wpo97

Don't worry, in 8 years or so, you'll want to round down for the rest of your life!

Hello Dr. Moutier,

Long introduction, for a moral question: I'm a student with a diagnosis of asperger. As a teen, i fought through my own suicidality mostly on my own (13-14), thanks to a stupid promise I made, and I've used the knowledge that gave me to recognize depression/suicidality in fellow students and help them as best I could without involving their family unless necessary (I never did for myself, although in hindsight, I should've).

I've spent 9 years, over a third of my life, to understanding this phenomenon, both in myself and others, purely based on observation and reasoning (I don't study psychology, as asperger makes for a very poor psychologist), and I've known since I was 17).

Despite this, I've struggled with a question ever since the one time I failed to save someone (I succeeded when we were both in high school, ~15, but 5 years later, when we were out of touch, different uni, she commited suicide, she was one of the first I tried to help). This made me wonder: Is it fair that I choose for someone else whether they have to spent additional time in pain in a life they don't seem to want? Or rephrased: Why should I condemn someone to more time they might not want or enjoy?

I used to think I was helping people, but after that... Because almost every case of suicidality can be treated in my experience, if not by me, by a professional, but the moment I intersect with someone and give them the chance to talk to me, I take the choice, of not seeking help, unwittingly out of their hands.

TL;DR: is it moral to help someone struggling with depression/suicidality, if they don't know they just came across help, and might not want it?

(I know this is a twisted question, and the answer should be obvious, but I live in a country where euthanasia, when agreed upon by two different doctors (where one has no prior connection to the patient) and a psychiatrist is legally allowed (although still hard to actually get everything in order), and I vehemently believe in that right to choose)

EDIT, unrelated to the question: I would like to genuinly thank you and all those who work on this with you, for your work around this topic. You make help available to those who want/need it, which is an invaluable service for countless people. You all make me believe in humanity a little.

Sleeping is what allows the brain to place everything and wind down so to speak. By dreaming lucid on a regular basis, doesn't one risk mental exhaustion? And related to that, it sounds like a very vivid experience. Is there any risk of addiction, leading to said mental exhaustion?