A Testimony About Euthanasia

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A Testimony About Euthanasia

“My psychological suffering is unbearable, but I want a dignified end to my life.”

This cry for help, from a person living abroad, reached our practice. Below we present an anonymized and freely translated version of our correspondence, to illustrate the complexity of the situation. Finally, we outline the core difficulties revealed in this moving story.

Subject: Request for Euthanasia

Due to severe psychological problems for the past 12 years, for which no medication has provided a solution, I find myself in a state of constant and unbearable suffering. Three years ago I already submitted a request for euthanasia to Dr […]. It was refused because the physician could not establish the incurable nature of my illness. Moreover, my treating psychiatrists refuse to provide me with my medical records. Can you help me?

We responded by explaining the Belgian legal conditions for euthanasia. We wished the person much courage, perseverance, and patience in carrying the suffering until approval might be obtained. Unfortunately, the problem proved more complex than we had initially assumed.

Subject: RE: Request for Euthanasia

Dear Dr […],

Thank you for your thorough explanation of the procedure I must follow to obtain a dignified end of life, through the recognition of my suffering and under gentler and more respectful circumstances than an overdose of medication or ending my life on the railway tracks.

Unfortunately, my treating physician is not willing to perform euthanasia. I must therefore find another doctor, and I honestly do not know whom to turn to.

Moreover, if I understand correctly, this physician must have access to the medical records of two psychiatrists, including my treating psychiatrist, in order to complete the file for the Commission.

I hope the psychiatrists will be willing to provide the necessary medical data to establish the incurable character of my illness. I think it is difficult for a psychiatrist to admit that everything has been tried and that I am beyond treatment, after multiple hospitalizations and therapies. By now I know that I have a defective “psychological map” in my head, and that no medication can remedy this. I cannot possibly continue to live, or feel what I should feel in order to function “normally.” Every day is painful, and I am in a hurry to be delivered from it.

I hope I will quickly find the right people who can take the necessary steps.

We subsequently emphasized once more the specific procedure for euthanasia in cases of unbearable psychological suffering, followed by several telephone conversations. Ultimately, two major obstacles emerged in this file:

On the one hand, the fact that the patient was unable to obtain their own medical records. This could be resolved by the treating physician contacting the treating psychiatrist(s) directly and requesting the necessary files. It should be noted that Belgian law provides for the patient’s right to access their medical file, which cannot be refused.

On the other hand, there was a problem that seemed insoluble: the patient was unable to travel repeatedly or for extended periods to Belgium. This makes it impossible to build the required “therapeutic relationship with the treating physician.”

The therapeutic relationship—personal and human—is the cornerstone of the procedure. Without such a relationship, it is impossible for a physician to respond to a request to end the life of a man or woman whom he or she does not know.

It is not easy to build such a relationship at a distance, across national borders. Modern means offer solutions, but nothing can replace the encounter and the unique dialogue between doctor and patient.

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