A Dutch woman is slated to end her own life despite being physically healthy, and can do so legally under Netherlands law, according to a report.
While Zoraya ter Beek is in good heath physically, she has been diagnosed with a litany of mental health issues, including depression, borderline personality disorder, and autism, according to the Free Press. While challenging, these illnesses are not terminal.
However, ter Beek, 28, has decided, after doctors informed her that they exhausted all treatment options, that these conditions are untreatable and overwhelming, and has elected to legally end her own life via euthanasia.
The practice of medically-assisted suicide is legal in the Dutch country and ter Beek's story is part of a growing trend where those that suffer from mental illnesses are choosing euthanasia, despite not being in terminal condition.
The Free Press further reported that the procedure is expected to take place in early May. Her post-life plans are to be cremated as she 'did not want to burden [her] partner with having to keep the grave tidy".
According to NDTV, the case of Ter Beek has ignited fierce debate. While some assert it underscores a troubling pattern of healthcare professionals quickly turning to euthanasia as a solution for mental health issues, others contend it empowers patients to exert greater autonomy over their end-of-life decisions.
"I'm seeing euthanasia as some sort of acceptable option brought to the table by physicians, by psychiatrists, when previously it was the ultimate last resort," Stef Groenewoud, a healthcare ethicist at Theological University Kampen, in the Netherlands, told The Free Press. "I see the phenomenon especially in people with psychiatric diseases, and especially young people with psychiatric disorders, where the healthcare professional seems to give up on them more easily than before."
