• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    How do you define a life not worth living? Because I lost the genetic lottery in huge ways-

    Does that mean reaching 10 on the pain scale every day for a few years due to a rare nerve disorder? Me.

    Does that mean not having any solid food apart from a couple of bites with my mouth completely numbed since last August? Also me.

    On top of that, I have type II bipolar disorder and no job.

    A lot of people would say that life is not living, especially when it’s this nerve disorder.

    But I would say it is.

    • yeahiknow3@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      I defer to you on whether your particular life was worth living. The question is why you would want to live if your mind, your character and memories were gone — if you were a burden on those around you and could no longer engage in self-reflection or abstract reasoning. What would be the point?

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Because that isn’t what dementia necessarily is. My father recognized me when he was down to doing child-level jigsaw puzzles and even though he had a much more primitive mind, he was still him in essence, that wasn’t gone. Not everything goes in every case.

        • yeahiknow3@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          Dementia is a spectrum of neuropathology, so you’ve effectively ignored my question. But ok, let’s go with your specific example. Why would you keep your father alive in such an undignified state? You’re describing him as playing with “child-level jigsaw puzzles,” meaning he’s barely sentient and someone has to wipe his ass, which is a horrifying indignity. Literally my idea of hell. Are you punishing him? Are you punishing yourself?

          Humans are supposed to transcend the mortal realm, so why this obsession with remaining alive even at the expense of everyone around you? I guess I’ll never get an answer.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            Would I keep my father alive? No, because he’s not me. I thought we were talking about what I would do with my own life.

            And I gave you my answer- I don’t believe in an afterlife, so I don’t want to end my life unless it has to end. It’s not that you’ll never get an answer, it’s that you don’t like the answer you were given.

            • yeahiknow3@lemmy.world
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              5 months ago

              And I gave you my answer- I don’t believe in an afterlife, so I don’t want to end my life unless it has to end.

              WHY? That’s what I’m asking you. You haven’t even attempted to answer this question.

              You don’t like the answer

              You haven’t given an answer, and my guess is you don’t have one. Perhaps the reason you would want to live, even with dementia, is a mystery to you. That’s fine, but just say so.

                  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                    5 months ago

                    Yes, again, there is not one type of dementia. Why are you assuming I would only have the kind of dementia where I wasn’t aware I was alive?

                    And no I wouldn’t be a burden, I’d be in a nursing home as I have already told my family in the event of dementia.