I’ve read that viewpoint and think it’s mainly a slippery slope argument…if we let people decide their lives aren’t worth living, maybe other people will decide that someone else’s life isn’t worth living. Next thing you know, we’ll be convincing people to throw in the towel because they are a burden and we will stop looking for advance to improve the lives of the disabled. I understand the group’s position, but don’t agree.
To the OP, yes. I have gone on record with my family that I do not want to be a burden and have specified what I consider to be a reasonable quality of life. If for some reason I can no longer have the quality of life that I find acceptable, I’m out. If necessary, we’ll move to Oregon for physcian-assisted suicide, though I’m hoping that Washington will pass a similar law. If I need help, I expect my family to step up to the plate and help me.
[understatement]I’ve given this matter a little thought.[/understatement]
My father lived to the age of 93, making himself and everyone around him completely miserable in the process. I like to think I’ll take myself out before becoming a burden. The problem is being able to recognize the moment, having the means to do the job, and having the will to carry through. People who say suicide is the coward’s way out don’t know what they are talking about.
betenoir- throwing yourself in front of a train would be a pretty fucked up thing to do to the poor bastard driving the train, wouldn’t it? :dubious: I have talked to cable car operators in SF about people doing the “suicide by trolley” thing, and it has caused some terrible guilt for drivers.
AuntiePam, doing the car/garage/carbon monoxide thing would leave a mess for someone to clean up, wouldn’t it? Yuck. Hell of a shock for the loved ones when they open the garage door…
When I first read the thread title, I thought that is was just about “regular” suicide, and my answer was “hell, no” because I have young children. There is no way I would ever leave them alone to face the tender mercies of this world.
However, if we are talking about ending my own suffering in the face of a debilitating, painful, slow death, then I might consider it. A simple pill OD, nothing spectacular. Just night-night. I am a former junkie, and I will have no problem ensuring that the dose is fatal. Duh.
We’ve discussed moving to Oregon for our twilight years. Either that, or a quick heroin overdose. There’s no fucking way I want to 1) be a burden, 2) be incapacitated or 3) be in pain. The Pillow Pact is firmly in place.
I agree wholeheartedly. If I’m ever in a position where my life is painful and miserable, there’s no sense in sticking around for more of the same. I would, however, make it a point to make sure that no one’s traumatized by finding my body. That’s just cruel.
I certainly would, most likely by OD’ing on pills. I would never want to get to a point where I was a burden to anyone, and I don’t call spending time in an assisted living facility having someone wipe my ass “living”.
My mother always told me that when she gets to that “point of no return”, to put something in her coffee to make her go perma-beddy-bye.
I firmly believe that everyone should be given the option of ending their own life on their own terms. Barring medical miracles, I’m facing a series of potential dread fatal diseases due to genetics. I will also likely be single and childless, and would never expect my family to take care of me directly or financially. I’m not yet 40 and I have already thought about it and assume that is what I will do when the time comes. I certainly hope that by then our society will be enlightened enough that it will be legal and assisted. (There’s my version of optimism.)
Yeah, I realize that. My daughter’s ex-boyfriend tried it, and she found him (in time).
I’d have to get my family on board with it – or at least one of them, the one who’d call the authorities when it was over. But if a doctor won’t help me, that seems to be one of the least messy ways. No blood, no vomiting from an overdose.
Me too. Old age doesn’t look all that interesting or appealing to me. Also, I have no interest in starting a family or getting into any lifetime obligations of that sort, so I’m not expecting to have anyone around that would miss me all that much if I suddenly dropped dead. When I’ve done most things that I want to do, and my body starts breaking down, and I’m no longer enjoying this whole crazy shit, I’m outta here. I’m still looking for a quick and easy method, though. I’d like to get hold of some sort of fast-working poison. I hear potassium cyanide is pretty effective. I think I’ll be spending some time trying to find some.
However, don’t panic, folks. It’s not like I’m going to do it this week or anything. I’ve still got a bit of unfinished business to take care of.
I would, if it looked like I was going to become too physically or mentally debilitated to look after myself. It’s not so much worry about becoming a burden as it having nothing to look forward to but being hospitalized in pain or being dumped into indifferent nursing care until I’m eventually killed by neglect anyway. If it comes to that, I hope I have the luck to recognize the right time to do it–not too early, but before it’s too late–and have the strength to see it through.
Unlike most of the people in this thread, if I were to choose to kill myself - I am of the opinion it would be out of anger, not despair.
As such my suicide method would have to have three important qualities:
[ul]
[li]It must be immediate. I can think of nothing worse than thinking, as one passes the 30th floor, “Yanno, things aren’t that bad.”[/li][li]It must be failure-proof. The last thing one wants, after a suicide attempt, is to wake up in the hospital, with no face, or no eyes, nor working liver, and now under restaints, with no way to correct the mistake.[/li][li]It must be capable of leaving some kind of giant F*** YOU to the world. [/li][/ul]
Given this list, if I ever plan to kill myself, I’ll consider something like going to the middle of the city’s new Soccer Stadium and blowing myself up with an ANFO bomb. And lots of shrapnel. (Doing it at night, of course, while no one’s around. I’m trying to be a jerk, not a murderer.)
twenty years ago I was at a low point in my life and considered such an option. It was ruled out and twenty years later I realize it was a permanent solution to temporary problems. Two years ago I watched my dad die of cancer. He made it clear that he knew he was dying, and would prefer to end it straight away. Not an option here. So I guess I have seen both sides of it. Not a decision to be taken lightly, but in the interest of personal dignity a choice that should be available. I have no doubt that dad would have much preffered to die of an overdose in his own bed than to gasp his last breath with tubes in his arms, down his throat and in his private parts. JMO of course.
Well that was kind of my point. When I was sucidally depressed last year…and living alongside a traintrack…and not wanting to screw it up and just be more of a burden…that’s what I thought about. But then, I didn’t want to be an inconvience. Not, as I said, to the people on the train, not to Casey Jones up there, not to my mom…etc. Like I said, death is a tricky thing.
I have heard (potential urban legend here) that this is a VERY painful way to go. Apparently, you become paralyzed before you die. Meaning, you sit there for a few minutes unable to move, but still very much alive. I think wrapping your lips around the business end of a .38 would be quicker.
C’mon now Eve! This is a depressing thread! I was just trying to be positive.
However, in truth, I agree with you. Quality of life for an individual is important. I’ve seen some ugly stuff.
