Is suffering a valid reason to end your own life? How much suffering is the threshold where suicide is "medically necessary"? How can it be quantified, what are the units? Does mental anguish count, or only physical suffering? What about existential suffering?
This isn't a treatment, and it's certainly not compassionate. Joni Eareckson-Tada is a testament to the wonderful life that can be lived in spite of suffering, and she has much to say on it that is worth a listen.
> Is suffering a valid reason to end your own life?
Yes.
> How much suffering is the threshold where suicide is "medically necessary"?
When I say so.
> How can it be quantified, what are the units?
1 unit of my will to do so.
> Does mental anguish count, or only physical suffering?
Anything I feel to be.
> What about existential suffering?
This is everyone's choice.
> This isn't a treatment, and it's certainly not compassionate
Have you had anyone close to you trying to end their life and you were helpless because someone else said no?
If you did and still think that people should suffer no matter what you should seriously rethink this.
If you did not then get to a palliative ward in a hospital and discuss with people.
Seriously - all these discussions from people who are either into religion or some books and did not experience the problem themselves is exasperating.
> If you did not then get to a palliative ward in a hospital and discuss with people.
People think this is such a winning argument.
I've been in them. I've worked in EMS. There's not been a single patient that I've encountered where I thought for a second, "I wish I could give them the option to end their life."
> Seriously - all these discussions from people who are either into religion or some books and did not experience the problem themselves is exasperating.
I'd argue it's your side of the debate which could use some more reading...
No - this comes from people who have been there, have discussed with the patients and made up their mind.
> I've been in them. I've worked in EMS. There's not been a single patient that I've encountered where I thought for a second, "I wish I could give them the option to end their life."
Not sure where this was (and EMS is emergency services, right? Not really a palliative dept) - I was a volunteer in palliative care hospitals (with my dog) and spent hours discussing with people who were very sick.
many just wished for a quick end because there was simply nothing but pain for them. It was not loneliness or something - just the fact that they were not in control anymore.
They wanted to have a choice.
> I'd argue it's your side of the debate which could use some more reading...
This is probably one reason - some read, some actually go and see.
You have no way to quantify the suffering without having been there or at least seen the suffering of someone who has. I don't believe the form of the suffering matters, only the untreatability of whatever is causing the suffering. It has to come down to the person--at what point do they feel the suffering is too much, that whatever remaining life they have isn't worth it. Everyone is going to draw the line at a different place and I don't believe there is a right or wrong.
I dislike not having the doctors involved, though--many people won't know if there's something that can be done or not.
You remind me of people who talk about vaccination without any knowledge of immunology. Don’t you think the countries that have legalized assisted suicide have already devised methods for quantifying suffering? You just have to spend a load of time to study their frameworks.
This isn't a treatment, and it's certainly not compassionate. Joni Eareckson-Tada is a testament to the wonderful life that can be lived in spite of suffering, and she has much to say on it that is worth a listen.