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Original poster

to think that belgian voluntary enthanasia is murder

79 replies

ReallyTired · 03/10/2013 09:29

When you have someone who is terminally ill and in extreme pain then I think there is a case for enthanasia. However I think there is a fine line between helping someone to have a dignified death and helping someone with possilby treatable depression to commit suicide.

This poor transexual was allowed enthanasia because of a botched sex change operation. I feel that he/she should have had treatment for depression/ councelling rather than being helped to commit suicide. I imagine that the fact that Nathan Verhelst was rejected by his parents for being born a girl had caused him untold pychological issues.

Prehaps Nathan Verhelst was poorly supported through his sex change operation and its tragic that he never found happiness. I hope that he rests in peace and I feel its sad that he was not helped to find peace in this world.

OP posts:
Original poster
ReallyTired · 03/10/2013 09:30

link

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24373107

OP posts:
Feminine · 03/10/2013 09:31

I agree with you.

Such a waste of life (in this case)

FreudiansSlipper · 03/10/2013 09:33

do you not think he has been treated for depression. he may have been poorly supported but some people never move on from depression it is not always curable and the self loathing that he has felt since a child is something he felt he did not want to live with any more

why is physical pain a reason to have that choice given to you but psychological pain is not

SilverApples · 03/10/2013 09:36

I think psychological pain is as real and debilitating as physical pain for some people, and that assisted suicide is preferable to a botched and agonising attempt by someone who made that choice.
Sometimes you have st step back and let people have the autonomy to say 'Enough'

Latara · 03/10/2013 09:37

I agree a total waste of life.

Also i'm against euthanasia in principle because it's an 'easy' option - money should be spent on more carers, better psychological help for people and good end of life care.

mrsjay · 03/10/2013 09:38

no I do not think it was murder i think it is tragic he felt he had to do this he was in agony and saw no way out sometimes people can not be cured, I also think people who are physically ill and do this must be in phsycological pain too and feel they can't go on,

Feminine · 03/10/2013 09:39

I think that when you have a lot of life to live, its a massive shame. This man was still young.

I know a great deal about mental health issues... and still wish he could have been able to carry on.

FreudiansSlipper · 03/10/2013 09:40

some people can have the best and all the psychological help there is and it is still not enough as they are very unwell

for most people thankfully that is not the case

expatinscotland · 03/10/2013 09:40

It's his life, maybe death was peace to him. It's not for me to judge when an adult makes a decision about their body and life.

AngelsLieToKeepControl · 03/10/2013 09:40

I don't think its murder.

I do think he would more than likely have committed suicide had this not been an option.

He clearly felt he was suffering a terminal condition, the doctors agreed. Having read a small amount about his life, and a shocking quote from his Mother today I can see why he chose this path tbh.

mrsjay · 03/10/2013 09:43

I think what freudian just said is important to remember that not everybody with issues like this man will do this, they can carry on , It is so very sad that people feel they have to do this I am not against it and I am glad it is an option for people. human suffering can be unbearable physical or phsycological (sp),

HeadfirstForHalos · 03/10/2013 09:47

Depression is a real illness with real suffering.

If every attempt at treating him had been tried and failed then no, I don't think it's murder. Why should mental health patients go on suffering while people with longterm physical pain have the option of euthanasia?

MorrisZapp · 03/10/2013 09:49

Of course it isn't murder. Do you honestly think he was given no support or help for his issues?

Anybody who thinks that physical pain is valid but mental pain isn't, obviously has no personal experience of mental ill health or disability.

FrightRider · 03/10/2013 09:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
ReallyTired · 03/10/2013 09:54

I feel that enthanasia can be easier route for doctors and health care administrators than providing high quality pallitive care or pychological support.

44 years old seems so young for doctors to give up on treating someone for being suicidal.

OP posts:
NotYoMomma · 03/10/2013 09:55

it isnt murder. would you rather he have took matters into his own hands? to have people find him totslly unprepared? or if he had decided to jump in front of a train

you wpuld be calling it tragic and sympathising

it is tragic and he could see no other way out so chose that path for himself

I hope he has peace

mrsjay · 03/10/2013 09:57

we are really only going on news reports and It can seem he just decided out of the blue to go this I am sure his health carers did care and treat him ,

expatinscotland · 03/10/2013 10:00

'44 years old seems so young for doctors to give up on treating someone for being suicidal.'

It's not for them to decide, his life is his. Give up? So instead he dies alone?

People should have complete autonomy over their bodies, including how they chose to end them and their lives.

FrightRider · 03/10/2013 10:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mrsjay · 03/10/2013 10:03

People should have complete autonomy over their bodies, including how they chose to end them and their lives.

that

why should doctors decide when the time is right this person decided enough and although it is tragic he had 44 years of pain and despair I think he made the right decision for him ,

LaurieFairyCake · 03/10/2013 10:04

It's not murder as there would have to be intent on behalf of the state.

I think it's far more an indictment of how little help is offered for psychological pain - he got 6 months therapy - I think that's crap

Severe depression can be massively debilitating but there's no way every therapy/drug therapy was tried

It's cheaper for the state to allow to die than treat them - that is a very unpalatable truth

They have death vans going round at the request of the elderly - this makes me uncomfortable and I do not think we engage with death, debilitating illness properly

mrsjay · 03/10/2013 10:05

if this person was a 44 year old transexual with motor neurone disease his decision would be accepted maybe not agreed with but accepted as he had no quality of life

FreckledLeopard · 03/10/2013 10:06

If you don't believe in euthanasia, fine, don't choose it for yourself. But don't deny the right of someone else, in enormous physical or psychological pain, to choose it.

PresidentServalan · 03/10/2013 10:06

If someone wants to die, for whatever reason, I think they should have the right to.

LaurieFairyCake · 03/10/2013 10:07

People should have complete autonomy over their bodies.

Gosh, that's a hard thing to get to grips with - I'm thinking of a young person I treated for 4 years - who tried to kill themselves 8 times.

Happy and healthy now but had severe depression from 17-21

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