I can't think of a case where an otherwise healthy person should be allowed to just kill themselves without attempts to help overcome the problem. Great strides are being made in the neurobiology/chemistry of depression. Everyone I know who has been suicidal has been glad they got past that time.
Euthanasia is a different story. During my grandfather's painful dying, I wished many times that I could treat him as humanely as I treated my ancient dog, who I put to sleep in the same month as my grandfather died (it was a really shitty month). I was able to relieve my scared, hurting, old dog's pain and keep her from dying a worse death. I was not allowed to do so with my grandfather- and we even had to struggle with the hospital about treating him. He was almost 102, senile, and crippled from various bad bone breaks, and the hospital wanted to put him on a respirator when he got pneumonia! What for? To prolong his misery and fear? We prevailed and he died, and it was good. It was time.
Euthanasia is a different story. During my grandfather's painful dying, I wished many times that I could treat him as humanely as I treated my ancient dog, who I put to sleep in the same month as my grandfather died (it was a really shitty month). I was able to relieve my scared, hurting, old dog's pain and keep her from dying a worse death. I was not allowed to do so with my grandfather- and we even had to struggle with the hospital about treating him. He was almost 102, senile, and crippled from various bad bone breaks, and the hospital wanted to put him on a respirator when he got pneumonia! What for? To prolong his misery and fear? We prevailed and he died, and it was good. It was time.
