Mentally ill in Switzerland could win right to die

[Nikijad4210]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16951542/

Mentally ill in Switzerland could win right to die
High court ruling opens door to assisted suicide for mental disorders

Updated: 9:18 p.m. ET Feb 2, 2007
LAUSANNE, Switzerland - A ruling by Switzerland’s highest court released Friday has opened up the possibility that people with serious mental illnesses could be helped by doctors to take their own lives.

Switzerland already allows physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients under certain circumstances. The Federal Tribunal’s decision puts mental illnesses on the same level as physical ones.

“It must be recognized that an incurable, permanent, serious mental disorder can cause similar suffering as a physical (disorder), making life appear unbearable to the patient in the long term,” the ruling said.

“If the death wish is based on an autonomous decision which takes all circumstances into account, then a mentally ill person can be prescribed sodium-pentobarbital and thereby assisted in suicide,” it added.

Various organizations exist in Switzerland to help people who want to commit suicide, and assisting someone to die is not punishable under Swiss law as long as there is no “selfish motivation” for doing so.

The judges made clear in their ruling that certain conditions would have to be met before a mentally ill person’s request for suicide assistance could be considered justified.

“A distinction has to be made between a death wish which is an expression of a curable, psychiatric disorder and which requires treatment, and (a death wish) which is based on a person of sound judgment’s own well-considered and permanent decision, which must be respected,” they said.

Case brought by bipolar patient
The case was brought by a 53-year old man with serious bipolar affective disorder who asked the tribunal to allow him to acquire a lethal dose of pentobarbital without a doctor’s prescription.

The tribunal ruled against his request, confirming the need for a thorough medical assessment of the patient’s condition.

Whether any Swiss physician would be prepared to prescribe a lethal dose of pentobarbital to a mentally ill person remains unclear.

Art Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania and a columnist for MSNBC.com, warns, " If this policy were to be put into place in Switzerland or elsewhere it would put physicians in the position of trying to distinguish 'competent' requests from persons with mental illness from 'incompetent' or 'temporarily desperate' persons with mental illness — something psychiatry and psychology are not always adept at doing."

Switzerland's national ethics commission could not be reached for comment late on Friday.

Opening door to suffering
"The ruling opens the door to anyone who says they have unbearable psychological or emotional suffering to request help in dying — people with terrible burns, those who are terribly disfigured, those who are emotionally bereft at the loss of a child or partner or loved and even those suffering from career setbacks and failures," Caplan said.

Switzerland is one of a number of countries in Europe that allow assistance to terminally ill people who wish to die.

Netherlands legalized euthanasia in 2001 and Belgium in 2002, while Britain and France allow terminally ill people to refuse treatment in favor of death.

Should the mentally ill be allowed to legally commit suicide?

 

[Gangabiss]

I think every single human being has the right to kill themselves if they so wish. That's part of the package of what it means to be human.

We happily shoot horses when they get a broken leg, and put our dogs down if they are in pain...yet if a loved one is dying slowly and painfully we try and prolong it as much as possible. Kind of sick if you ask me.

 

[robobond]

But on the other side they are mentally ill. I can understand this with someone who was hurt or had cancer and didn't want to go through the pain but not sure if the mentally ill could make that choice.

 

[killa-bud]

yea,can understand cancer and what not,but i'm sure the mental illness it self has something to do with them wanting to die,if that's the case,then no,i guess,they should devlop some sort of, are you sure you want to die test

 

[Guest]

I live in a state that has an assisted suicide law. If the Dr. deems you terminal you have the right to off yourself with Dr. provided drugs......you just go to sleep.....

Seed

 

[robobond]

But mental illness is not a terminal disorder and not one you can be sure if the decision was made in the right mind. Take depression for example.

 

[Nikijad4210]

Even so, Robo, is it not a universal personal choice one has the right to make?

 

[killa-bud]

how do they define a mental illness?

 

[o.gkushowns]

cool progressive

Yeaa switzerland, We got the full legalization vote coming up. Parmlamint has passed the bill so now it's down to vote for the whole country. If we pass the shit Switzerland will be the only country with 100%legal weed (Holland is "decriminalized). I'll definitely be voting on this shit.
peace

 

[KingRalph]

this is entirely different from the euthenasia situation... such are for the terminal patients... mentally ill is something else...

the mentally ill have to be deemed "mentally unfit" to handle themselves and their affairs... that is the only way the 'state' can take guardianship of the person to treat them in their facilities, etc. in some places the person can sign themselves saying such is so to hand themselves over, but that is paradoxical in itself, considering they're saying they are unfit to make decisions, but just made a decision so how can that decision be right... anyway you see the tricky situation...

so how can someone that's been deemed mentally unfit make a conscious decision 'in their right mind' suddenly be of "sound judgement" to decide that euthenasia is what they want/need?

you see the enormous gray area with mental illness, and it comes down to the state and doctors deeming and deciding. this is very dangerous.

don't get me wrong, i'm actually for euthenasia. but this, is not euthenasia, it is the beginning of a state-run eugenics program to get rid of problematic people. most of whom can be cured and not wish for death in a mentally disturbed stupor again.

 

[9Lives]

Ofcourse its ok...

Who in their right mind would kill themselves ?

...the mentally ill

 

[fr33th3w33d]

I think every single human being has the right to kill themselves if they so wish. That's part of the package of what it means to be human.

human beings and animals alike are programmed to reproduce and spread the existance of their genetic material. i don't think its really a natural thing to commit suicide. granted that some people do have horrible lives.

if someone is mentally ill and their life is really that bad, you have to take into account that your not living as that person.. if they feel its the right decision, let them.

my problem is with assholes in suits making laws telling people what they can/can't say, do, smoke, or whatever else.

if someone wants to kill themselves.. whats a law against it going to do.. you cant imprison a dead person.

 

[Space Ghost]

I'm very mentally ill and without proper meds and psychotherapy I would have killed myself long ago. I have no problem with the proposition, but I think it should be used as an extreme last resort.

 

[Tarkus]

I think everyone should be allowed to commit suicide if they so want. What skin is it off my back if Joe McEverybody down the street eats an ounce of lead? I do not even have enough freedom to "end game" if I want?? If my life is so horrible that I want it to end, and I somehow mess up the suicide, how is jail time/a ticket going to make me see that my life is worth living?

 

[older toker]

I am no longer young and I have told my son that if I find my mind going, alziemers or whatever, I am going to my friendly neighbourhood drug dealer and buy a little of all the shit I was afraid to try in case I liked it too much and try it all at once, that should take care of that problem. I see no reason to hang around when a reasonable quality of life is no longer possible.