Voluntary assisted-euthanasia for severe depression and social isolation

[PinkFloydFan67]

I'll give a brief description of my life:
Severe (suicidal) depression for decades , very isolated life , don't see my 'friends' anymore. Unable to work or socialise.
On medication which after 8 years probably isn't working anymore.
Struggle to get out of bed. Sometimes don't get up until it's dark outside - which is an absolutely horrible feeling, especially in winter. Increasingly not even leaving the house.
We have terrible mental health trends in Britain and also terrible social isolation problems. I am begining to feel that modern life is so vile and that some people get dealt a hand that is so terrible that they should be entitled to voluntary assisted-euthanasia , as they are in a few other countries like Belgium. I believe that this would make it easier to live knowing that we wouldn't have to chose a violent exit method that may fail and may lead to terrible disabilities. We have hundreds dying on railway lines every year and that also impacts many people in a profoundly terrible way.
I know the powers-that-be don't want too many 'slaves' exiting but I know many in society hate or resent the poor, the helpless and weak anyway. Why don't they just let us exit this hellscape?
I'm aware that this is a radical proposition but I truly think life can be a fate worse than death. If what I'm going through is anything like common then I just think this is evil to make people suffer like this.
Thanks for listening.

The have raised my dosage of Mirtazapine.
I don't know if it's a coincidence but since that's happened last week I've got much worse. Does anyone know if that's normal ?
Might have to go to A&E tonight I'm quite suicidal and obviously the depression is severe and I struggle to get out of bed or talk much.

Thinking of you xx

Yes it can be normal but if you can't keep yourself safe then present at AED. Or feel free to message me and I'll get the numbers for your local crisis team.

How are you doing OP? I’ve just found your thread. I hope you’re okay. I can feel your suffering through your words. You are clearly a very bright, articulate and perceptive person and I agree with what you say about politics and how social isolation is a massive problem.

I am a supporter of euthanasia for people with terminal illness. I will never support euthanasia for mental health reasons. I’m a psychologist and I work with people who have suffered at the most extreme end of the spectrum, very severe abuse and trauma among other things. There is always hope. People are amazing in their resilience. The issue is the society we live in which needs to change so that there is less distress caused - we need less inequality, more connection, more support and help for people struggling, less poverty. Supporting euthanasia for those in distress terrifies me because it does what the right wing government wants - locates problems and pathology in individuals rather than the system we live in. It means those in power get to wash their hands of any responsibility yet again.

Your life is valuable and there are things that can help you. Thinking of you OP.

Yes I know it's society that's messed up not me but we're stuck with it. I don't know how it carries on that society is run only for the benefit of a handful of psychopaths, and believe me I don't want to give these disgusting people any satisfaction by doing their job for them by promoting the exit of unwanted people but if my experiences are anything to go by there must be many many people suffering terribly with no hope of improvement and the idea of so many suffering an unnecessary descent into insanity or extreme distress just makes me think what is the point, society has decided that it's survival of the fittest and that's that. As I've mentioned I do believe the option being available would be a great comfort to people. From my vantage point the 21st century seems to be a uniquely awful time to be alive. In previous times even if you had nothing you probably had people around you suffering the same so didn't feel so excluded , nowadays with this atomised society so many have to stick it out alone and it's just fucking disgusting. A finely tuned hell that would shame the devil.

I do believe it is a uniquely divisive and isolating time currently - I am hoping things will change and there are glimmers of hope and joy to be found. How are you doing OP? How is the medication?

I don’t know if you would be interested in seeking psychological support locally - sometimes these services are good at signposting to what support is around which can help to feel less isolated. Is there anyone you can confide in IRL too?

I just can't see how things (society)support/services/life in general for the average person is going to improve though. It's has got much worse in the last 10 years and continues to get worse.

I'm a carer for my disabled child and every damn thing is getting worse, for my DC and for me. Its very hard to look on the bright side, be positive, be hopeful when nothing is improving. Not one thing despite your best efforts.

I fundamentally just don't think life's worth living and I object to being dragged into this dehumanising rat race where it's kill or be killed and 'winning' depends on others losing and everyone hates everyone else apart from a few other people , pretty much.
The 21st century is just grotesque on every level. Why do you think the psychopaths are trying to start another war? It ain't cos the status quo is wonderful.
If they started Armageddon I'd probably laugh. You'd be wiping out almost nothing but misery. There's something seriously wrong with humans and human society or they wouldn't be building nukes or wiping their own ecology out.

Just venting !

It's difficult because most people's experiences of depression are that suicidal ideation is fleeting and that if you get on the right meds and get the right therapy you will live a happy life again. As someone who's now 40 and has had suicidal ideation from around the age of 6, I don't have a frame of reference to work towards. The thought that I may live another 40 years is frankly terrifying to me.

I've tried various SSRIs over the years and done counselling, CBT, a couple of referrals to psychaitrists who dismissed me after 5 minutes because I'm not a danger to other people. I'm a 'functioning' depressive in that I hold down a job, but my life is basically going to work and doing necessities like laundry, cooking etc. I have a few crafting hobbies and can be very productive with them, I get out and about walking my dogs everyday. I use all my energy doing the essential stuff to just survive, so there's not enough left over to maintain a social life.

On paper, I do all the things which are meant to help. None of it brings me any real happiness or respite, I just feel numb and tell myself that doing something is at least slightly better than lying in bed. I still wake up every morning thinking, not another day to get through. I give myself a little pep talk and get on with my day the best I can, but if I had a button I could push to not exist I would do that, every time.

I don’t want to appear to be offering ‘solutions’ if you just want to share your experiences - so I apologise if this comes across this way. The longstanding high functioning depression and lack of enjoyment you describe - CBT, counselling and psychiatry would not be recommended. If you wanted to give therapy another go I would advise psychodynamic psychotherapy with a suitably qualified and accredited practitioner - sessions should be weekly for at least a year. This is more depth focused and can be extremely helpful for more entrenched patterns and feelings (or lack of). Because it’s so specialist it can be harder to access through the NHS though. The NHS is all about short term CBT quick fixes sadly. I really do wish you well.

I'm the OP

I think I'd feel better if I got involved in singing or something like that. My pain is so immense and my feelings so bottled up that if I started singing in a group or something I'd immediately feel 100% better. But doing this is obviously not easy everything takes will organisation and availability.

The problem with euthanasia for MH issues is that I suspect many would like to exit because they're not receiving the MH help they need to function at even a basic level in life. Things like social isolation, dealing with the benefits system, not being able to access talking therapy/a psychiatrist/a specialist MH team when needed but on years long waiting lists etc. All these things increase suicidal thoughts. If many people got the help they actually needed, I believe a lot wouldn't be suicidal any more despite their problems.

Start small OP, baby steps. Break the task of finding a singing group down into smaller tasks and tackle one at a time. Have you considered church services? It's free, there's singing and you don't need to book in advance. Christmas carol services will be popping up everywhere soon.

I genuinely appreciate the input and will research psychodynamic psychotherapy in my area, to see what options I have. I do think I probably need to be on some type of none SSRI medication to make any progress, but I don't know where to try beyond GPs who seem to think SSRIs are the only solution to good mental health.

I feel this way a lot too. I think a lot of people are living really miserable lives emotionally and/or mentally. The thought of being able to leave is a comfort to me.

You take all the SSRI the GP offers (otherwise you're risking being "non-compliant/not willing to help yourself") and ask about talking therapy and go on a waiting list for a mostly pointless 6wk basic course that isn't ever going to fix all your complex problems, or take the computer based course that's offered because it's cheaper (basically whatever they offer, your answer is "yes please"), then when they don't work, you get referred to secondary care services (GP is primary care) such as a MH team or a psychiatrist. Then it's a case of taking a deep breath and smile sweetly (but not too much or you "don't look depressed") at whatever dickhead is asking if you've tried getting a good night's sleep or taking a hot bath to feel calmer, and explain the things you've tried and what's helped a bit and what hasn't helped at all etc. Then you might finally get somewhere.

Although there isn't actually a cure for realising the world (well, the human part of it anyway) is a bit shit. In simple terms, you just have to do more of the things you like and less of the things you don't like, as well as keep on top of life's basic necessities like finances/personal care/working on your MH etc and in so doing, life becomes nicer for you. If you need meds/therapy/social care etc to enable you to do that, that's what they should provide.

Just look at that. Attempted suicide at 14 ended up paraplegic.
Some of us do NOT fit in and NEVER will fit in and do not want to be here. We don't want sympathy we just want to fucking leave this cruel vicious judgemental HELL. What's so hard to understand??
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3de9y0y324o

I'm struggling terribly and I think I'm in the middle of a mental breakdown.
I'm going for long walks most nights but I'm still in the grip of terrible feelings. It's like being demonically possessed or something. I've rung the Samaritans and thought about going to A&E. I can't believe how cruel life is and how much pain life can give us. 😞 Need things to change can't go on like this though thank god spring is approaching.