Assisted suicide

This will contain triggers, its a train of thought so at this point I don't know how bad it may be.

In the uk a famous tv personality has reopened the debate on assisted suicide and being able to choose how you die, on your own terms. It remains illegal in this country but in Switzerland its allowed with restrictions. The person in question. Esther Rantzen has stage 4 lung cancer and has stated if the treatment doesn't work she is registered with the dignatas clinic in Zurich.

She is 83, has a almost certainly terminal condition and is of sound mind, should she be able to ask her family to help her end her life when she chooses?

It remains murder in this country if you assist, whether there was agreement or not. There are questions around people being pressured into bad decisions or not being of sound mind to consider the options. Arguments are that safeguards can be put in and there will be proper ways to ensure all options are explored.

You would have to consider many things to make sure it was policed properly, make sure all possibilities are explored. For example would there have to be a limited amount of reasons to use the assisted suicide route. Would you need a terminal diagnosis, could a mental health condition be sufficient or a long term condition that's not terminal?

For example I have fibromyalgia, a permanent chronic pain condition. I am in pain 24 hours a day, full of medication and limited in what I can do compared to before the condition began. Its incurable so I have to live with this pain until my dieing day. I am not considering ending it all but what about someone who doesn't have the support I do? Maybe someone younger , who could be facing forty or fifty years of pain and other effects.

In theory the condition isn't fatal but its also not curable at present. Though one day their may be a cure but who knows how long that will be. Do you need to have a condition where you are likely to become worse and then face an inevitable death?

While medicine makes daily improvements to care and health in general its not an exact science. Even diagnosis of a terminal condition tend to be vague with time scales, its usually well into the decline before more precise details are known. In my time working in dementia care we knew when the final week was coming, before that was often guess work.

Of course by then with conditions such as dementia the sufferer is no longer of sound mind to make big decisions. You can have a living will and have people who have signed legal documents to look after your wishes. Though can you expect a family member to take on the responsibility of deciding when its time to put you down?

I realise I have more questions then answers but these would be all asked if plans were ever considered. Its as unlikely as the return of the death penalty at the moment. Hopefully cases like this one will reopen the debate, even if its to keep it restricted. It means its discussed with up to date information and up to date laws.

To happen it would need a company like dignatas to operate what ever system was agreed. The paperwork would have to be water tight and everyone involved would need to agree and to agree to the conditions. Maybe yearly reviews of the information would be needed. A psychiatric assessment as well so that a bout of depression couldn't be the trigger for the process to start.

I can just about cope with support with my condition. I wouldn't want it to be worse or to be something that's going to get worse over time. I have also seen what conditions like Dementia and Parkinson's do to not only the sufferer but their families as well.

I wish I could end this with a definite answer. I think with medicene keeping us all alive longer we need to disscuss what happens to those who dont want to go on for longer. What reasons and what conditions qualify would be massive, also the main question would be how its done.

Until the answers out weigh the questions I think in the UK at least this will remain a talking point and no more, for now