Posted by lissa on August 7, 2001, at 11:30:31
In reply to Re: suicides-Netherlands assisted? » kazoo, posted by Ted on August 7, 2001, at 10:57:20
> PS: btw, kazoo, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD, ADHD, etc., _ARE_ *organic* diseases just like AIDS, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, etc.Sorry to interrupt, but I think these analogies between illnesses like depression and diseases like diabetes and cancer raise some interesting questions.
Just want to say that, I see where you're coming from (because such places as NIMH tend to liken depression to diabetes, etc.) -- but, I don't agree with these analogies.
Mental illnesses are *organic* diseases in that they involve the brain, but their causes are far less easy to get a handle on than any illness which is triggered by, say, your body's inability to regulate its insulin levels or prevent cells from multiplying.
While some biological predisposition to mental illness may exist, it seems like (and I'm no expert) mental illness does not manifest itself without stressors from the environment (and the way in which the mind deals with them ...). As such, it is very unlike cancer or diabetes. Also, as such, its character makes any arguments for euthanasia to end suffering (also, arguments favoring suicide in cases of refractory mental illness) far less compelling to me (but maybe those issues will be for a later time when I have more time to write out my reasoning in full.)
Just a thought ...
lissa
poster:lissa
thread:8808
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010807/msgs/8871.html