But W.V. believes his daughter “is vulnerable and is not competent to make the decision to take her own life,” according to Feasby’s summary of the father’s position.
“He says that she is generally healthy and believes that her physical symptoms, to the extent that she has any, result from undiagnosed psychological conditions.”
Her only known diagnoses described in court earlier this month are autism and ADHD.
He has no idea what her life is like from the inside or what degree of suffering she may be experiencing, because he is not her. All he knows is that her opting for MAID will cause him suffering.
If she’s competent to manage her own finances and legal affairs, she’s also competent to make this decision. Either she is an independent adult, or she is not. There’s no halfway.
You also don’t know what she’s going through either because the article did not provide any detail at all. For all we know, she could have an easily treated chemical imbalance. I think the point is that a 27 year old without a terminal illness shouldn’t just be able to commit medically assisted suicide.
I don’t know what this person has gone through because it doesn’t say in the article, but 27 is still young. It’s also possible that this is a huge mistake that she would regret with hindsight (well SHE wouldn’t, but all of her loved ones certainly would).
That’s the fun part, you don’t get a say in her life without her consent. We don’t choose to be born but we sure as shit get to choose what we do while we’re here. It doesn’t matter what you think because this isn’t about you.
If it’s “an easily treated chemical imbalance”, they would have diagnosed it by now. The MAID process is far from instantaneous. She’s had plenty of opportunity to be evaluated, and her father has had plenty of opportunity to persuade her to be evaluated.
On a philosophical level, why shouldn’t a healthy 27 year old be able to opt out?
Because with experience comes wisdom. It sounds like she was trying to become eligible under the mental illness section from the one line we are given from the father who said she is in reasonably good physical health.
If it is depression or something, it’s possible with treatment that she could look back on it one day as a dark period, but one she’s glad she made it through. Things that were once so major in life might become minor in the long run.
What if it’s 27 years of suffering?
Dude. There is this thing called “treatment-resistant depression” that medicine still can’t find any way to help. A diagnosis of “depression” doesn’t mean that anything can be done.
Chances are good this woman has already been through treatment and psychiatric evaluation to get her existing diagnoses.
This is pretty much what I’m dealing with. All the medicine I’ve tried just makes me a zombie and that’s even worse. With those meds all I wanted to do is sleep because of the depression and all my body wants to do is sleep because of the medicine… So not only did it not work, it made life more difficult.
I appreciate everything you’re saying. And I tend to agree with the things.
Not talking about this person in particular, but a completely healthy individual who has decided for their own reasons to exit. Why should anybody else get a say in that?
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I can’t even begin to imagine your feelings. I’m so sorry you went through this.
I’m truly saddened by your story, but thank you for sharing it. And unfortunately the stigma and shame that comes with things like ADHD can be overwhelming. It is easy to go down the rabbit hole of “if only I could be normal…”, or “what would my life be like if I didn’t have ADHD…” and quickly lead to depression and more guilt.
The rate of death by suicide is alarmingly high among neurodivergent individuals, which is a real issue needing more attention. We need to work to demolish the stigma of these diagnoses, and make it a world where people can feel comfortable asking for help.
Ok this has brought me down, so I’m done in this thread for a bit, maybe I’ll check back later.
Looks like Reddit is leaking again.
Even your phrasing has a “Like a pet” vibe.