Help Controlling my death and when/my terms on how I die (securing my destiny/future)

[TAW122]

While I do have my method (the firearm and can always exit at any time) and have made a smol (small) recovery recently, there is always the question for the future. I've written down what I wanted for the future, which includes being able to be in control of my death and the manner of my death. However, I am asking you guys if my idea is feasible or if it seems to far-fetched. So I fear getting old, getting ill or disabled (mentally or physically), and would like to be in control of when, where, and how (on my terms) I die.

While I'm 28 years old currently, I don't plan to live to old age and suffer numerous health problems. I know of people around me IRL who are in their 60's or even those in their 70's, 80's and their quality of life is horrible and seeing the suffering really hurts and I'm afraid of ending up like them someday (which is inevitable since we all age and eventually disease, infimity, illness, and what not takes us down.).

Therefore, my idea (in addition to my method - which is good whenever I'm still physically healthy and young and can exit at just about any time) is that if I do live into my 40's or 50's (which I hope I don't), is there a way to ensure that if I get ill or unable to even physically ctb, that a doctor or healthcare professional will be able to do it for me? I know voluntary euthanasia is still illegal in most parts of the world, including the US, but various countries such as Switzerland (Dignitas), Netherlands, Belgium are more willing to do so for people who are suffering immensely IRL. Would it be a good idea for me to move to those countries in the coming years?

Another thing I've looked into is getting an advanced directive and a living will, but I'm not sure how I'd go about it without raising red flags. I'm only 28 years of age, and I don't want lawyers or medical professionals to look at me and think I'm suicidal or crazy just for thinking about doing this at such a young age. Imho, it's not too early because you never know what can happen in the future, you could get some serious illness, suffer an motor vehicle (or other shit) accident, and life changes for the worst.

Again, I don't plan to die anytime soon, but this is just something that I want to be prepared for in the long term; hopefully the sooner, the better.

 

[Jen Erik]

I don't know where you're located, but if you're in the U.S., here's what I know from my own experience.

Assisted suicide falls to the discretion of individual states. You can see which states have it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_suicide#United_States . Perhaps most notable are Oregon and Washington state. Eligibility requirements vary from state to state.

Another thing I've looked into is getting an advanced directive and a living will, but I'm not sure how I'd go about it without raising red flags. I'm only 28 years of age, and I don't want lawyers or medical professionals to look at me and think I'm suicidal or crazy just for thinking about doing this at such a young age. Imho, it's not too early because you never know what can happen in the future, you could get some serious illness, suffer an motor vehicle (or other shit) accident, and life changes for the worst.

You said it best yourself, it's never too early. Because of this, no medical professional or lawyer is going to question you, you are not going to raise red flags. You likely won't even have to talk to a lawyer; it's a legal document, so you won't need to talk to a doctor, either. You download a form, fill it out, and have it notarized; it cost me $10 in CA. Go to your state government's website and search for 'living will' or 'advance health care directive' to see the form your state recommends.

One thing that is for sure, at least with how things stand now, is that no medical professional in the United States is going to administer any protocol to end your life, no matter what your stated wishes are. All methods of assisted suicide currently legalized in the U.S. involve the active participation of the patient.

The most they can do, if you are incapacitated and unable to speak for yourself and the prognosis is poor and you have stated you wish to die rather than continue in such a situation, is follow whatever is outlined in your advance health directive – which is typically limited to withholding life-saving or life-extending treatment, in order to hasten your death, and making you as comfortable as possible during that time (ie, administering pain meds, etc.).

 

[Idorus]

Best to take a country in which a request for euthanasia by the mentall ill is already taken seriously while even getting approval now and then. Second, take care you there have the option for euthanasia (injection) as well, so not only the assisted suicide thingie called N as ofcourse it would be better they finish the job in time (per additional injection) when death is too late. Yes it's definitely reassuring somehow to live in that country.

Another thing I've looked into is getting an advanced directive and a living will, but I'm not sure how I'd go about it without raising red flags. I'm only 28 years of age, and I don't want lawyers or medical professionals to look at me and think I'm suicidal or crazy just for thinking about doing this at such a young age. Imho, it's not too early because you never know what can happen in the future, you could get some serious illness, suffer an motor vehicle (or other shit) accident, and life changes for the worst.

You don't have such problems in the free West. I promise you.

 

[1964dodge]

what others have said is correct about the advance directive. you can download the form or get it from most health care professionals. fill it out have it notarized and keep aa copy for yourself one to the family/friend you trust and your doctor if you have one. and getting old sucks i'm still fighting but i'm getting closer to ending my pain. i'm 61 I have severe chronic leg pain , severe copd 49% lung capacity, can barely walk, take insulin for diabetes plus depression and ptsd. so yes getting old does suck. i'm trying as long as I have some quality of life but i'm losing lol. but some people do well in old age, I have an aunt that walks a mile a day pretty healthy and she's 95. I think you should wait to ctb until things go downhill.

 

[Bloodtearsdust]

I'm in the same boat too. I believe euthanasia will increasingly become an option in Western countries. An aging population base coupled with more individuals without retirement savings and debt burden.. I could definitely see this becoming more and more legitimized.

 

[1964dodge]

and maybe asses the organs and do assisted suicide that doesn't damage them and give the money to family/friends or charity. but you'd have to make sure they're eligible for it or people would die for money for their family

 

[Jc40]

I have a living will. Did it with a lawyer. Gives peace of mind. Definitely do it. I hope assisted suicide becomes a option but I don't see it happening in the uk and you could pay a ton of money and they could say no, that's my fear. Think in time it will be lax though in other countries

 

[Idorus]

I have a living will. Did it with a lawyer. Gives peace of mind. Definitely do it. I hope assisted suicide becomes a option but I don't see it happening in the uk and you could pay a ton of money and they could say no, that's my fear. Think in time it will be a lax though in other countries

Here (netherlands) the entire traject (to hopefully 'green light') is compensated by any health assurance available. And all citizens are required to have this assurance.

 

[Jc40]

Here (netherlands) the entire traject (to hopefully 'green light') is compensated by any health assurance available. And all citizens are required to have this assurance.

I applied to a clinic in Netherlands and because I wasn't Dutch and didn't reside there I would have to pay and they turned me down saying not enough evidence. I didn't bother gathering more evidence.

 

[Idorus]

I applied to a clinic in Netherlands and because I wasn't Dutch and didn't reside there I would have to pay and they turned me down saying not enough evidence. I didn't bother gathering more evidence.

Wow so they were willing to take your case with enough evidence. Little surprised.

Requirement for euthanasia request usually is living here which then makes you a citizen with a health assurance so the entire traject is covered. You don´t have to be a dutch citizen.

 

[Jc40]

Wow so they were willing to take your case with enough evidence. Little surprised.

Requirement for euthanasia request usually is living here which then makes you a citizen with a health assurance so the entire traject is covered. You don´t have to be a dutch citizen.

Yeah. I would have to live there and they said I would have to pay for the costs and any medicines. Yeah but they said I didn't provide enough psychiatric evidence.. I sent them my medical files. They replied saying not enough psychiatric evidence and on that they said no, they also asked why I didn't have ECT.

 

[Jc40]

Wow so they were willing to take your case with enough evidence. Little surprised.

Why are you a little surprised?

 

[TAW122]

Thanks for all the helpful replies everyone, I will take this into consideration. I live in the US and in a state that doesn't support assisted suicide (North Carolina).

@Jen Erik thanks for the information and ideally, if there was voluntary euthanasia where people can get it after going through evaluations and then dying soon after, then I wouldn't have to rely on my method. However, until such a system exists, in this current reality, I'm still clinging on to my method (firearm) just in case things don't work out.

@1964dodge I don't have any family that will support my decision and also my sister is doing residency in psychiatry so that also works against me. (I don't think she supports right to die, euthanasia, or assisted suicide.) I also do not have anyone IRL that is pro-choice in terms of euthanasia and assisted suicide. I don't know who else I can turn to or give my advance directive to. I hope having one on file with the lawyer, with the medical professionals, and maybe other appropriate agency would be sufficient, but I don't know. I'm not well versed in all the details and stuff.

@Idorus I'm not sure how I'd go and live in the Netherlands though that would be ideal to be able to have access to euthanasia even for mental illnesses and psychological suffering (not limited to physical ailments). I am currently not in the position to be able leave the US and move to the Netherlands to access it. Maybe this means I'm just going to keep my method (my firearm) and hope I never get incapacitated, physically ill, or something? I don't know..

@Bloodtearsdust I sure hope that is the trend. I'm not sure since I often keep hearing about suicide prevention stuff being pushed around in society pretty oftenly even in the recent years. At least in the US, it doesn't seem to change, barring maybe a few states.

@Jc40 I hope you are able to find peace, and yes, it sucks that more countries don't have assisted suicide and even then, it requires a lot of money with a high potential of being rejected.

 

[Jen Erik]

if there was voluntary euthanasia where people can get it after going through evaluations and then dying soon after, then I wouldn't have to rely on my method. However, until such a system exists, in this current reality, I'm still clinging on to my method (firearm) just in case things don't work out.

Yeah, I hear you. I feel similarly. I'm getting my method in order for that same reason, so I can have it ready to go when I feel it's time, because life has become unsustainable.

 

[Idorus]

Why are you a little surprised?

I shared the below before on this board but I will do it again, that is the reason why I am surprised. I assume you contacted the end of life clinic in our country (we have only 1) but if you contacted just some doc office here ... yes that would solve the riddle. But even then.. I'm a little surprised they considered your case without even knowing you. So yes, I wonder who exactly did you contact?

From the offical NVVE site in the Netherlands:
(I did a google translate cause only in dutch on their site)

Can a non-Dutch person living in the Netherlands ask a doctor for euthanasia?
- Yes. For your application, just like everyone else, the due diligence of the euthanasia law applies

Can a non-Dutch citizen, living abroad, receive euthanasia in the Netherlands?
- A doctor who performs euthanasia with a patient must comply with due care requirements in the law. The doctor must know, among other things, the medical history of the patient. On this basis, he must be able to come to the conclusion that the patient is suffering without hope. The doctor must also determine that the patient has thought carefully about the request. And that the suffering for the patient is unbearable.
For a patient from abroad who makes a request for euthanasia, the doctor must also meet the due care requirements. For the doctor it can be more difficult to know the medical history. And to assess whether the situation of the patient meets the due care requirements.
The doctor may decide for himself whether he wants to deal with a request for euthanasia from a foreign patient. And decide what further he thinks necessary to investigate whether the request meets the due diligence requirements. For example, by consulting with care providers who have treated or treated the patient.

Can a non-Dutch citizen living in the Netherlands apply to the End of Life Clinic?
- Yes, you can, provided that the request for euthanasia has been rejected by your own doctor. Look for more information here.

Can a non-Dutch citizen, living abroad, make an application at the End-of-Life Clinic?
- No. In order to be eligible for euthanasia by a doctor from the End-of-Life Clinic, a request must previously have been rejected by your own doctor. The End-of-Life Clinic only handles applications from people living in the Netherlands

In this thread you can find the link to that ^ https://sanctioned-suicide.net/threads/my-aunt-agreed-to-help-me-with-dignitas.6298/post-104551

I am currently not in the position to be able leave the US and move to the Netherlands to access it. Maybe this means I'm just going to keep my method (my firearm) and hope I never get incapacitated, physically ill, or something? I don't know..

It's pretty weird that certain countries offer assisted suicide without giving the injection (euthanasia) in case a patient is not able to actively participate in the process. How the heck can we exclude those who might even need it the most. I think the injection will become part of it in those countries in the nearby future tho....

 

[Jc40]

I shared the below before on this board but I will do it again, that is the reason why I am surprised. I assume you contacted the end of life clinic in our country (we have only 1) but if you contacted just some doc office here ... yes that would solve the riddle. But even then.. I'm a little surprised they considered your case without even knowing you. So yes, I wonder who exactly did you contact?

From the offical NVVE site in the Netherlands:
(I did a google translate cause only in dutch on their site)

Can a non-Dutch person living in the Netherlands ask a doctor for euthanasia?
- Yes. For your application, just like everyone else, the due diligence of the euthanasia law applies

Can a non-Dutch citizen, living abroad, receive euthanasia in the Netherlands?
- A doctor who performs euthanasia with a patient must comply with due care requirements in the law. The doctor must know, among other things, the medical history of the patient. On this basis, he must be able to come to the conclusion that the patient is suffering without hope. The doctor must also determine that the patient has thought carefully about the request. And that the suffering for the patient is unbearable.
For a patient from abroad who makes a request for euthanasia, the doctor must also meet the due care requirements. For the doctor it can be more difficult to know the medical history. And to assess whether the situation of the patient meets the due care requirements.
The doctor may decide for himself whether he wants to deal with a request for euthanasia from a foreign patient. And decide what further he thinks necessary to investigate whether the request meets the due diligence requirements. For example, by consulting with care providers who have treated or treated the patient.

Can a non-Dutch citizen living in the Netherlands apply to the End of Life Clinic?
- Yes, you can, provided that the request for euthanasia has been rejected by your own doctor. Look for more information here.

Can a non-Dutch citizen, living abroad, make an application at the End-of-Life Clinic?
- No. In order to be eligible for euthanasia by a doctor from the

I did contact the clinic, I have forgotten the name but I did put a link to it on this forum in a thread I was on when I first joined. I'll look for it and come back to you. I sent my medical files and they said they could look and see if it would be worthwhile for me to move to the Netherlands. Then contacted me saying not enough evidence. They kept my medical files.

Zorgvuldig en zorgzaam - Expertisecentrum Euthanasie

We begeleiden artsen bij euthanasietrajecten van hun patiënten en verlenen zorg aan hulpvragers die bij hun eigen behandelaar niet terecht kunnen. Artsen geven we informatie, advies, concrete ondersteuning en (na)scholing. Met name voor hulpvragers met complexere euthanasieverzoeken vormt...

www.levenseindekliniek.nl

 

[Idorus]

I did contact the clinic, I have forgotten the name but I did put a link to it on this forum in a thread I was on when I first joined. I'll look for it and come back to you. I sent my medical files and they said they could look and see if it would be worthwhile for me to move to the Netherlands. Then contacted me saying not enough evidence. They kept my medical files.

Zorgvuldig en zorgzaam - Expertisecentrum Euthanasie

We begeleiden artsen bij euthanasietrajecten van hun patiënten en verlenen zorg aan hulpvragers die bij hun eigen behandelaar niet terecht kunnen. Artsen geven we informatie, advies, concrete ondersteuning en (na)scholing. Met name voor hulpvragers met complexere euthanasieverzoeken vormt...

www.levenseindekliniek.nl

Yup that's the clinic. Well this might be some progressive news then unless your application happened yearsss ago when they weren't so strict with the rules?

 

[Jc40]

Yup that's the clinic. Well this might be some progressive news then unless your application happened yearsss ago when they weren't so strict with the rules?

Was in February, this year I heard back from them

 

[Idorus]

Was in February, this year I heard back from them

Hm.. interesting. There's room for foreigners these days. So they even go as far as "rating on distance". Not bad. I recall a recent article about the decreasing number of euthanasia requests in the last quarter of 2018 which might have opened some room for it. Before that it was a real no-go as busy enough with their own citizens.