The example of an anorexic lady who wants to die in Canada has rekindled conversations about mental health and assisted suicide.
A Canadian lady who has struggled with severe anorexia for a long time may soon be able to request medically assisted death under Canadian legislation.
Lisa Pauli is currently unable to meet the requirements for assisted death because of the crippling effects of her eating issue.
A proposed modification to the law might, however, allow people with underlying mental problems to select this choice.
In an interview with Reuters, Lisa Pauli discussed the terrible effects anorexia has had on her life.
She talked about going days without eating solid food, experiencing extreme fatigue that made it difficult to carry items without taking numerous pauses.
She has been numerous hospital stays over the years and has tried a number of treatments to address her issue, but regrettably nothing has been successful in alleviating her circumstances.
In 2016, euthanasia and medically assisted suicide were made legal in Canada. It was once only available to those with terminal illnesses.
However, the provision was expanded to cover people with terminal illnesses in 2021.
Unfortunately, at that time, mental illness was not regarded as a qualifying condition. The law is expected to change in March 2024 to include mental illness as an admissible circumstance for requesting medical assistance in dying.
Lisa Pauli has stated that she is ready to accept medically assisted dying due to her continuous battle with anorexia and the lack of improvement despite several attempts at treatment.
She has struggled with body image issues since childhood and only weighs 92 pounds at the moment.
She believes she has used every remedy possible to treat her ailment, and each day feels like a torture session.
Since she discussed it with psychiatrist Justine Dembo in April 2021, she has considered using assisted suicide to end her life.
Lisa Pauli’s psychiatrist, Justine Dembo, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, thinks that if the law were to alter, Pauli might be eligible for assisted suicide.
Pauli, according to Dembo, has received in-depth and top-notch therapy, but her disease has remained unresponsive.
As a result, she may qualify for medically assisted death under the new law as it appears that she has tried every recovery option without success.
Many other nations throughout the world have legalised assisted suicide.
Among the nations where people can get help terminating their life are New Zealand, Switzerland, and Australia.
According to the advocacy group Death with Dignity, physician-assisted suicide is permitted in 10 states in the United States, including New Jersey, Vermont, New Mexico, and California.
The issue of medically assisted dying is still hotly contested and brings up several ethical issues.
Some contend that people should have the freedom to decide when and how to end their life, particularly when they are suffering from incapacitating diseases.
Others express worries about the possibility of misuse or the significance of protecting life at all costs.
Legislators and society as a whole must carefully negotiate these nuanced and intensely personal issues as the debate over assisted suicide develops.