• @garbagebagel
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    6 months ago

    The Netherlands does have a slightly higher than average suicide rate. Maybe it is because they allow euthanasia, so it’s just easier than other similar countries … I don’t know.

    This is speculated in the wiki as well and honestly I’m conflicted on it too. If people are choosing it more when it’s more readily available, does that necessarily reflect badly on the people providing it? or does it reflect worse on the societies where people are suffering so badly that they probably would choose suicide if it was easier?

    In a kind of parallel way to abortion here, ban abortion and you get lower abortion rates but higher rates of poverty and lower education rates. Safe abortion options lead to higher abortion rates, but the quality of life is better for those that make the choice to do it safely.

    Of course in this case it’s a bit different because the quality of life in assisted death is no life, but is no life better than a fucking miserable one?

    It’s a lot to think about but, like others in this thread, i generally believe the majority of today’s mental health problems (specifically depression, anxiety, and to some extent addiction) are systemic societal problems. I know others disagree and I’m not trying to be dismissive of people’s very real mental health struggles, but I mean that they are caused systemically in the way lung cancer became more common because of cigarettes. Our environment affects us.