Dutch woman, 28, to be euthanized over mental illness after psychiatrist said it will 'never' get any better

bnew

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Dutch woman, 28, to be euthanized over mental illness after psychiatrist said it will 'never' get any better​


'There's nothing more we can do for you. It's never gonna get any better,' Zoraya ter Beek recalled her psychiatrist telling her​

By Landon Mion Fox News

Published April 6, 2024 5:40am EDT | Updated April 7, 2024 2:15pm EDT



A 28-year-old Dutch woman is slated to be euthanized next month because of her struggles with mental illness after her psychiatrist said her condition will never improve.

Zoraya ter Beek lives in a nice house in a small Dutch town near the German border with her boyfriend and two cats. Despite being physically healthy, she plans to end her life due to her depression, autism and borderline personality disorder, according to The Free Press.

She once had ambitions to become a psychiatrist, but she was never able to finish school or start a career due to her own mental illness. But now, she is tired of living and wishes to end her life, she told the outlet.

A tattoo on her upper left arm shows a "tree of life" but "in reverse."

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Appointment with a psychiatrist

Zoraya ter Beek, 28, is slated to be euthanized next month because of her struggles with mental illness after her psychiatrist said her condition will never improve. (iStock)

"Where the tree of life stands for growth and new beginnings, my tree is the opposite," ter Beek told The Free Press. "It is losing its leaves, it is dying. And once the tree died, the bird flew out of it. I don’t see it as my soul leaving, but more as myself being freed from life."

Ter Beek's decision came after her psychiatrist told her that they had tried everything to help her mental health.

"There's nothing more we can do for you. It's never gonna get any better," she recalled her psychiatrist saying, according to The Free Press.

After declaring her decision, ter Beek told the outlet, "I was always very clear that if it doesn't get better, I can't do this anymore."

As for how she plans to go out, ter Beek said she would be lying on the couch in the living room, with no music playing. But she has asked her boyfriend to be with her until the end.

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A doctor prepares a syringe

Zoraya ter Beek plans to end her life due to her depression, autism and borderline personality disorder. (Getty Images)

"The doctor really takes her time," she told The Free Press. "It is not that they walk in and say: 'lay down please!' Most of the time it is first a cup of coffee to settle the nerves and create a soft atmosphere. Then she asks if I am ready. I will take my place on the couch. She will once again ask if I am sure, and she will start up the procedure and wish me a good journey. Or, in my case, a nice nap, because I hate it if people say, 'Safe journey.' I'm not going anywhere."

Next, the doctor will administer a sedative and then a drug to stop ter Beek's heart.

Following her death, a euthanasia review committee will evaluate ter Beek's death to ensure the doctor followed "due care criteria" and the Dutch government will declare that her life was lawfully ended.

No funeral will be held following ter Beek's death. Instead, her boyfriend will scatter her ashes in an area in the woods they chose together, as she wishes to be cremated.

"I did not want to burden my partner with having to keep the grave tidy," ter Beek said. "We have not picked an urn yet, but that will be my new house!"

Psychiatrist meeting with a patient

Ter Beek's decision to end her life came after her psychiatrist told her that they had tried everything to help her mental health. (iStock)

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Ter Beek admitted that she is somewhat afraid of dying because she is unsure of what, if anything, happens after death.

"I'm a little afraid of dying, because it's the ultimate unknown," she said. "We don't really know what's next — or is there nothing? That's the scary part."

The Netherlands in 2001 became the first country in the world to legalize euthanasia. Now, at least eight countries have legalized it. Assisted suicide is also legal in 10 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., and all six states in Australia.

Protestant Theological University healthcare ethics professor Theo Boerin served on a euthanasia review board in the Netherlands from 2005 until 2014. During this time, he told The Free Press, he observed Dutch euthanasia "evolve from death being a last resort to death being a default option."
 

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“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles​

Andréa Oldereide and Donata Leskauskaite

Trigger warning: euthanasia, self-harm, suicide

28-year-old Zoraya ter Beek is expected to be euthanized in early May, following years of untreatable mental health struggles that have become unbearable, leading to a diminished life quality.

The Dutch woman, who has already decided to be cremated, has been reportedly suffering from depression, autism, and borderline personality disorder (BPD).

Highlights


  • Zoraya ter Beek will undergo euthanasia due to untreatable mental health issues.
  • In 2022, euthanasia accounted for 5% of deaths in the Netherlands.
  • Zoraya described the procedure as calm, starting with a cup of coffee.


According to Mayo Clinic, BPD mental disorder characterized by unstable moods, behavior, and relationships.

In 2017, Zoraya had already opened up about her challenges for the Dutch publication AD, in which she revealed that she started to harm herself at the age of 13.

She would cut herself on her arm regularly, prompting a teacher to send her to behavioral experts, which, at the time, did not lead to a diagnosis or treatment.

In 2015, Zoraya was diagnosed with chronic depression and ASD (autism spectrum disorder), and her mood could not be elevated with the help of medications. She was already thinking about euthanasia then.

28-year-old Zoraya ter Beek is expected to be euthanized in early May, following years of untreatable mental health struggles​

“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles

Image credits: rtlnieuws

Now, according to an article written by a journalist who endorses anti-euthanasia views on social media, Zoraya has finally taken the step to schedule her end-of-life treatment.

She described the process of undergoing euthanasia for the Free Press (FP): “The doctor really takes her time.

“It is not that they walk in and say: lay down, please!

“Most of the time it is first a cup of coffee to settle the nerves and create a soft atmosphere.

“Then she asks if I am ready.

“I will take my place on the couch.

“She will once again ask if I am sure, and she will start up the procedure and wish me a good journey.

“Or, in my case, a nice nap, because I hate it if people say, ‘Safe journey.’ I’m not going anywhere.”

“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles

Image credits: TheFP

As of 2023, euthanasia is legal in Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal (law not yet in force, awaiting regulation), Spain, and all six states of Australia.

In the Netherlands, a doctor administers a sedative, followed by a drug that stops the patient’s heart.

Upon the patient’s death, a euthanasia review committee evaluates the death to ensure the doctor adhered to due care criteria. The Dutch government can subsequently declare that the life of the patient was lawfully ended.

Zoraya recalled her psychiatrist telling her that they had tried everything: “There’s nothing more we can do for you. It’s never gonna get any better.”

At that point, she said, she decided to die. “I was always very clear that if it doesn’t get better, I can’t do this anymore,” she told FP.

Zoraya admitted: “I’m a little afraid of dying because it’s the ultimate unknown.

“We don’t really know what’s next—or is there nothing? That’s the scary part.”

Zoraya decided to be cremated after being diagnosed with depression and autism



A Bored Panda staff member read on Wednesday (April 3) an X post (formerly known as Twitter) written by Zoraya where she claimed that she did not have BPD. Zoraya has since deleted her X account.

Bored Panda has contacted the Netherlands’ Regional Euthanasia Review Committees (RTEs) for comment about Zoraya’s case.

The RTEs’ latest annual report indicates that there has been an increase in the number of notifications of euthanasia in the Netherlands.

In 2022, the RTEs received 8,720 notifications, an increase of 13.7% compared to the previous year.

The total number of euthanasia represented 5.1% of the total number of deaths in 2022 in the country, compared to 4.6% in 2021.

“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles

Image credits: Enrique Silva

The committees noted that 57.8% of the euthanasia performed in 2022 involved patients with incurable cancer.

The latest figures also showed that 7% of euthanized patients had neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. 4.1% were patients with cardiovascular disease, 3.2% were patients with pulmonary disorders, and 16.4% were patients with a combination of conditions, usually somatic.

Moreover, the RTEs indicated that the highest number of notifications of euthanasia involved people in their seventies (2,873 cases, 32.9%), followed by people in their eighties (2,314 cases, 26.5%), and people in their sixties (1,669 cases, 19.1%).

“The doctor really takes her time,” Zoraya said, describing the procedure

“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles

Image credits: freepik

According to the Maxim Institute, euthanasia is when an attending medical or nurse practitioner takes an action with the singular intention of causing a patient’s death. Generally, this is in the form of a lethal injection.

Meanwhile, assisted suicide is when a suicide is intentionally aided by the attending medical or nurse practitioner, and the person self-administers the medication. That is, the medical practitioner will prescribe a lethal drug that the patient will usually take orally.

Assisted suicide is legal in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, parts of the United States, and all six states of Australia.

People had divided opinions regarding Zoraya’s decision​

“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles

“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles

“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles

“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles

“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles

“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles

“It’s The Ultimate Unknown”: 28-Year-Old To Be Euthanized After Years Of Psychological Battles
 

Son Goku

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She was still a mid-grade PAWG but she was clinically insane? :hubie:

Oh well, RIP. :rip:
 

Yapdatfool

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Protestant Theological University healthcare ethics professor Theo Boerin served on a euthanasia review board in the Netherlands from 2005 until 2014. During this time, he told The Free Press, he observed Dutch euthanasia "evolve from death being a last resort to death being a default option."

interesting last sentences placed by fox @bnew
 

skylove4

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Dr. kevorkian in the cut rub his hands like birdman:birdman::laff: nah but i support this after multiple doctors sign off on this:manny:
 
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