowing I shit all over myself, my daughters description of the ECT ward??? lined up to shock the dribbling old, you damn right, shoot me please…
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Someone I know fought through her child’s suicide attempts, attempt after attempt. She eventually did get her adult child stabilized on clozapine. When the subject came up in FtF class, I did think, its so much constant mental anguish, I can see where it can be cruel to force people to live under such conditions. Then, on the other hand, you do have people who have hit those hard spots, got on meds and got themselves to a recovery point.
My FIL had two legs amputated (not from diabetes, just bad circulation) The first leg he agreed to, the second, he was too demented, his wife agreed for him. Stubborn till the end, one day in the nursing home he got tired of waiting for someone to move him to his bed. He never could remember the sequence to transfer himself. He undid his straps and- launched himself onto his close to the ground bed. He tore an intestine putting himself into extreme pain. The doctors refused the surgery saying he wasn’t mentally competent to handle the post surgery requirements.
His only alternative was hospice. Took him 11 days to die, basically of starvation. They did give him lots of meds to keep him sedated. We are kinder to dogs. If your dog is dying slowly, it can be considered abusive to not “put them down”.
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Yes, I do think we as a society, in the US, treat our animals with more true compassion. The medical profession used to be called a calling. Why does that sound so quaint these days?
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It’s not up to us to decide when another’s life is not worth living.
As a disabled person myself, I have become sensitive to this topic. Many people with severe disabilities, including those who are mentally ill, and those who “can’t wipe their own ass” are able to achieve some quality of life.
If this is a concern, one should consider preparing living will/advance directive type documents.
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Advance directive!
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Are you guys down south? That’s no the way it is at all up here in New England!! Correct amounts of ECT can even be used as a therapy for major depression when nothing else works. It is not supposed to be like it is in the movies. Can you explain more about what’s going on?
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