The Netherlands and Right to Die Policies

[Tez]

Dear All

From my organisation's daily press pack this morning, which I help prepare:  

A really fascinating article in the Guardian about euthanasia in the Netherlands: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/09/any-taboo-has-gone-netherlands-sees-rise-in-demand-for-euthanasia Some practitioners feel that whilst the intentions of end of life services are good, there is ‘too much’ routine euthanasia.  The case of a man with OCD who asked to be released from his life long hell is being hotly debated by OC and mental health charities in Holland and England.  I would like to point out that in Britain, extremely severe cases of OCD can be referred to a clinic in Caerdydd/Cardiff in South Wales, where experimental brain surgery has about a 70% success rate in alleviating symptoms.  

Kind regards

Tez 

Edited November 9, 2017 by Tez

[Tez]

Quote

 

Hope people find the Guardian piece of interest.  I have to say that the offering of euthanasia to people with severe OCD causes me some distress, as I was not aware of this practice.  Surely, it must only be a very, very last resort.  

BTW, my reference to the clinic in South Wales that does some brain surgery for OCD, comes from a conversation with my psychiatrist in 2009, when she was reassuring me that there were many, many different treatment options and not to give up.  

Tez