.png)
Warning: This article contains discussion of depression, self-harm and assisted dying which some readers may find distressing
A 29-year-old woman has died after being granted the right to seek euthanasia.
Zoraya ter Beek, from the Netherlands, had only recently turned 29, and had applied for assisted dying several years ago.
She had chronic depression, anxiety, trauma and an unspecified personality disorder.
ter Beek died on 22 May at 1:25pm local time, a blog post from a friend confirmed.
Speaking out before her death, ter Beek had said that she had sought a number of treatments including therapy, medication and over 30 sessions of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) which she had hoped would have helped.
"In therapy, I learned a lot about myself and coping mechanisms, but it didn’t fix the main issues," she told The Guardian.
"At the beginning of treatment, you start out hopeful. I thought I’d get better. But the longer the treatment goes on, you start losing hope."
Her last ECT session had come in August 2020, and she applied for assisted dying in December of the same year.
She felt that after a decade of trying to seek treatment there was 'nothing left' for her to try, and she knew she 'couldn’t cope with the way I live now'.
Zoraya had hoped that her situation might improve after meeting her partner, but she 'continued to self-harm and feel suicidal'.
People in the Netherlands can be granted the right to euthanasia if they experience 'unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement' and can demonstrate they are fully mentally capable.
Zoraya said: "It’s a long and complicated process. It’s not like you ask for assisted dying on a Monday and you’re dead by Friday.
"I was on a waiting list for assessment for a long time, because there are so few doctors willing to be involved in assisted dying for people with mental suffering.
"Then you have to be assessed by a team, have a second opinion about your eligibility, and their decision has to be reviewed by another independent doctor.
"In the three and a half years this has taken, I’ve never hesitated about my decision.
"I have felt guilt – I have a partner, family, friends and I’m not blind to their pain. And I’ve felt scared. But I’m absolutely determined to go through with it."
Speaking before her death she said it was a 'relief' after 'such a long fight', and said that she expected she'd be given a sedative before being administered drugs that would stop her heart.
Zoraya said before her death that her partner would be in the room with her, but she'd told him it would be alright if he felt he needed to leave the room.
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/TheFreePressTopics: Health, Mental Health, News, World News
Joe Harker