Right to die?

[Catso]

Do you think it would be an infringement of someone's human rights to prevent them from committing suicide?

I'm thinking of an adult, here, not a child/adolescent, and someone of sound mind (apart from the fact they want to kill themselves).

And before anyone rings the police or the samaritans, this is entirely hypothetical.

[Waaii]

My personal feeling is that we all have a 'time to die' for whatever reason. Maybe we have a 'task' to do and when it is done (however young) we are ready. Of course sometimes 'people' cut that time short. So many people die from other peoples (or their own) carelessness from car accidents, pollution, man-made diseases, man- caused lack of nutrition or sustinance, or abuse.But if none of this affects us we have a time when we wear out and move on. I have always felt that in some curious way the process of dying in itself has a purpose, I know it is painful for some mentally and physically, I don't think we can choose to circumvent it without missing a part of life.
Therfore NO I think to at least try to talk them out of suicide
or try to help them want to fulfill their natural lifespan must be ok. WE hear to much about peoples rights these days and too little about their responsibilities. End of sermon!!!

[warpig1]

Everyone has the right to choose what they want to do however if somone I knew was considering this for whatever reasons I would try to talk them out of it and help them resolve whatever is troubling them. Sadly if someone's mind is set there is little any one individual can do to change it but that wouldn't stop me trying.

[Catso]

I'll add 'physically preventing' to the Q - I don't mean trying to talk them out of it.

[warpig1]

Oh catso that is difficult, not sure what I would do, as to what length do you go to to physically prevent them and for how long and at what cost to yourself. Thought provoking though!

[noxlumos]

I agree with you Catso, if it's a conscious and rational decision then it should be respected. We need to change our entire social concept that suicide is always a bad thing. If someone has had a lifetime of depression and abuse it can be a release for them and something which they will think very positively about. It's a very hard call to make, but ultinately it's the individual's decision.

[Keeprockin]

Would hardly come under the heading "sane" judgement.
Similar to stabbing yourself in the arm just because you wanted to,hardly a sane thing to do. So,my answer would be,take any action your capable of to stop the person harming themselves.

[raysparx1]

Although I think if somebody wanted to commit suicide in certain circumstances like the ones nox described I can understand that, but if that person was to say jump in front of a train or off of a bridge and I was near to them I would try to restrain them,that would be a natural reaction, the same as it would if somebody was being mugged or beaten,I could not just stand by and let it happen.

[sandyg2244]

I am going on a suicide prevention course next week and it has been something I have been considering lately, this dilemma.(not suicide).I think it must be an awful place to be where someone is determined to end their life, especially those who choose the more violent ways.It shows a lot of determination and indicates that they must be going through torture.It's a big ethical question and I dont know anyone who has been plunged into such a depression that they'd want to do this.I couldn't stand back and let someone do it ever but it does pose the question, if you were going through this terrible depression for years and were one of the few who got no resolve through drugs or therapy, whose right is it decide whether or not you can be released from your misery?It's a tough one.

[Waaii]

There is a body of thought that if you know someone is going to kill themselves then you are morally as responsible for the outcome as they are.
If you saw a burglary taking place or a mugger or a beating and you walk on by, hav'n't you any moral code to intervene?
Having a sense of society,thought, responsibility for others or whatever you choose to call it is what puts us on a higher plain than animals.