With the spate recently of famous people choosing to end their lives, some are mistakenly blaming the ‘right-to-die’ movement. Realistically, there is no connection.
Physician-assisted suicide, which is so far approved by six US legislatures, is to help competent adults suffering unbearable terminal illness at the END OF LIFE.
It is not about the sad suicides of persons with grave depression or serious mental illness who shorten their lives. The two fates are essentially different matters.
My 88-year-old fragile sister would like to end her life and has attempted suicide. She has a mental illness history — bi-polar and borderline personality disorder. She has been under psychiatric care much of her life, with very little success. Many people on the Internet say that some people with mental health issues should also have access to assisted suicide but I have not found an organization that says it will help. I doubt her ability to handle the helium tank method successfully on her own. She lives in California and I live in a different state. Does anyone know of an organization that might be of help in her situation? She doesn’t have any money so it isn’t as if her “heirs” are trying to hurry her demise. We just can’t bear to see her continuing to suffer as she is.
The Final Exit Network would look at her case. Whether it could help would be a matter of their investigation and their judgment.
Email F E N at finalexitnetworkcontact@gmail.com
webL: finalexitnetwork.org