Help Thoughts on Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) in Switzerland? For those with chronic and/or debilitating conditions.

[TooMuchHasHappened]

Have any of you guys looked into this before, or better still made an application? Or have you personally known anyone who has died this way? I'm thinking of applying this week and wanted to see if anyone on here has made any enquiries about it before? Or if non of the above, what are your thoughts about this method if a person is eligible?

The laws in Switzerland are pretty relaxed if you have chronic and/or debilitating conditions. I've looked at a few different companies and settled on the one I got the best feeling about (probably the wrong one knowing my luck lol). It's 100CHF (approx $125) for the application fee, then if accepted the remaining balance is paid in two instalments. The total cost for international patients is 9500CHF (approx $12,000), this also includes cremation, URN, and URN shipping. Yes it's expensive, but just pay on a credit card(s), it's not as if you'll have to pay it back. Well, check the laws in your country, but I'm pretty sure in the U.K. that upon death personal debt is written off, so family will not be liable to repay.

For those who are interested, the company I'm looking at starts with an A and ends with an S. I'm not sure if I can give the full name here sorry, I should be able to because it's a legal method, but I don't want to break any rules or anything.

Only Sodium Pentobarbital is used (I wish I could get this myself somehow lol).

I also wanted to post this in case anyone has not considered this before, or are afraid of dying by SN or another method and would prefer to die in a supported medical facility. For those of us with chronic conditions it's definitely something worth considering in my opinion. I'm going to apply sometime this week, it's probably going to take some effort as I'm guessing this won't be an easy process getting all the necessary paperwork etc, but I'm going to give it a shot. The application fee is non refundable if unsuccessful, not much to lose in my opinion.

 

[behindtheveil]

Hey there, I just want to point out it's not as easy or straightforward as you have listed here. They have some of the strictest checks and qualifying criteria. However, if a person has a debilitating condition as you mentioned, then there is some hope.
I got in touch with one of such organizations and to explain them my situation was a tormenting task. It was a shot in the dark so didn't qualify. But one important fact that I came upon from this experience was that there is no standard criteria it seems. Their decision is discretionary.
And yes, ctb via nembutol would be so much better.

 

[DeathSweetDeath]

There would be no point in applying since no one in my family would sign off on it. I hope your family is more understanding than mine. I also chatted with someone here who had applied but didn't realize their spouse would have to agree to it, so that was the end of that.

 

[TooMuchHasHappened]

Hey there, I just want to point out it's not as easy or straightforward as you have listed here. They have some of the strictest checks and qualifying criteria. However, if a person has a debilitating condition as you mentioned, then there is some hope.
I got in touch with one of such organizations and to explain them my situation was a tormenting task. It was a shot in the dark so didn't qualify. But one important fact that I came upon from this experience was that there is no standard criteria it seems. Their decision is discretionary.
And yes, ctb via nembutol would be so much better.

@behindtheveil I'm sorry but I did not list this as easy or straightforward whatsoever. Please correct or delete your comment or I'll have to report you as this is a form of gaslighting. I literally said that this will take some effort and won't be easy. See below:

it's probably going to take some effort as I'm guessing this won't be an easy process getting all the necessary paperwork etc

How this came across to you as me listing this as "easy and straightforward" like you said, i do not know. If you missed this and made a mistake then no problem and no hard feelings, we all make mistakes, in that case just please correct your post and we'll forget about it.

Unfortunately, you've caught me at a bad time here. I had my last thread (my first one) deleted by the Mods because of gaslighting, and then literally the first sentence in the first comment I get on this one is gaslighting me again, unbelievable. So I hope you understand why I'm a little frustrated.

Also, the title of my post says "for those with chronic and/or debilitating conditions", as I absolutely know that these clinics will have the strictest qualifying criteria and only those with said conditions will even be considered, and even then there's no guarantee because like you said the decision will be discretionary on their part. I'm sorry for being a bit upset about this, but I'm just fed up with people gaslighting myself and others, because I clearly did not make this out to be easy or straightforward like you said. Like I said, if you made a mistake then no problem just please correct it, thank you.

There would be no point in applying since no one in my family would sign off on it. I hope your family is more understanding than mine. I also chatted with someone here who had applied but didn't realize their spouse would have to agree to it, so that was the end of that.

Really? The family has to sign it off? Well that's the end of that for me too then if that's the case. I would have assumed that it's our decision and nobody else's. I'm single so don't have to worry about a spouse agreeing, but I'm pretty sure my parents (I'm in my 40's btw) would not sign off on it. Couldn't even imagine having that conversation with my parents, in fact yes I can, they'd be absolutely devastated even though they know I've had enough of all this suffering. Thanks a lot for that information, you've just saved me wasting my time and money applying.