Hi--

I'm new to this forum, but not to AWAD. Someone asked on another forum recently; "Does anyone know of a word that describes suicide to escape terrible pain or terminal illness? Euthanasia implies the killing of one person by another. Suicide implies the killing of oneself for reasons of mental disturbance and carries with it the stigma of that." The question stumped me! I was hoping one of you had a suggestion.

Thanks in advance.

Kay

Auto-ethanasia?

Suicide implies the killing of oneself for reasons of mental disturbance - I don't think this is everybody's opinion. And those who defend it will attach the same meaning to any other word which might be found for it. Euphemisms for emotionally charged subjects tend to be used up quickly.

suicide to escape terrible pain or terminal illness? I would hazard a very educated guess that they all are. Suicide is not an accident. I'm pretty sure there are not different words for suicide due to physical pain and suicide due to emotional pain.

The word 'Suicide' implies nothing more than killing oneself, regardless of the reason. Suicide describes people who blow themselves up in Baghdad markets killing others as well, those who do it because of mental illness, those who kill themselves out of shame, those who do it for cultural reasons, altruistic reasons, as well as those who want to end their life because of pain and suffering. It simply means self-killing.

Yep. As I tried to say, I don't think there are different words based on the whys.