Canadian Comedian with Mental Illness Seeks Assisted Dying

Claire Brosseau has spent years performing as a stand-up comedian and has appeared in films and television. After decades of unsuccessful treatment for mental illness, she says she no longer sees any option other than assisted dying.

The 49-year-old Toronto woman suffers from bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Over three decades, she says she has undergone almost every form of treatment available, including therapy, medication and electroconvulsive therapy, but without success. She says she is no longer able to work or lead a normal life.

Canada had planned to extend its assisted dying program to patients with severe mental illness but has twice postponed the decision amid concerns that the health system is not ready.

The issue divides experts and politicians alike. Critics point out that medicine cannot yet reliably determine whether a person is genuinely terminally ill or suicidal. There have also been cases in which assisted death was offered to people with disabilities without them having requested it.

(bbc, bak)