I have struggled with suicidal thoughts, urges and actions since I was 17 years old. I am now almost 40 years old and am finding more happiness in my life than ever before. I still have low days of course, but it’s thanks to a program called Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (or “DBT”) that I am able to regulate my moods faster and use certain skills to manage distress as it arises. Without this specialized DBT program, I would not know how to name my emotions or feel what my body is telling me. I would act on any distress and end up in the emergency department or sometimes in inpatient care.
What scares and angers me is how the Canadian government is planning on expanding Maid (Medical Assistance In Dying) to anyone who has a mental illness as early as March 2023. For this, you will not need any other health condition to access the free service. I understand that there are so-called “safety guards” against impulsive decisions on Maid assistance. However, that in my opinion is questionable. The results from a recent undercover segment by CBC on MAID showed a young man wanting to access MAID for a non-critical or terminal disease, and the doctor barely questioned it before giving the go-ahead. His mother, along with CBC marketplace, went undercover to see the application process through the same doctor, and without so much as a “Are you sure about this? This is not reversible,” from the doctor, they gave the go-ahead for MAID, again. The safeguards are not as secure as we are being led to believe.
I fundamentally do not agree that MAID should be available to those with a mental health diagnosis in the first place, especially if their condition is treatable. I have several examples as to why I feel this way. The first being that there was a woman who was recently in the news with a condition that made it unbearable for her to live in a building that regularly used certain chemicals. She did not want to die, she simply wanted an affordable apartment that was free from the use of those chemicals. Out of despair, she applied to MAID, thinking that a backup plan was in order if she were unable to find the support she needed to secure a better living situation. Unfortunately, the only support the government gave her was free access to dying. It was carried out by the government instead of helping her build a life worth living.
Now consider mental illness, on top of issues of housing. Many people who have a mental health diagnosis need “rent geared to income” apartments. I happen to be lucky enough to have access to an Ontario program that will support my rent. However, there is a LONG wait list for “rent geared to income” housing for many others. For those unable to find support with rent, they look to group homes. Unfortunately, it’s next to impossible to get into group homes as the demand is so high right now.
Housing aside, finding mental health treatment is very difficult in and of itself. Treatment and therapy is very expensive and in some cases totally unattainable. For those that specifically need DBT, there are not many places that offer this program at all, and unfortunately many cannot afford private to begin with. CAMH offers this program for free, but it’s next to impossible to get into as (once again) demands are so great.
Looking back to who I was before DBT, I recall cutting my arms and threatening to jump off bridges, subway platforms and my balcony. I was a very high user of emergency services at the hospital, as that was my only real option for help. If back in those days I was allowed to ask a doctor to end my life with MAID, my willfulness would have certainly led to this sad outcome.
The government NEEDS to invest in mental health recovery services and care, rather than opting for MAID. More needs to be put in place to make treatments & therapy more easily accessible. More needs to be done to help people access “rent geared to income” housing, and more needs to be done to help people access group homes. More needs to be done to create social groups for those that have isolating mental health conditions or jobs.
Giving people the option to access MAID is wrong, especially when other options are not first offered or explored. It seems that the government doesn’t care about people, rather it’s all about profits and easy solutions. Instead of investing the money needed to support those who need it most, they are taking the path of letting people die instead, and that is shameful. When it comes to DBT treatment programs I feel that the option of MAID should be off the table.
Suicidal thoughts are so hard to have, and they do pass! That’s what we need to focus on. That’s what the government needs to see. People deserve support to build a life worth living! Not to get free access to die.