if you were permanently disfigured or paralyzed, would you want to be put down?

[PirateKing]

Disfigured I could live with. Paralyzed, no, fucking kill me.

If I were just disfigured then no, I wouldn't off myself. But if I couldn't do anything that resembled a normal life or had a poor quality of life, then yeah, take me out!

There are degrees of "disfigured" though. There's also just being paralyzed from the waist down or being a full on paraplegic.

IMO paralyzed from the waist down would be more desirable than having no face.

 

[Eric Lindros]

Okay, my point of view:

I can't talk about living with a face like a zombie, but I cab talk about living with a disability.
I have a partly paralized left leg and when I became in that situation after my accident, the first thing in my mind (without knowing it by myself) was to survive.
When I knew that I was still living and survived the accudent, my next step was to become better.
In my situation: to get in shape, make the best out of it and I was trying to become as good as it posible could be.

First I couldn't walk, after a few months I was walking a few steps and after six months I was able to walk some 100 yards.
Now, after 20 years, I have a normal life, got a job, house and got married.

My life isn't perfect, but I realize that it is as perfect as it can be.
Life is worth living and it is what you make out of it by yourself and your family and friends.

I have asked myself and my parents why I did survive and didn't die.
The answer was simpel: because inside my mind I wanted to live, to survive and to make something out of my life.

It is not easy, and I'm still wondering if I feel the same about it if I was fully paralized and needed all help with all the normal things in live such as get dressed, eat etc etc.
I think that I can say (after all those years): yes, life sometimes is a bitch, but I'm happy that I can live that life.

 

[Kingfisher]

Yes. My family knows if I'm being kept alive by a machines. Pull the plug. I won't be the same person ever again, remember me the way I was and let go.

 

[Supafly]

I have worked in a day-care unit for people with severe handicaps.

Myself I have epilepsy and diabetes.

During the years I have had a lot of talks with the people I worked for and pondered if I would be better off dead.

Yet, to most of them, and to me, too, I embrace every new day.

 

[Facetious]

It all depends, I'd have to figure it out when I got there, God forbid.

I do believe that we as individuals should have the right to choose our ultimate destinies, i.e. the government shouldn't have the authority to interfere insofar as physician assisted termination of life goes.

Dr. Kevorkian was a martyr, AFAIAC.

RIP

 

[L3ggy]

you may have heard about this guy getting his face eaten by what may or may not be a zombie.

If it was a zombie, he'd already be dead.

 

[Ulysses31]

This question is a lot more complicated than the thread implies, you also need to take into considerations people personalities, some people are fighters and always look at the positives and will persevere no matter what whilst others (especially people with depression and low moods) will not only consider suicide for paralysis or facial deformity but many other things as well like a relationship failure, job loss or debt etc. Paralysis would be hard for most people after a lifetime of mobility and I would definately want out, especially as I have no dependents but someone with kids might also want out but will decide against it for the sake of thier children who would prefer a crippled father to no father at all. Facial deformity can be corrected with surgery but things like loss of facial movements or chronic facial nerve pain can also send someone over the edge, I've had chronic pain issues and I can easily see how people would want out rather than wake and spend another whole day battling with the pain, especially if painkillers and other treatments cease to make a difference. I guess also mental retardation after an accident or stroke or something would also make me want out although once it happens will our brain even be able to comprehend what depression and suicide is, I'd tell someone beforehand that if I ever end up in that position I don't want to live on, also if I start losing my mind to Dementia or Parkinson's etc. Although I couldn't live through these things I have great respect for those that do battle on but that's them and I'm me. That said if something does happen to any of us we may respond in a way we couldn't comprehend beforehand and surprise ourselves along with everyone else.

 

[luis1972]

of course!!!

 

[TheSpokenWheel]

I was being completely serious and I am offended you think otherwise. I hope you get ass cancer and die.

Hey now, that's not for you to decide. The only reason I thought you were being sarcastic was because what you said was so dumb, I couldn't possibly think you were being serious

 

[Jane Burgess]

I honestly dont know. Its easy to say what I think but having to experience would be different.

 

[Maggie Green]

There are degrees of "disfigured" though. There's also just being paralyzed from the waist down or being a full on paraplegic.

IMO paralyzed from the waist down would be more desirable than having no face.

Well hell I think all of it would suck! Hopefully none of us will ever have to know!

 

[Harley Spencer]

It depends on a number of factors. But the main one is whether or not there would be people in my life that still loved me, cared about me, and how my death would affect them. Suicide, or asking to be killed, is selfish. I'm not selfish enough to do that. It's a sad thing to be so miserable that you don't want to live anymore, so is it also selfish for others to be so self-absorbed that they'd rather their loved one live a shitty life than be put out of their misery and rest in peace? Perhaps both sides of the situation are selfish in different ways.

 

[Harley Spencer]

Might I also add that I grew up with a cleft lip. My face was pretty disfigured until my body grew into itself as I reached my later teen years. So I know what it's like to live with being constantly ridiculed, criticized, left out, picked on, and dealing with people literally cringing at the site of me. I was pretty depressed for long time, but I kept on living, and though I don't believe in God, I used to lay in bed at night and cry and pray that someday I would be beautiful. And that prayer was answered, whether by a God, by karma, or something else. I still lived with myself and held onto hope.

Now that might not be the type of disfigured you mentioned in your OP, but... nevertheless, I've dealt with it to an extent.

 

[georges]

bullet in the head or suicide pill for me