The Political Hat

Another “quick takes” on items where there is too little to say to make a complete article, but is still important enough to comment on.

     The focus this time: Ain’t no more equitable medical outcome than death to all!

     First, a little mood music:

     Carrying on…

     Remember when euthanasia was just a “dignified” way for the terminally ill to pass on?   Well apparently anorexia is “terminal” and cured by making sure you never get fat… ever.

“The push is now on to allow assisted suicide for psychiatric patients. The Journal of Eating Disorders has published a piece urging that psychiatrists be allowed to assist the suicides of patients afflicted with anorexia who want to die rather than continue to struggle against their mental illness.

“Think about this. Seriously. Assisted suicide is being pushed as a ‘treatment’ for serious psychiatric disorders in a respected medical journal. Awful.

“…

“The idea expressed is that some cases of anorexia are so severe, they should be considered terminal, like cancer. But mental illness is not like an implacable biological disease process. The person with severe mental illness can be kept going. It might be very difficult. It might require even involuntary hospitalization. With anorexia, if the patient was compelled to receive nutrition, she wouldn’t die. We might not want to do that, but we could. That is not true of diseases like terminal cancer (which should also not qualify for assisted suicide).

“Never mind all that. The authors want patients with “terminal” anorexia to have access to assisted suicide:

“‘Acknowledging the considerable controversies surrounding MAID for patients with mental disorders, we also submit that patients with terminal AN who are severely physiologically compromised, and whose end-of life suffering results from both psychological and physical pain, should be afforded access to medical aid in dying in locations where such assistance has been legalized—just like other patients with terminal conditions.’

“That’s abandonment, no matter how well-meaning. Sometimes, the only thing standing between a severely mentally ill patient and death is a dedicated psychiatrist or psychologist.”

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