Why is it considered humane to put an animal down when they are suffering & have a low quality of life, but when a human is suffering & have a low quality of life, they are told to stay strong and that death isn't an option?

I don’t understand why someone with depression that’s refractory to everything (they’ve failed every med imaginable and therapy hasn’t helped) can’t be called terminally ill and at least be spared the heroics if they attempt. There is no reason that person with an untreatable illness must be forced to exist any more than a person with Stage 4 untreatable cancer. They could be sitting around suffering for 40 years, and at a certain point if someone’s mental health condition is deemed untreatable they should also be given the option to go peacefully as that’s the only way they can no longer be suffering. It’s rare and sad, but there are cases of depression, anxiety, PTSD and eating disorders where the person fails every treatment and there is no realistic hope of recovery. In those cases a DNR or even assisted suicide should be an option.

/r/TooAfraidToAsk Thread