Can You Make Yourself Die?

horseshoes | 15:49 Sun 10th Feb 2019 | Body & Soul

28 Answers

This sounds a strange question. My mum died very recently and had been carer for my Dad (she 86 he 87). Obviously he's grieving but he keeps saying he just wants to die. He is totally lost and devastated. I know he wouldn't take his own life, and apart from being very infirm and needing care, his heart is strong. Can a person make themselves die?

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horseshoes

Question Author

I'm sure the scientists and medics would disagree there, but I suspect it's true.

murraymints

I too believe that..my puppa was like that over my granny..so sad to see...

ummmm

I think it has been established, maybe not explained 100% but accepted as a cause of death.

ummmm

I'm very sorry to hear about your mum btw.

Sqad

I assume that you mean by means other than suicide?

Death is when your heart stops beating, blood flow to the brain ceases and you stop breathing.

Can you stop your heart beating?...No.
Can you stop yourself breathing......No.
Can you cut off the blood supply to your brain...NO .

Hence NO you can't make yourself die.

horseshoes

Question Author

Thanks Ummm

Sqad, I did say he wouldn't think of taking his own life. Where do you, as a medic, stand on dying of a broken heart?

Sqad

horseshoers...it is difficult to separate emotion and science here and I don't understand the oft used term "broken heart."
I would assume that it means some sort of heart attack.
When someone dies there clearly is a period of grief or depression which is understandable and there is said to be a relationship between heart attacks and depression, although that is difficult to scientifically establish. If someone already has had disease and their partner dies then i can , just, understand the survivor dying of a heart problem, whether it is due to the bereavement or, it would have happened anyway is difficult to establish......take your pick.
If this situation arises with someone with a healthy heart, dies of a broken heart, i find this difficult to accept.
Well, that is my take on it.....for what it's worth.

horseshoes

Question Author

Thanks Sqad

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