Belgian doctors rule that a depressed woman has the right to end her life


A 24-year-old woman in Belgium who suffers from depression has been granted the right to end her own life, The Independent reports. The woman — whose name is only given as "Laura" in her extensive interview with a Belgian newspaper — has suffered from depression since she was a child, and was committed to a psychiatric facility at 21.
"Death feels to me not as a choice. If I had a choice, I would choose a bearable life, but I have done everything and that was unsuccessful," Laura told De Morgen.
Belgium legalized euthanasia in 2002; assisted suicides have since spiked to over 1,800 a year. In 2013, Belgium agreed that terminally ill children, too, have a right to die.
In the U.S., "Death with Dignity" laws only exist fully in three states — Washington, Oregon, and Vermont — and the laws are strictly limited to cases in which the individual has a terminal illness.
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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