To be very anxious about the assisted dying bill?

People can kill themselves now so I don’t see why making it legal to do so painlessly while with loved ones makes that idea any worse?

I'm truly sorry for what you went through with your dad—I experienced something very similar with mine. In his final stages, he was in constant pain. I remember him reaching out to hold my hand during the worst of it, grimacing as he waited for the spasms to pass. He had colon cancer that had spread to his bladder, and the permanent catheter he needed would often get blocked, causing him unbearable pain. Earlier in his illness, he told me he hoped I would forgive him if the pain ever became too much. I knew what he meant, and I understood.

My uncle also struggled—he was in the early stages of dementia. Some days were better than others, but he had seen what happened to his mother when she no longer recognized her family. She became frightened, regressing to a childlike state, calling out for her mum. My uncle ultimately took his own life in a way that must have been incredibly difficult for him—and devastating for his daughter, who found him.

Having witnessed both of these experiences, I often think how much more humane it would have been if they had had access to a compassionate, dignified end-of-life option. It saddens me that it wasn’t available to them.

I completely understand the anxiety some people feel about euthanasia, but for me, knowing that such an option exists brings comfort. If I ever find myself in unbearable pain or facing the same fate as my mum, gran, and uncle with Alzheimer’s, I want to know I have the ability to make that choice for myself—with dignity and control.

I believe I have a fundamental human right to⁰ die. You probably should speak to someone about your anxiety though.

@CatsArePeople

yeah except no one gets forced to have abortions or Covid jabs 🙄

You can't remove free choice because a small minority of people chose to break the law. Sadly people who bully and coerce others exist, and it's society's job to raise awareness, improve safeguarding, and take their power away. It doesn't mean that we should just remove free choice away from the vast majority of others.

You make it sound like abortions, vaccines and assisted dying are being forced upon you, it's the exact opposite. Society has actually never been more free of obligations and expectations, everyone gets to chose. Where exactly are all these mandatory abortions and vaccines happening?

My experience was exactly the opposite - endless prescriptions for antibiotics to address chest infections for a 97 year with dementia. I asked the GP to stop in the end.

Not a supporter. I've seen first hand how doctors write off the elderly, preferring not to fix the fixable, preferring to let conditions become unfixable by leaving them; because the person is old. Terrible ageist philosophy exists in the medical fraternity.
I hope the Lords throw it firmly back.

I'm with OP.
In current atmosphere it will become mandatory in our lifetimes. Even if not officially mandatory - people will be bullied into it. The same like with abortions or covid jabs

I fully support assisted dying, in the correct circumstance. Having gone through watching a loved suffering and begging to die, it’s heartbreaking. We don’t let animals suffer but allow humans too, it’s inhumane to me.

Having worked in hospitals and seen many patients suffering with ( sometimes out of control) pain - I fully support this so long as safeguards around it .

I will be interested to see if patients can make advanced decisions made whilst they have capacity to do so ( under the Mental Capacity Act ) and if those decisions made at a time of having capacity to do so,will stick should they lose capacity.
for example if a person made a decision during early onset of dementia - if this would be hounoured later down the line ar a time when they then lacked capacity.
for myself I would hope so - but its complex.

What assurances can you give us, that eventually those with disabilities won’t be forced into AD, as “useless eaters”?

It’s not up to me to give any assurances, the bill is very specific that the choice would only be available to people with capacity and less than six months to live. I expect there are many women who have been coerced into having abortions, should we deny that choice to everyone?

Appreciate that dementia isn’t covered but my grandmother has had dementia for years and for the last 5 has barely existed. Every time she gets a chest infection she gets pumped full of drugs and stays around a bit longer.

the only one benefiting from her life is the care home for the fees. She had spent all her money and there is nothing left now. I never ever want to get to that state, it’s quite horrific.

What assurances can you give us, that eventually those with disabilities won’t be forced into AD, as “useless eaters”?

There’s a peer, an accountancy lecturer, who apparently is always complaining about private equity companies. His latest complaint is that the number of animals being put down is increasing, as private equity companies take over veterinary practices and owners can’t afford their fees. People keep talking about how animals are better off, because they aren’t left to suffer - the euthanasia of animals, because they are unwanted or their medical care is too expensive, is the flip side of the coin.

I am in favour of it. The thought of not having the ability to end one's suffering when one chooses is just wrong. People shouldn't be forced to pointlessly suffer against their will. It seems to me like one of the most basic rights.

I can remember when the organ donation register was considered dangerous, and a slippery slope to hospitals deliberately dispatching patients just so they could harvest organs for transplant.

My FIL believed this. It took me a long time to convince my dp otherwise. I have never pushed him to become an organ donor, bit he at least is ok with me being one.

Strangely, he's all in favour of assisted dying though. Certainly since we watched our fathers both dying in distress from cancers. It's not a nice prospect.

@Comedycook

no. People should not be denied the choice just in case others get coerced into it. There are lots of things in life people could get coerced into but we don’t take them off the table as an option for everyone.
those suffering with no hope of getting better should have the choice to end that suffering. END OF.
it’s part of a humane, civilised society.

I want everyone to have a choice, not just the very small number of people with a convenient stockpile of morphine. 🙄

People dying at home probably do have a choice.

My mother said, after my father’s death that she had a stack of morphine.

He had the choice of taking it all at once? My family were all doctors, and he had done a year of medicine. He knew that morphine depresses breathing, and a big enough dose will kill someone. After all, his father used to go round with a bottle of morphine in his pocket, as he said it was a good cough medicine (for his smoker’s cough). It was something our ancestors (qualified as physicians and surgeons), used to do for terminally ill patients.

After his death, a GP and family friend said of his death:

“Any doctor on the scene would have known what to do - a big injection of morphine!”

(That was in 2005)

Oh do grow up! I did not "shame" you because you haven't chosen assisted dying, I merely said you are talking nonsense, which you are.

I would say it is for the benefit of the patient. I certainly would rather be sedated if I was in great distress/pain than just left to get on with it.

Oh the irony

I live in a country with assisted dying, and have never heard such nonsense!

It makes no difference what your primary reason is. The result of not legalising assisted dying is denial of choice for everyone.

No....the primary reason I'm against is it is not because I want to deny other people a choice...it's because I believe the potential for abuse and coercion of the most vulnerable in society is too high.

It’s still an opt in. You don’t want an assisted death but you want to deny it to the rest of us and deprive us of the choice.