Assisted Suicide for the Mentally Ill

I am bipolar. Lithium completely controls it. I have had no incidents of either type of swing in over 20 years. Why should my suffering be discounted because I am Mentally Ill? What counts is competence, understanding the gravity of suicide, capable of balancing the pros and cons, not whether every part of my brain works perfectly without medication.

Further, if someone is not competent but is in terrible suffering, they too should have access to suicide. After all we put down pets, lovingly, who are in great suffering. They cannot give informed consent. You should have the right to designate someone to make the decision for you in case you became incompetent.

~ Roedy (born:1948-02-04 age:68)