The whole thought and question is tormenting me as I think on it. When I think of how many seriously unwell and tormented people I have helped to try and keep that way and, yet, no way can I advocate 'putting them down'. 'Psychiatric drugs' can have their own horrors - especially in wrong diagnosis - but there has also been great advancements in the treatment of the so called insane too.

Perhaps the only humane thing to do is to literally put such tormented souls "to sleep". Thereby one is not killing them at all but at least giving them some sleep and respite from their torment. Indeed, often that is what we did. Literally chemically inducing rest and respite. BUT, some people have terrible dreams too and have no rest even in sleep.

Oh my... what a can of worms this question has opened. Have I, in some way almost unwittingly, subjected fellow human beings to greater pain and suffering in the past by trying to keep them alive? It's a horrible thought and yet the only answer I can give is a "yes" I have. Under some umbrella of believing it was right I could have been doing them a great wrong. I had no alternative. I could not and would not have ever been part of some kind of mental health death camp, humane or otherwise, but what a great philosophical argument this all reveals. Of course there is nothing I can do about it now but I also cannot hide from the thoughts this thread has raised for me.

What I can be grateful for is that I have never suffered as they did. Even now when my clients treat me as if I am their better, I never accept it. I am better than no-one BUT I am very much luckier than a great many.

mp