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At 12:39 PM 2000/07/03 -0400, Camilla Flintermann <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Dear Janet-- of course you--like anyone--are entitled to your opinion. May >I suggest that there are differing ones on this subject? I think that in >SOME SITUATIONS, DEPRESSION IS NOT THE MAJOR FACTOR--and I am not speaking >of Paige, who may well have been a victim of CD--I have no way of knowing >that. > >The Hemlock Society takes the view that there are times when a perfectly >rational person who is suffering from an incurable disease and whose >quality of life is *for them* unacceptable, may make that choice, with the >knowledge of loved ones. This, I think, implies that it is NOT an act of >depression and desperation, when loving families are involved. Think of >the example of the very frail elderly person, bedridden in a nursing >home, who simply turns to the wall and refuses nourishment---that person >is not necessarily depressed, but may simply feel that "the time has come >to leave". > >I respect the fervor of your concern re: CD, based on your personal >experience and your situation--but please also respect the feelings of >those who may differ with you, and who may be in a very different situation >from yours and those you are writing about. As a counselor, there were >times when I struggled to keep potentially suicidal clients from acting >out the wish, till help could be found for their depression. >Can't we just agree that like most things in life, this question may have >more than one answer?... yes of course, you are right camilla my focus was quite narrow and homed in on the 'hidden' and 'shaming' aspects around cd and suicide and the distorted thinking process that twists reality into lies i also had felt very strongly from the way paige expressed herself in her website, that suicide would never be a rational option for her and, in fact, some of her ideas e.g. of learning from her experiences touched a close chord with me and bern, i would never advocate that an individual's wishes be denied in regard to this issue however, i am glad that my possibly overzealous fervour instigated your comments! i wonder if there is any way of discovering the proportions of suicide directly related to cd ... exchanging ideas strengthens all of us janet janet paterson 53 now / 41 dx / 37 onset 613 256 8340 / PO Box 171 Almonte Ontario K0A 1A0 Canada visit my website "a new voice" at: "http://www.geocities.com/janet313/"