Dear Carole-Grinch,
I was very moved and impressed by your discussion of CD--Janet called it
eloquent, and I certainly agree.
BUT I was specifically NOT talking about suicidal people who are
suffereing from CD! Rather I referred to those situations in which CD is
NOT a major factor. "Depression" can cover a variety of conditions, in
addition to the "monster" of CD, as you correctly identify it. There are
persons who may even have a mild, chronic depressed state, but are not
clinically depressed in the true sense of the term. They may have a very
clear understanding of their condition and prospects, and may make a choice
that the life available to them is not acceptable. This may have been
something they have long considered, accepted, and discussed with their
families---in this situation I feel they have a right to what has been
called "their final act of self-determination."
And BTW--I happen to agree that "forcing" antipsychotic meds is in the best
interest of the patient--PC or not! <G>
And I appreciated Janet's gracious recognition that the focus of her post
was very narrow.
I think we're discussing apples and oranges here, and somehow they need to
be put into separate baskets.....
Friend Carole wrote:
>Hi Camilla: Excuse me for jumping in here. I love you
>dearly and respect your opinion, and I can't speak for
>janet, BUT...I feel that what makes CD such a monster is
>that the way it distorts your perceptions. How can one make
>a rational decision re: ending one's life while in the grip
>of such debilitating anhedonia? But then I also feel that
>the mentally ill have the right to refuse their medication
>and revert to their psychotic state only after we have
>exercised their right to become sane by "forcing" them to
>take their meds-a currently politically incorrect opinion.
> Carole
>
>--- 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?
>>
>>
>>
>> >At 06:25 AM 2000/07/03 -0400,
>> >"Judy George <[log in to unmask]>" wrote, in part:
>> >>...paige bremer may have weighed up her future and made
>> a
>> >>choice as many of us may do i respect her right to do
>> that
>> >>and admire her courage...
>> >
>> >the concept of suicide as an act of courage
>> >rather than the final act of despair and desperation
>> >of an individual in agony and distorted thinking
>> >strikes me as irrational balderdash
>> >which only contributes to the demeaning misconceptions
>> >and cruel ignorance clouding issues around clinical
>> depresssion
>> >and its curability
>> >
>> >
>> >but then again, that's only my opinion
>> >
>> >janet
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Camilla Flintermann
>> Oxford,OH
Camilla Flintermann Oxford,OH
<[log in to unmask]>
On PDWebring at : http://members.tripod.lycos.nl/genugten/flinterm.htm
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