Zoraya ter Beek, a 29-year-old Dutch woman, had her request for euthanasia due to “mental suffering” approved in the Netherlands after, according to her, battling chronic depression, anxiety, personality disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Ter Beek, whose authorization to carry out the procedure was issued last week, according to information from the British newspaper The Guardian, does not suffer from any physical problem that leaves her disabled or causes her extreme pain. She had an ordinary life despite the emotional problems, but she “knew she wouldn’t be able to cope with the way” she lives now for long. She had requested the procedure for the first time in 2020.
The woman stated that she had already considered committing suicide, but rejected the idea after the death of a schoolmate and the devastating impact it had on her family. She also said that even after finding a boyfriend, who tries to help her daily, she has not been able to stop having suicidal thoughts.
The Dutch woman stated that she underwent several intensive treatments, including more than 30 sessions of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), but that this was “not enough” to solve her problem.
The process for carrying out euthanasia was described by Ter Beek as “long and complicated”, involving assessments by medical teams and independent reviews. She stated that at each stage she was questioned about her “certainty” in the decision, to which she claims she “never hesitated”. Now, with approval from the authorities, Ter Beek is preparing to undergo the procedure in the coming weeks, which should take place at her home.
“In the three and a half years that this took, I never wavered about my decision. I felt guilt — I have a partner, family, friends and I’m not indifferent to their pain. And I felt scared. But I’m absolutely determined to move forward,” she said. she.
The Netherlands, the first country to legalize euthanasia in 2001, allows the procedure under strict conditions, including “unbearable suffering, with no prospect of improvement”. Ter Beek’s case is unusual, but reflects an increase in the number of euthanasias requested due to mental disorders in the country, which jumped from two cases in 2010 to 138 in 2023, according to the Guardian.
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