“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles
Trigger warning: euthanasia, self-harm, suicide
28-year-old Zoraya ter Beek is expected to be euthanized in early May, following years of untreatable mental health struggles that have become unbearable, leading to a diminished life quality.
The Dutch woman, who has already decided to be cremated, has been reportedly suffering from depression, autism, and borderline personality disorder (BPD).
- Zoraya ter Beek will undergo euthanasia due to untreatable mental health issues.
- In 2022, euthanasia accounted for 5% of deaths in the Netherlands.
- Zoraya described the procedure as calm, starting with a cup of coffee.
According to Mayo Clinic, BPD mental disorder characterized by unstable moods, behavior, and relationships.
In 2017, Zoraya had already opened up about her challenges for the Dutch publication AD, in which she revealed that she started to harm herself at the age of 13.
She would cut herself on her arm regularly, prompting a teacher to send her to behavioral experts, which, at the time, did not lead to a diagnosis or treatment.
In 2015, Zoraya was diagnosed with chronic depression and ASD (autism spectrum disorder), and her mood could not be elevated with the help of medications. She was already thinking about euthanasia then.
28-year-old Zoraya ter Beek is expected to be euthanized in early May, following years of untreatable mental health struggles
Image credits: rtlnieuws
Now, according to an article written by a journalist who endorses anti-euthanasia views on social media, Zoraya has finally taken the step to schedule her end-of-life treatment.
She described the process of undergoing euthanasia for the Free Press (FP): “The doctor really takes her time.
“It is not that they walk in and say: lay down, please!
“Most of the time it is first a cup of coffee to settle the nerves and create a soft atmosphere.
“Then she asks if I am ready.
“I will take my place on the couch.
“She will once again ask if I am sure, and she will start up the procedure and wish me a good journey.
“Or, in my case, a nice nap, because I hate it if people say, ‘Safe journey.’ I’m not going anywhere.”
Image credits: TheFP
As of 2023, euthanasia is legal in Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal (law not yet in force, awaiting regulation), Spain, and all six states of Australia.
In the Netherlands, a doctor administers a sedative, followed by a drug that stops the patient’s heart.
Upon the patient’s death, a euthanasia review committee evaluates the death to ensure the doctor adhered to due care criteria. The Dutch government can subsequently declare that the life of the patient was lawfully ended.
Zoraya recalled her psychiatrist telling her that they had tried everything: “There’s nothing more we can do for you. It’s never gonna get any better.”
At that point, she said, she decided to die. “I was always very clear that if it doesn’t get better, I can’t do this anymore,” she told FP.
Zoraya admitted: “I’m a little afraid of dying because it’s the ultimate unknown.
“We don’t really know what’s next—or is there nothing? That’s the scary part.”
Zoraya decided to be cremated after being diagnosed with depression and autism
Zoraya ter Beek is one of a growing number of people across the West choosing to end their lives rather than live in pain. Pain that in many cases can be treated.
In 2022, euthanasia comprised 5% of deaths in the Netherlands. Read @rupasubramanya’s investigation:… pic.twitter.com/YHh2Sk6DbN
— The Free Press (@TheFP) April 2, 2024
A Bored Panda staff member read on Wednesday (April 3) an X post (formerly known as Twitter) written by Zoraya where she claimed that she did not have BPD. Zoraya has since deleted her X account.
Bored Panda has contacted the Netherlands’ Regional Euthanasia Review Committees (RTEs) for comment about Zoraya’s case.
The RTEs’ latest annual report indicates that there has been an increase in the number of notifications of euthanasia in the Netherlands.
In 2022, the RTEs received 8,720 notifications, an increase of 13.7% compared to the previous year.
The total number of euthanasia represented 5.1% of the total number of deaths in 2022 in the country, compared to 4.6% in 2021.
Image credits: Enrique Silva
The committees noted that 57.8% of the euthanasia performed in 2022 involved patients with incurable cancer.
The latest figures also showed that 7% of euthanized patients had neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. 4.1% were patients with cardiovascular disease, 3.2% were patients with pulmonary disorders, and 16.4% were patients with a combination of conditions, usually somatic.
Moreover, the RTEs indicated that the highest number of notifications of euthanasia involved people in their seventies (2,873 cases, 32.9%), followed by people in their eighties (2,314 cases, 26.5%), and people in their sixties (1,669 cases, 19.1%).
“The doctor really takes her time,” Zoraya said, describing the procedure
Image credits: freepik
According to the Maxim Institute, euthanasia is when an attending medical or nurse practitioner takes an action with the singular intention of causing a patient’s death. Generally, this is in the form of a lethal injection.
Meanwhile, assisted suicide is when a suicide is intentionally aided by the attending medical or nurse practitioner, and the person self-administers the medication. That is, the medical practitioner will prescribe a lethal drug that the patient will usually take orally.
Assisted suicide is legal in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, parts of the United States, and all six states of Australia.
People had divided opinions regarding Zoraya’s decision
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Maybe it's because I'm Dutch, but why would one doubt the wish for death of someone with severe, and in this case apparently untreatable, depression, just because they feel it's 'wrong' or 'too final a solution'? Your life is your own, and if you wish to die because life is insufferable for you, then why should you be made to continue it? Respect people's right to an honorable death. EDIT TO ADD: 'things could still get better' is no argument to then just suffer through another decade or so of mental torture. You wouldn't say that to someone in an abusive relationship, you probably wouldn't even put your pet through that, so why would you wish it upon another person?
Yes, better to have it done with care and dignity than try to do it yourself. I REALLY take offence to the post that states " growing number of people .. choosing to end their lives rather than living in pain. Pain that in many cases can be treated". The last sentence is a lie. People can just say " i want to die" and its done. There is a review board that checks to determine" can anything else be done? " Only then is it approved. So that means the pain CANT be treated. Sorry for shouting but this upsets me so much. Like you said, people should respect other people's right to an honorable death.
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Mental illnesses can make your life absolutely unbearable just like physical illnesses and sometimes, there really is no cure. Plus you can't just die on a whim with an assisted dying organization, you will get a lot of assistance, a medical evaluation, a waiting period and so on. Let people who find their existence unbearable die in peace and dignity. You are free to choose to suffer until your very end, don't make that choice for others.
Absolutely. I was tasked last winter by my terminally ill father in law to organise his assisted suicide. And let me tell you, the things that need to be done, organized, evaluated, checked, double checked, approved until you are actually allowed to have that assistance are no small feat. All in addition to him asking when he's finally able to go and what's taking so long. 😢 In the end after everything was organized and scheduled he died without assistance (which was ok as well) Him slowly dying by soffocating was not something I was prepared to let him suffer through! Yet still it was immensly hard on my husband and my mom in law, which is why I organized everything. It's just NOT easy at all to go this path.
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I feel so desperately sad for her, because at one point in my own life I felt dying was genuinely the only way out. I tried, I failed, I suffered and it was horrific. But I'm doing so much better now and I look back on that time and feel nothing but dread at the idea that I might have succeeded and ended there, at 27. But I do understand that living life with certain disorders can be completely unbearable, and I think the choice to die with dignity is a deeply personal one. I wish her peace.
It's good to hear you are doing so much better now. Long may it continue. May there be joy, happiness and peace in your life.
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To those saying, "Prayers to her" and c**p like that. Your belief system would have me believe that God made her this way, that God is perfect and can make no mistakes. So the God you're praying to made her have incurable, crippling depression. Your prayers aren't going to do anything to help her, because you're praying to the very God that made her the way she is and put her on this planet only to live a life of misery.
Dying at a time of my own choosing, instead of living in pain for years, is my preference. I want to be able to make that decision for myself. Allowing someone to die, and not protract their life, is a final act of love. I would much rather die in a peaceful, calm situation than in a hospital emergency situation.
It is so sad Zoraya's condition was not able to be treated. However, to live in pain, with no future relief - that is torture. I hope between now and her death day, she finds peace, and a lessening of pain, knowing the pain will stop.
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Why is it so hard for people to understand that some persons don't want to life (regardless under which circumstances)? Why are they not allowed to go in a peaceful way? This is rarely an unreflected feeling - I think most of them know that some people will miss them, that life has beautiful sides too...I bet they all thought about this and that there may come better times. But if they decide for an end, they should be respected. It's nothing easy. And if course it should be discussed with therapeutic help beforehand. But in the end I wish we were truly free to decide to end it. And with help, because of not with help possible, it often times leads to brutal, "dirty" attempts, that will influence others and can cause trauma on them. This is not fair for anybody. I wish for the true freedom to end my life if I decide to.
I have suffered from severe mental health issues my entire life. My psychiatrist recently said there's nothing left for me to try, medication wise. So, I guess I'm left to feel this way forever. I would do assisted suicide but it would absolutely destroy my family. So, I stay for them. Life is hard and scary :(
I am very sorry you are dealing with this. I wish we had solutions for every ailment. Having seen the unbearable suffering that some mental health issues caused dear friends, I personally believe they are as bad as the unending, debilitating nerve pain I've lived with. So many people don't understand how fighting illness and pain for years really feels. It's not the same as a sprained joint or a bout of clinical depression. Not even close. I am very grateful that my country has assisted ending of life.
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I have always felt that we should be in charge of our own bodies. If this is truly her wish, and if due diligence and counselling has been done to assure that this is not a fit of depression, honestly, who am I to demand she live? I would wish to be in the position of making that decision for myself. It takes a certain amount of bravery to face that decision as well. May she find the peace she deserves, one way or another.
This is one of those things that I can’t really contribute because I can’t empathize. I suffer from mental illness, I’ve wanted to die, but I got over it eventually. Obviously I’m not her and I have no idea what she’s experiencing so it would be presumptuous of me to use my personal feelings to account for her experience. I think the best thing here is to let people choose how to live or not live their lives and you mind your own business. I hope she finds peace and I hope her family and friends are supportive.
BPD is a horrible condition that makes normal life and relationships very hard, and apart from aspects like depression it's not something that can be medicated. I believe in the right to self-determination, but I hope they tried intensive therapy as well.
There is a review board that makes sure " nothing else can be done".
Load More Replies... Good on her! She has decided SHE doesn't want to go on because of her illnesses. Who are we to decide that the opposite is best for her. There are a lot of checks and balances involved, as it should be, but ultimately everyone should have the right to live or not as they see fit.
I need you guys to read this comment with an open mind and not start losing your s**t about suicide or whatever. I really like that this is an option and I might consider it in the future. I still get satisfaction from life, but my mental health has always been deteriorating for about as long as I can remember before I even knew what mental health was. I have extremely disabling adhd and depression to the point that I can barely function through life. I've tried lots of therapies and medications and nothing has really been anything more than a bandaid. I am not actively suicidal or anything, but I am on a path to destruction that is very sadly out of my control. It's hard living life when you're physically unable to take care of yourself or choose what you're able to do. It doesn't matter what I prioritize because the only control I have over my actions is to choose to stop, but I'm not ready for that yet. It's very tiring though.
The people who approve of this for physical conditions but not mental are inherently dismissive of the severity of mental health issues, even if they want to pretend they aren't. I'm not this open with anyone except doctors because I know that no one else would understand and it would just distress them, but I feel fine anonymously yelling it into the void. And please don't try to give me unsolicited advice or silly pleasantries about how things get better. I'm not stupid, I'm suffering from failing health and this is only a snippet of what life is like for me. And if knowing that I have incurable chronic pain diseases and other physical disabilities that encroach on my quality of life makes you change your mind about arguing with everything I said, pause to check your priorities. Even though I know it isn't my turn yet, I'm happy that she's finally getting peace. This isn't her "giving up," it's her deciding that her quality of life isn't acceptable.
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As someone of the same age, who also suffers with their mental health (and physical too atm, which has made the mental health a bit more difficult at times) I am so, so sad for her, but I completely understand her choice. It's not anyone elses decision to make. I just hope that she did exhaust every other alternative such as medication/therapy, as I do feel that this should be a last resort for anyone. I hope that when the time comes, if she still feels the need to go on with this, that she is at peace. <3
People telling her to hold on are like the w@nkers who tell you to get some sun and exercise for depression. Why - so she can continue to suffer longer? I had some amazing chats with my aunt about death and not holding on for other people. My mother was expected to die last year and we are little to no contact so I asked if I should attend her funeral in a long distance country. Aunt: [direct quote] "What the f**k she gonna care, she won't even be there herself". Made me laugh then, made me cry when I visited Saffa in December and my aunt went into a coma before I could see her and died during my flight back. She needed to go after years after struggles and finally she the chance (she contracted pneumonia and opted to not fight it on top of her underlying conditions). I respect that. My mother on the other hand fights on for her other daughter who only wants her alive so she can cling to the pension.
American here. It needs to be an option for people who have no options when it comes to chronic illness which absolutely should include mental health. We have so many people who became homeless and had no mental health problems at all until they became homeless, because they couldn't get the help they needed they became severely mentally ill, turned to to dr√gs, we're sexually abused and most homeless women and youth more than once, some more than a couple of times because predators know the police aren't going to do anything when the victim is homeless. Homes people are treated horrifically here. There is no word that describes how cruel people can be to homeless. Social workers, mental health workers, politicians, business owners, police and absolutely politicians. These people who do not care about homeless people and how they became homeless are so incredibly cruel. This is why we have so much homeless with issues. Because of the cruelty not because of how they became homeless.
Hopefully that's for borderline personality disorder as well.....cause ya know.....it really is unbearable pain inside
I wouln't say everybody with BPD will get better, but even science has suggested that the sympotms get better as you grow older (thirties / fourties). And the therapeutic methods have also gotten way better in the last years. BPD has this reputation that there's no hope for the patient. But that is an old misconception. BPD is a chronic illness, but it's most of the time managable.
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I fully support her decision. All these people who say it's not right/evil /sinful are not trying to live her life. No one takes a decision like this lightly and there are a lot of security to make sure it's not something she has not considered all the consequences. We as a species seem to be so keen on prolonging life that we forget there are times when saying no more is the right thing to do. We don't let our pets suffer unnecessarily so why don't we let our love ones make these decisions for themselves. If my condition gets to the stage I'm totally bedridden to I to would like to be given this choice
Her life- her choice. If you don't have mental health disorders then you shouldn't get a say in what someone with these depressive conditions should do to deal with her pain. If I was single then I'd be on the first flight over to the Netherlands with 21 years of health records documenting my suffering since diagnosis of clinical depression aged 15. Never tell someone 'things could be worse/get better' because it's extremely exasperating and we're already dealing with stuff. If mental health problems had physical symptoms like turning covering you with growths like the cancer of the mind it is then it would be taken more seriously.
I sit on the fence regarding euthanasia of otherwise medically well people. I'm a strong supporter of self-determination. However, having lived through the chosen deaths of both my parents and another close relative, I know the other side of this debate. I have no idea of what type support is offered to the loved ones of someone who chooses death in this fashion. It is such an incredibly hard burden to carry when someone you loved decides life is not worth living and chooses death instead. I think a lot of people see these choices as simple - the black and white with little shades of gray. I see them as multi-colored, very complicated situations. Don't dictate my life choices based on your beliefs, but don't completely ignore the impact of these choices on others.
As human we have obligation to help each other wellness. Yes mental issue is not something easy. She is still very young and have plenty options. It is very sad that we let a person that still have many option like her to surrender.
Chronic, debilitating, intractable, and treatment resistant mental illness is hell on earth. It is constant, un-ending misery and suffering. SOME people have success with time and treatment - not all. You must not have fully read nor comprehended her story, as this poor woman has exhausted all avenues. In the end, the choice should be hers.
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This is very badly misstated. Her mental health conditions are absolutely treatable, so calling them untreatable is misleading and dangerous. Borderline and ASD are incurable, but they are not untreatable. She may not be satisfied with the progress she has made for whatever reason, but that does not mean treatments do not exist. Please edit this article to correct these misconceptions given in the title and the article, as to not negatively impact the expectations and mental health of others with the same conditions.
Haha, as if she just tried one doctor and said 'ah, screw this'. She's had over a decade of therapies, different medications and different doctors to try and help her. Nothing worked. And then it takes years to get assisted suicide, which also has to be approved by another psychiatrist, not her regular doctor. It's nice that you were cured, but unfortunately, not everyone can be. Also, you're very judgemental and it's very rich to than ask others not to be.
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Why should your options and choices affect another person's life? It worked for you. Go and tell that b******t about "reality" to people with terminal illnesses, or people with degenerative diseases... Things many times change for the worse. That's reality. Being a survivor does not give you the right to patronise other people who are suffering.
Load More Replies... You think in a lifetime of different doctors and psychiatrists, a whole panel of assisted dying experts and the years long process to get approval for assisted dying and in all of those experts and people no one ever said, gee..... I wonder if we should do a blood panel for vitamin deficiency. lol. I live in the Netherlands. I went to my doctor with mild mood disruption and the very first thing he did was order blood samples for Iron and Vit D. Doctors here don't just give out antidepressants.
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Maybe it's because I'm Dutch, but why would one doubt the wish for death of someone with severe, and in this case apparently untreatable, depression, just because they feel it's 'wrong' or 'too final a solution'? Your life is your own, and if you wish to die because life is insufferable for you, then why should you be made to continue it? Respect people's right to an honorable death. EDIT TO ADD: 'things could still get better' is no argument to then just suffer through another decade or so of mental torture. You wouldn't say that to someone in an abusive relationship, you probably wouldn't even put your pet through that, so why would you wish it upon another person?
Yes, better to have it done with care and dignity than try to do it yourself. I REALLY take offence to the post that states " growing number of people .. choosing to end their lives rather than living in pain. Pain that in many cases can be treated". The last sentence is a lie. People can just say " i want to die" and its done. There is a review board that checks to determine" can anything else be done? " Only then is it approved. So that means the pain CANT be treated. Sorry for shouting but this upsets me so much. Like you said, people should respect other people's right to an honorable death.
Load More Replies... Mental illnesses can make your life absolutely unbearable just like physical illnesses and sometimes, there really is no cure. Plus you can't just die on a whim with an assisted dying organization, you will get a lot of assistance, a medical evaluation, a waiting period and so on. Let people who find their existence unbearable die in peace and dignity. You are free to choose to suffer until your very end, don't make that choice for others.
Absolutely. I was tasked last winter by my terminally ill father in law to organise his assisted suicide. And let me tell you, the things that need to be done, organized, evaluated, checked, double checked, approved until you are actually allowed to have that assistance are no small feat. All in addition to him asking when he's finally able to go and what's taking so long. 😢 In the end after everything was organized and scheduled he died without assistance (which was ok as well) Him slowly dying by soffocating was not something I was prepared to let him suffer through! Yet still it was immensly hard on my husband and my mom in law, which is why I organized everything. It's just NOT easy at all to go this path.
Load More Replies... I feel so desperately sad for her, because at one point in my own life I felt dying was genuinely the only way out. I tried, I failed, I suffered and it was horrific. But I'm doing so much better now and I look back on that time and feel nothing but dread at the idea that I might have succeeded and ended there, at 27. But I do understand that living life with certain disorders can be completely unbearable, and I think the choice to die with dignity is a deeply personal one. I wish her peace.
It's good to hear you are doing so much better now. Long may it continue. May there be joy, happiness and peace in your life.
Load More Replies... To those saying, "Prayers to her" and c**p like that. Your belief system would have me believe that God made her this way, that God is perfect and can make no mistakes. So the God you're praying to made her have incurable, crippling depression. Your prayers aren't going to do anything to help her, because you're praying to the very God that made her the way she is and put her on this planet only to live a life of misery.
Dying at a time of my own choosing, instead of living in pain for years, is my preference. I want to be able to make that decision for myself. Allowing someone to die, and not protract their life, is a final act of love. I would much rather die in a peaceful, calm situation than in a hospital emergency situation.
It is so sad Zoraya's condition was not able to be treated. However, to live in pain, with no future relief - that is torture. I hope between now and her death day, she finds peace, and a lessening of pain, knowing the pain will stop.
Load More Replies... Why is it so hard for people to understand that some persons don't want to life (regardless under which circumstances)? Why are they not allowed to go in a peaceful way? This is rarely an unreflected feeling - I think most of them know that some people will miss them, that life has beautiful sides too...I bet they all thought about this and that there may come better times. But if they decide for an end, they should be respected. It's nothing easy. And if course it should be discussed with therapeutic help beforehand. But in the end I wish we were truly free to decide to end it. And with help, because of not with help possible, it often times leads to brutal, "dirty" attempts, that will influence others and can cause trauma on them. This is not fair for anybody. I wish for the true freedom to end my life if I decide to.
I have suffered from severe mental health issues my entire life. My psychiatrist recently said there's nothing left for me to try, medication wise. So, I guess I'm left to feel this way forever. I would do assisted suicide but it would absolutely destroy my family. So, I stay for them. Life is hard and scary :(
I am very sorry you are dealing with this. I wish we had solutions for every ailment. Having seen the unbearable suffering that some mental health issues caused dear friends, I personally believe they are as bad as the unending, debilitating nerve pain I've lived with. So many people don't understand how fighting illness and pain for years really feels. It's not the same as a sprained joint or a bout of clinical depression. Not even close. I am very grateful that my country has assisted ending of life.
Load More Replies... I have always felt that we should be in charge of our own bodies. If this is truly her wish, and if due diligence and counselling has been done to assure that this is not a fit of depression, honestly, who am I to demand she live? I would wish to be in the position of making that decision for myself. It takes a certain amount of bravery to face that decision as well. May she find the peace she deserves, one way or another.
This is one of those things that I can’t really contribute because I can’t empathize. I suffer from mental illness, I’ve wanted to die, but I got over it eventually. Obviously I’m not her and I have no idea what she’s experiencing so it would be presumptuous of me to use my personal feelings to account for her experience. I think the best thing here is to let people choose how to live or not live their lives and you mind your own business. I hope she finds peace and I hope her family and friends are supportive.
BPD is a horrible condition that makes normal life and relationships very hard, and apart from aspects like depression it's not something that can be medicated. I believe in the right to self-determination, but I hope they tried intensive therapy as well.
There is a review board that makes sure " nothing else can be done".
Load More Replies... Good on her! She has decided SHE doesn't want to go on because of her illnesses. Who are we to decide that the opposite is best for her. There are a lot of checks and balances involved, as it should be, but ultimately everyone should have the right to live or not as they see fit.
I need you guys to read this comment with an open mind and not start losing your s**t about suicide or whatever. I really like that this is an option and I might consider it in the future. I still get satisfaction from life, but my mental health has always been deteriorating for about as long as I can remember before I even knew what mental health was. I have extremely disabling adhd and depression to the point that I can barely function through life. I've tried lots of therapies and medications and nothing has really been anything more than a bandaid. I am not actively suicidal or anything, but I am on a path to destruction that is very sadly out of my control. It's hard living life when you're physically unable to take care of yourself or choose what you're able to do. It doesn't matter what I prioritize because the only control I have over my actions is to choose to stop, but I'm not ready for that yet. It's very tiring though.
The people who approve of this for physical conditions but not mental are inherently dismissive of the severity of mental health issues, even if they want to pretend they aren't. I'm not this open with anyone except doctors because I know that no one else would understand and it would just distress them, but I feel fine anonymously yelling it into the void. And please don't try to give me unsolicited advice or silly pleasantries about how things get better. I'm not stupid, I'm suffering from failing health and this is only a snippet of what life is like for me. And if knowing that I have incurable chronic pain diseases and other physical disabilities that encroach on my quality of life makes you change your mind about arguing with everything I said, pause to check your priorities. Even though I know it isn't my turn yet, I'm happy that she's finally getting peace. This isn't her "giving up," it's her deciding that her quality of life isn't acceptable.
Load More Replies... As someone of the same age, who also suffers with their mental health (and physical too atm, which has made the mental health a bit more difficult at times) I am so, so sad for her, but I completely understand her choice. It's not anyone elses decision to make. I just hope that she did exhaust every other alternative such as medication/therapy, as I do feel that this should be a last resort for anyone. I hope that when the time comes, if she still feels the need to go on with this, that she is at peace. <3
People telling her to hold on are like the w@nkers who tell you to get some sun and exercise for depression. Why - so she can continue to suffer longer? I had some amazing chats with my aunt about death and not holding on for other people. My mother was expected to die last year and we are little to no contact so I asked if I should attend her funeral in a long distance country. Aunt: [direct quote] "What the f**k she gonna care, she won't even be there herself". Made me laugh then, made me cry when I visited Saffa in December and my aunt went into a coma before I could see her and died during my flight back. She needed to go after years after struggles and finally she the chance (she contracted pneumonia and opted to not fight it on top of her underlying conditions). I respect that. My mother on the other hand fights on for her other daughter who only wants her alive so she can cling to the pension.
American here. It needs to be an option for people who have no options when it comes to chronic illness which absolutely should include mental health. We have so many people who became homeless and had no mental health problems at all until they became homeless, because they couldn't get the help they needed they became severely mentally ill, turned to to dr√gs, we're sexually abused and most homeless women and youth more than once, some more than a couple of times because predators know the police aren't going to do anything when the victim is homeless. Homes people are treated horrifically here. There is no word that describes how cruel people can be to homeless. Social workers, mental health workers, politicians, business owners, police and absolutely politicians. These people who do not care about homeless people and how they became homeless are so incredibly cruel. This is why we have so much homeless with issues. Because of the cruelty not because of how they became homeless.
Hopefully that's for borderline personality disorder as well.....cause ya know.....it really is unbearable pain inside
I wouln't say everybody with BPD will get better, but even science has suggested that the sympotms get better as you grow older (thirties / fourties). And the therapeutic methods have also gotten way better in the last years. BPD has this reputation that there's no hope for the patient. But that is an old misconception. BPD is a chronic illness, but it's most of the time managable.
Load More Replies... I fully support her decision. All these people who say it's not right/evil /sinful are not trying to live her life. No one takes a decision like this lightly and there are a lot of security to make sure it's not something she has not considered all the consequences. We as a species seem to be so keen on prolonging life that we forget there are times when saying no more is the right thing to do. We don't let our pets suffer unnecessarily so why don't we let our love ones make these decisions for themselves. If my condition gets to the stage I'm totally bedridden to I to would like to be given this choice
Her life- her choice. If you don't have mental health disorders then you shouldn't get a say in what someone with these depressive conditions should do to deal with her pain. If I was single then I'd be on the first flight over to the Netherlands with 21 years of health records documenting my suffering since diagnosis of clinical depression aged 15. Never tell someone 'things could be worse/get better' because it's extremely exasperating and we're already dealing with stuff. If mental health problems had physical symptoms like turning covering you with growths like the cancer of the mind it is then it would be taken more seriously.
I sit on the fence regarding euthanasia of otherwise medically well people. I'm a strong supporter of self-determination. However, having lived through the chosen deaths of both my parents and another close relative, I know the other side of this debate. I have no idea of what type support is offered to the loved ones of someone who chooses death in this fashion. It is such an incredibly hard burden to carry when someone you loved decides life is not worth living and chooses death instead. I think a lot of people see these choices as simple - the black and white with little shades of gray. I see them as multi-colored, very complicated situations. Don't dictate my life choices based on your beliefs, but don't completely ignore the impact of these choices on others.
As human we have obligation to help each other wellness. Yes mental issue is not something easy. She is still very young and have plenty options. It is very sad that we let a person that still have many option like her to surrender.
Chronic, debilitating, intractable, and treatment resistant mental illness is hell on earth. It is constant, un-ending misery and suffering. SOME people have success with time and treatment - not all. You must not have fully read nor comprehended her story, as this poor woman has exhausted all avenues. In the end, the choice should be hers.
Load More Replies... This is very badly misstated. Her mental health conditions are absolutely treatable, so calling them untreatable is misleading and dangerous. Borderline and ASD are incurable, but they are not untreatable. She may not be satisfied with the progress she has made for whatever reason, but that does not mean treatments do not exist. Please edit this article to correct these misconceptions given in the title and the article, as to not negatively impact the expectations and mental health of others with the same conditions.
Haha, as if she just tried one doctor and said 'ah, screw this'. She's had over a decade of therapies, different medications and different doctors to try and help her. Nothing worked. And then it takes years to get assisted suicide, which also has to be approved by another psychiatrist, not her regular doctor. It's nice that you were cured, but unfortunately, not everyone can be. Also, you're very judgemental and it's very rich to than ask others not to be.
Load More Replies... Why should your options and choices affect another person's life? It worked for you. Go and tell that b******t about "reality" to people with terminal illnesses, or people with degenerative diseases... Things many times change for the worse. That's reality. Being a survivor does not give you the right to patronise other people who are suffering.
Load More Replies... You think in a lifetime of different doctors and psychiatrists, a whole panel of assisted dying experts and the years long process to get approval for assisted dying and in all of those experts and people no one ever said, gee..... I wonder if we should do a blood panel for vitamin deficiency. lol. I live in the Netherlands. I went to my doctor with mild mood disruption and the very first thing he did was order blood samples for Iron and Vit D. Doctors here don't just give out antidepressants.
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