Rational suicide:

[grandmoon]

Beverley Broadbent was not dying of a terminal illness, nor was she depressed or unhappy. But at 83, she wanted to die.

After living a rich and satisfying life, the Brighton East woman said the ageing process had come to feel like a disease that was robbing her of her physical and mental fitness. In February, she said she had had enough.

''I look well and I walk well so people think I'm fine. But I have so many things wrong with me,'' she said. ''The balance is gone. It's taking so much time for me to keep fit to enjoy myself that there's not enough time to enjoy myself.''

In several interviews with Fairfax Media, Ms Broadbent said she planned to take her own life so she could have a peaceful, dignified death. She said she did not want her health to deteriorate to the point where she had dementia or found herself in a nursing home with no way out.

The environmental activist chose to tell her story because she believed many elderly people wanted to die when they felt their life was complete, but lacked the means to go gently.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/rational-suicide-why-beverley-broadbent-chose-to-die-20130401-2h34...

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/rational-suicide-why-beverley-broadbent-chose-to-die-20130401-2h34...

[cat_mioux]

Same with the Princess, she's 88yrs in a Nursing Home, she has all her faculty's, apart from a few issues with her mobility she's fine.  There's no way she wants the lights turned out, she's having too much fun peeing everyone else off   :^O

Fabulous. :^O We all have to find the joy somewhere 😄

[purple.cow]

At the present time I'm 63 and in pretty great physical and mental shape and enjoy a generally good life so I wouldn't consider taking my own life, but when the time comes that that situation changes I'll check out on my terms and to hell with what anyone else thinks about it afterward.

Even if I chose to die without physical issues being part of the deal ....

It's my life, my decision, MY death!

All these ' right to lifers' make me want to puke. So too do those family members who think their parent etc. should consider what THEY think.

To them I say ..... lead your own life in your own way and quit sticking your oar into other people's lives.

[bright.ton42]

If Beverley started appreciating the fact she's not in great pain, her mind is still active, she obviously is able to exercise in some way ... she could start to see she has a blessed life, compared to some. Life really is a gift.

Beverley died on Feb 11, so she got her wish. 

She was unmarried without relations but had made a huge contribution to the 

community through her environmental activism. She was always reaching out. 

What she said on the video was that she had recently undergone several painful

operations and was now faced with the prospect of cancer and had had it. 

Fair enough.  I don't call that a blessed life by any stretch.   She left no-one who loved

her dearly, she had nothing else to prove.  I think too, having known her as I did, she would

have feared the deterioration of her brain, as she had a high intellect.

I don't think it's for anybody  to preach on how  one should feel.    We are all different. 

[jean2579]

I absolutely agree with her. I plan to do the same thing when I, and I alone judge the time is right. I have a great fear of being in any form of retirement living and will make my decision before that happens.

[twinkles**stars]

My Grandma lived till she was 105. If she bumped herself of at 83, that 22 years we would have been without her. She did wonder when she got past 100 why she was still here, as most of her friends had long passsed.

And there you are admitting it was all about your needs......what about hers?

[freddie*rooster]

I don't understand the fear of a Nursing Home facility. My Mum has added another 10yrs to her life by selling up her home and moving into care. She has company, activities, freedom to do as she pleases, she goes on day trips with the other residents, has all her meals cooked for her, has her washing done, staff that care for her, she loves it.

[cat_mioux]

I'm certainly not preaching, well maybe I am, when I say life is a gift and sometimes it takes courage, lots of courage to stay living and overcome your fears.

I listened to the video of Ms Broadbent. I was a little shocked to hear she'd had enough of her body deterriotating:

Operation on her thumbs

Carpal Tunnel

2 Cataracts

Hip replacement

and a lump in her breast.

WT?? 😮

You have got to be kidding. If people want to kill themselves over these trivial, yes TRIVIAL, health issues then what does this say about the preciousness of life?

She forgets a few words?  Don't we all as we age? I called my son-in-law Brian the other day when his name starts with a J. Doesn't mean I should think about killing myself.

I understand Ms Broadbent didn't want to wait until she couldn't successfully kill herself but she was a long way from finding herself in that position. The lump hadn't even been checked out yet. It may have been a benign cyst, like most lumps.

Okay so she may have had a stroke which would render her helpless in killing herself. But why kill yourself over something that may never happen, We could get hit by a bus. Should we kill ourselves now .. just in case?

I will never condone "just in case" suicide.

Maybe there were other reasons Ms Broadbent wanted to kill herself .. which we'll never know. Loneliness? Just because someone says they're not depressed doesn't mean they're not. Maybe she was afraid of growing old.

I don't know. But if we start condoning 'just in case' suicide then where does it end?

[**meep**]

I'm certainly not preaching, well maybe I am, when I say life is a gift and sometimes it takes courage, lots of courage to stay living and overcome your fears.

I listened to the video of Ms Broadbent. I was a little shocked to hear she'd had enough of her body deterriotating:

Operation on her thumbs

Carpal Tunnel

2 Cataracts

Hip replacement

and a lump in her breast.

WT?? 😮

You have got to be kidding. If people want to kill themselves over these trivial, yes TRIVIAL, health issues then what does this say about the preciousness of life?

She forgets a few words?  Don't we all as we age? I called my son-in-law Brian the other day when his name starts with a J. Doesn't mean I should think about killing myself.

I understand Ms Broadbent didn't want to wait until she couldn't successfully kill herself but she was a long way from finding herself in that position. The lump hadn't even been checked out yet. It may have been a benign cyst, like most lumps.

Okay so she may have had a stroke which would render her helpless in killing herself. But why kill yourself over something that may never happen, We could get hit by a bus. Should we kill ourselves now .. just in case?

I will never condone "just in case" suicide.

Maybe there were other reasons Ms Broadbent wanted to kill herself .. which we'll never know. Loneliness? Just because someone says they're not depressed doesn't mean they're not. Maybe she was afraid of growing old.

I don't know. But if we start condoning 'just in case' suicide then where does it end?

Well said.  I agree with you 100%

[jean2579]

I don't understand the fear of a Nursing Home facility. My Mum has added another 10yrs to her life by selling up her home and moving into care. She has company, activities, freedom to do as she pleases, she goes on day trips with the other residents, has all her meals cooked for her, has her washing done, staff that care for her, she loves it.

freddie, in my case it is because I was one of the children caught up in the so called Forgotten Australian system. I can never bear to be in any establishment type of accommodation. I always check myself out of hospitals rather than stay. My fear and feelings of terror from 60 years ago are still very fresh. I can never go into any form of home or village. My family know my feelings.

[twinkles**stars]

her health was deteriating and with no family to care for her .....her choice to end ber life. She had completed all she wished for.

RIP Beverley