When we think of euthanasia, we often have in mind the image of an elderly person suffering from an incurable illness, such as terminal cancer or Charcot’s disease. But the situations are much more varied. This is particularly the case of Zoraya ter Beek, a young Dutch woman. The latter explained to the American media The Free Press that she had requested euthanasia for psychological suffering due to “her depression, her autism and her borderline personality disorder”. A situation that raises many questions. We’ll explain it to you.
Who is this young woman?
Zoraya ter Beek is 28 years old. She lives in a house in a small Dutch town near the German border, with her partner, a 40-year-old computer programmer, and their two cats. The Free Press reports that she had long wanted to be a psychiatrist but was unable to muster the will to complete her studies, “hindered by her depression, autism and borderline personality disorder” from which she had suffered for years.
According to comments reported by The Free Press, the young woman’s psychiatrist told her he had tried everything to treat her, adding: “we can’t do anything more for you. It will never get better. » It was at that moment that she decided to die. “I’ve always been very clear that if the situation doesn’t improve, I can’t do this anymore. »
What does she ask?
The young woman requested euthanasia for mental suffering in the Netherlands. Request which, according to his statements, was approved. Zoraya ter Beek is to be euthanized at the beginning of May, at her home, in the company of her boyfriend.
In the Netherlands, a doctor can perform euthanasia on a person if the latter requests it freely, in a carefully considered and consistent manner, if their suffering is unbearable and with no prospect of improvement. Last condition: she must have been informed of her condition, the progress of her illness and possible treatment options.
For his part, the doctor must be convinced that no other solution is possible and have consulted at least one other independent doctor who has examined the patient. Once euthanasia has been carried out, a commission examines the euthanasia report to verify that it was carried out under legal conditions.
Why was there a conflict between the young woman and the journalist who interviewed her?
Zoraya ter Beek posted a tweet on Monday in which she reacted to the report from The Free Press. She believes that her words “were misappropriated”. According to her, Rupa Subramanya, the journalist who interviewed her, “made factual errors” and her testimony was used for political purposes. In her article, the journalist gives the floor to two experts, who believe that euthanasia has become “a sort of acceptable option proposed by doctors whereas before, it was the last resort”. She even speaks of a “kind of suicidal contagion”.
The young Dutch woman said she felt “betrayed” and “used”. “Theo Boer and Stef Greonewoud (the two experts interviewed) are both Christians and this has an influence on their way of seeing euthanasia. » Faced with the flood of more or less hostile reactions, Zoraya ter Beek has since deleted her X account.
Why did this information cause a reaction?
Beyond this disagreement with the journalist, Z’s testimony considers that “there is the single depressive episode, often reactive, and then there are the multiple and endogenous depressive episodes, underpinned by a pathological personality of the obsessive type , dependent, etc. […] Despite drug treatments and therapies, after a while, one can also lose hope and become tired of a life of struggle. As a psychologist or psychiatrist, we cling to theory but patients face practice 24/7. »
In the same comment thread on LinkedIn, a psychologist believes for his part that “there is the single depressive episode, often reactive, and then there are multiple and endogenous depressive episodes, underpinned by a pathological personality of the obsessive, dependent type, etc. […] Despite drug treatments and therapies, after a while, one can also lose hope and become tired of a life of struggle. As a psychologist or psychiatrist, we cling to theory but patients face practice 24/7. »
Shortly before, a psychiatrist recalled the extent of the wealth of treatments for depression. “Did this patient benefit from a monoamine oxidase inhibitor? Electroconvulsive therapy? Mood regulators? Pramipexol? repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation? Methylphenidate? Has she tried several lines of psychotherapy like EMDR, ACT, psychoanalysis, CBT, etc.? ? Has she tried psychedelic therapies? »
In France, a bill for “assisted dying” under “strict conditions” is in preparation. Emmanuel Macron says he wants to present the text in April to the Council of Ministers, before an examination in Parliament in May.