There are over 1 BILLION people in the world who are suffering intolerably from incurable health conditions, so we are definitely NOT ALONE in this!

[Praying 4 a Miracle]

It's really easy to feel like we're all alone in this, and isolated from the rest of the world. But the truth is, that out of 8.2 billion total human beings on the planet, over 1 billion are suffering chronically. Many have the potential to recover, but still, that is a lot of people. This number also does NOT include those who are living in extreme poverty. (If we DID, then that number would be almost double).

400 million of these people (almost half), currently already have access to legal assisted dying programs, in 12 countries around the world, and this number is continuously gowing.

According to the National Institute of Health in America (NIH), 45% of all Americans are suffering from at least one chronic and incurable disease. One out of every three are suffering from multiple chronic health conditions (MCC's). America's numbers are a little higher than some other countries, but not by much.

Those who are suffering in the world, from chronic health conditions, are not just a fringe group of people. We're actually a very large percentage of the total population of Earth.

We all need to stop feeling like we're all alone in this, and the world needs to start taking this issue far more seriously.

 

[FuneralCry]

It's so cruel to me how there's all this suffering, I'm sorry you have to suffer, it's just horrific and terrifying to me how there's no limit as to how much agony one can feel in this existence, all I wish for is to never exist again, I only hope for permanent non-existence.

 

[Gustav Hartmann]

In fact aging is a chronic terminal illness and the number of old peopole increases proportional with the world population and with medical advance.

 

[cosmic-realism]

There is a dark triad in every home in this world.WHEN they are weeded out,see how much the quality of life will improve for others.Stress reduces drastically,health improves exponentially.Chronic illnesses are not only genetic,but acquired too.

 

[suffering_mo]

This seems a little high but yeah, I know several people who are suffering from things like hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc... they take medications for it and their lives are pain free, good, etc. Does your figure include people with allergies? I can tell you that I know a LOT of people, and while there are several that have health issues or pain issues, they are manageable and not severe enough that the person wants to end their life. They still have quality of life. It's only when it's in the very severe or unusual category that people want to end things.

For most who want VAD, it's because the pain and suffering is so severe, that quality of life is next to nil. Very, very, very few fall into this category and this is the reason that we will unlikely ever see expansion of this in our lifetime.....if anything, it will take centuries. You aren't going to get people to buy into this. You have to really walk in the extreme suffering camp, or see someone there (and even then, few can understand), to understand this. I'm suffering some horrendous, unusual things but people just can't, they literally can't, understand my desire to not want to live anymore.

 

[Praying 4 a Miracle]

This seems a little high but yeah, I know several people who are suffering from things like hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc... they take medications for it and their lives are pain free, good, etc. Does your figure include people with allergies? I can tell you that I know a LOT of people, and while there are several that have health issues or pain issues, they are manageable and not severe enough that the person wants to end their life. They still have quality of life. It's only when it's in the very severe or unusual category that people want to end things.

For most who want VAD, it's because the pain and suffering is so severe, that quality of life is next to nil. Very, very, very few fall into this category and this is the reason that we will unlikely ever see expansion of this in our lifetime.....if anything, it will take centuries. You aren't going to get people to buy into this. You have to really walk in the extreme suffering camp, or see someone there (and even then, few can understand), to understand this. I'm suffering some horrendous, unusual things but people just can't, they literally can't, understand my desire to not want to live anymore.

No, this figure definitely does not include people with allergies, or any other mild condition. These are people who have incurable diseases. 30% of Americans have multiple chronic conditions. 45% have at least one. I know it feels like there are very few of us suffering like we are, but the number that really brings things into focus, is how many people already qualify for VAD or MAID. We know for a fact that most people suffering intensely currently do NOT qualify, and yet currently 400 million people DO qualify, so this is where the number of 1 billion comes from. It's actually a very conservative estimate.

 

[AbyssalAlien]

The problem is the reaction of the "normal" people that see suicidal tendencies and acts as an outright crime.

America's system in dealing with mental health has nothing to do with rehabilition or making you no longer suicidal. It is about keeping your thoughts and acts quiet, and sending you back to work. It is why antipsychotics are becoming more popular. Tom cant be suicidal if he has drugs keeping him quiet.

Then in extreme cases. Such as hospitalization. It is downright punishment...you got too loud, society doesnt like it, so they lock you up in a building on the 4th to 6th floor with bars on the windows and spiked up fences meant to cling onto you if you do somehow find a way to jump out. Try to leave the front door? Security will hold you down and sedate you by force.

Therapy sessions in these hospitals are more of practice to get you to behave like a normal citizen, while the 30 minute therapy sessions are for venting and measuring what your levels of mental crisis are. Cant let you out if you cause a stir.

Lets not forget in these hospitals you are forced to take your meds, regardless of side effects, or be kept locked up and sedated again.

You dont get privacy either. Its like a jail. You get a room mate, and that guy or girl could be in there for sexual assault related reasons that were ruled out to be caused by mental health issues. The only way this got improved was keeping men and women separated, but that isnt in every institute and if you are trans, that may not be respected by the hospital depending where you are and you may be forced to share a room with whom you consider to be the opposite gender of you.

See how dangerous these hospitals can get?

America has been criminalizing being mentally unwell since 1773. When the first asylum opened in Williamsburg, Virginia, the "Publick Hospital".

Before that, they would just throw you in a prison cell or outright hang you if we really go back to old days.

For things to change, you need to change the public's perspective of what it means to be mentally unwell. The public today sees it as a nuiscance and deems it best for you to be out of sight and out of mind when you do have an episode.

The public does not care in making us better. And good luck changing that....they been conditioned by media, laws, and politics to deem you a threat to the stability of the working order.

 

[suffering_mo]

Sorry. I just don't buy it. I know a lot of people, who have a variety of conditions but very few have anything that is serious, debilitating, or severe enough that they want to CTB, that they want to end it. Very few. There's even ones who I know who suffer some horrible things and still don't want to die as their quality of life is good enough for them. This is why MAID or VAD will really struggle to be passed without the terminal illness component.

 

[pthnrdnojvsc]

i worked in a nursing home. most there were suffering terribly many in extreme suffering.

Who By Very Slow Decay

[Trigger warning: Death, pain, suffering, sadness] I. Some people, having completed the traditional forms of empty speculation – “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, &#8220…

slatestarcodex.com

that is how most humans will end up . not me i will be in non-existence soon

non-existence forever is the ultimate bliss

i hate the labor , suffering , work , chores ,problems , injustice ,evil , diseases ,old age of a normal life much more of the extreme torture that can happen.

DNA based life is the only function in the universe that causes constant unbearable pain and all pain and suffering. but life is praised constantly everywhere when most animals died by being eaten alive by other animals , parasites or bacteria ( this is beautiful they say). nobody cares that all these animals and humans suffered torture?

life is meaningless. what will matter in a 1000 years? nothing. nothing matters. i wouldn't care if i had all what they say are the characteristics of a good life health, youth , beauty wealth. etc. no one can convince me that there is an objective reason why i have to live another minute. there is still nothing which is objectively important , valuable or good. the only good things to me are avoiding unbearable pain and non-existence forever.

i'm glad the universe will expand into nothingness

Future of an expanding universe - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Praying 4 a Miracle]

i worked in a nursing home. most there were suffering terribly many in extreme suffering.

Who By Very Slow Decay

[Trigger warning: Death, pain, suffering, sadness] I. Some people, having completed the traditional forms of empty speculation – “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, &#8220…

slatestarcodex.com

that is how most humans will end up . not me i will be in non-existence soon

non-existence forever is the ultimate bliss

i hate the labor , suffering , work , chores ,problems , injustice ,evil , diseases ,old age of a normal life much more of the extreme torture that can happen.

DNA based life is the only function in the universe that causes constant unbearable pain and all pain and suffering. but life is praised constantly everywhere when most animals died by being eaten alive by other animals , parasites or bacteria ( this is beautiful they say). nobody cares that all these animals and humans suffered torture?

life is meaningless. what will matter in a 1000 years? nothing. nothing matters. i wouldn't care if i had all what they say are the characteristics of a good life health, youth , beauty wealth. etc. no one can convince me that there is an objective reason why i have to live another minute. there is still nothing which is objectively important , valuable or good. the only good things to me are avoiding unbearable pain and non-existence forever.

i'm glad the universe will expand into nothingness

Future of an expanding universe - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This is exactly what I mean by this thread. This is how MOST humans will end up, not just a few here and there. We are being kept alive for an unnaturally long amount of time, and MOST will suffer intensely as a result. If that's not a crisis that needs to be solved, then I don't know what is. VAD & MAID need to be expanded NOW to include all adults who decide they are suffering intolerably. Switzerland has the right idea, now the rest of the world just has to catch up quickly. Our pets should not be the only creatures that experience compassion in this life.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

It's so scary as to how many are suffering and are forced to suffer because we live in an insanely cruel pro suffering community where everybody wants to prolong a life for as long as possible. All of these people deserve the option to die peacefully and painlessly

 

[Reflection]

Well I personally don't understand how more people suffering would make me feel better? In fact isn't it worse?

Whether I'm alone or there are billions in the same boat as mine is irrelevant.

 

[Praying 4 a Miracle]

Well I personally don't understand how more people suffering would make me feel better? In fact isn't it worse?

Whether I'm alone or there are billions in the same boat as mine is irrelevant.

The relevance is that when there is a group of people this large, it puts a lot of pressure on politicians and governments to make positive changes in their (our) lives. This is why VAD & MAID programs exist today, and why many more people will have access to them in the near future.

While you are correct that a billion people suffering is definitely NOT a good thing, shining a spotlight on and bringing attention to this fact IS a good thing to do, as it will help to bring about positive changes in the world. Changes that will mainly affect and improve the lives of all who suffer.

We have to keep in mind that it's not just the people who actually follow through with assisted dying who benefit from having access to these programs. Just the knowledge that we will have a safe and peaceful escape hatch if and what it's necessary, is what will give people far more peace-of-mind.

Even people who are currently healthy will benefit from this. The biggest problem many people are now faced faced with is feeling trapped in a lifetime of pain. Often when we don't feel trapped, the pain and anxiety is greatly reduced.

 

[GMOpNsOTW9J]

The relevance is that when there is a group of people this large, it puts a lot of pressure on politicians and governments to make positive changes in their (our) lives. This is why VAD & MAID programs exist today, and why many more people will have access to them in the near future.

While you are correct that a billion people suffering is definitely NOT a good thing, shining a spotlight on and bringing attention to this fact IS a good thing to do, as it will help to bring about positive changes in the world. Changes that will mainly affect and improve the lives of all who suffer.

We have to keep in mind that it's not just the people who actually follow through with assisted dying who benefit from having access to these programs. Just the knowledge that we will have a safe and peaceful escape hatch if and what it's necessary, is what will give people far more peace-of-mind.

Even people who are currently healthy will benefit from this. The biggest problem many people are now faced faced with is feeling trapped in a lifetime of pain. Often when we don't feel trapped, the pain and anxiety is greatly reduced.

Even if if VAD/MAID is available, society would still be a road block. Would family and friends just let go? Also I think psychologically it was engrained in a lot of us to hold on to life.