I endorse your living will idea. But I fear that it may not protect me against my family unless that protection were explicitly written into the law. Families are usually the ones committing one its members to the asylum.

I think it is better to turn pyschology into a listening profession than to create a new profession. Most of the abuses of mental illness treatments are at the hands of psychairitry, who are medical doctors. Psychologists are not MDs but are PhDs. The fault really lies with the MDs.

The psychology profession is already very much a listening profession as they are not allowed to perscribe drugs, or commit other body abuses like shock therapy.

There however is a significant limitation on the validity of a living will. It will not protect you when you commit crimes. That is, I doubt that you could get a law written that allows you to manifest violent or destructive behavior when in jail. It could probably eliminate an insanity defense that might keep you out of jail. But once in jail, unacceptable behavior will be punished. I suppose solitary confinement could be required as opposed to drugs.

Anyway, its a good idea.

I would like to expand it to include no medical treatment to stop my heart attack. I have designed my life to end with a heart attack and I do not want medical intervention screwing up my plans. Right now if the medical establishment- the MDs- find out that you are seriously sick, they can take away all your rights. We most likely agree on that one.

Well, I guess there is already a means to prevent extreme intervention to prevent death- that's like a living will- more like a dying will. So we could all wear a tag that says if you find us in the dying state- just let us die.

Regards,

Richard

• We agree I guess - dolphin - March 2, 2002 - 05:12 UTC