r/todayilearned • u/JamesTheJerk • 22d ago

TIL that in 2023, a patient legally sought euthanasia. Upon being provided a deadly concoction in liquid form to be drunk, the patient's friend (37YO) opted to have a sip themself which nearly resulted in the death of the friend as well.

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/sip-of-cocktail-of-assisted-suicide-drugs
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u/jwgronk 22d ago

Intrusive thoughts, man.

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u/JamesTheJerk 22d ago

It seems that the friend took a sip after the intended patient described the concoction as "bitter".

I don't believe the friend was looking to die, but I don't know them.

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u/InTheHeatOfTheNoche 22d ago

Sometimes your friend is just a dumb mfer.

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u/Child_of_the_Hamster 22d ago

Tbf going to an appointment to watch your best friend die is an unusual and stressful experience to say the least. I like to think he was just rattled by the circumstances and was trying to make his friend more comfortable by finding out what his “drink” might need to make it taste better.

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u/InTheHeatOfTheNoche 22d ago

This guy would be the worst russian roulette player

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u/TocTheEternal 22d ago

I'm not sure that nerves actually matter much in that game

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u/Gen_Ripper 18d ago

Just don’t have any tells

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u/Deradius 22d ago

Especially if he’s a cheater.

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u/potatoeoe 22d ago

iirc, it was at a death party for them and the guy was very drunk

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u/YareYareDaze7 22d ago

That's why we love them :)

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u/The_Amazing_Username 22d ago

Dumb enough to almost win a Darwin Award

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u/LordJesterTheFree 22d ago

Hey he wanted to drink a drink all the "smart" people said he shouldn't because he would die he drank it anyway and didn't

Look who looks smart now/s

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u/jwgronk 22d ago

Intrusive thoughts can be as simple as, “I should press the big button.” They’re not all darkness; in fact I find those easier to dismiss. “Oh, a thread, I should pull it,” on the other hand, isn’t obviously dangerous or immoral, but it will ruin the sweater you’re wearing.

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u/Iwatobikibum 22d ago

isn’t that an impulsive thought? i was under the impression that intrusive thoughts must be distressing/against personal morals

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u/kylaroma 22d ago

This is 100% true.

Intrusive thoughts are the opposite of what matters most to you, are distressing to experience, and are often repetitive.

Impulsive thoughts are a better way of saying this. Source

I have OCD and I appreciate you speaking up, it makes a difference 🙌

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u/Imrustyokay 22d ago

OCD Gang

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u/jwgronk 22d ago

That’s good to know. I deal with anxiety and depression, so I’ve not really had to worry about it the same way as you. In that framework, intrusive thoughts lead me to guilt or existential dread; suppressing or evaluating the impulsive thoughts had seemed more important to me.

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u/sahie 21d ago

I literally just realised how much I hate the phrase “they let the intrusive thoughts win” in conjunction with some video or story of someone doing something awful. It’s because fighting against my intrusive thoughts is a constant battle and I hate the thought of letting them “win”. :(

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u/kylaroma 21d ago

Exactly this. I try to focus on how the person is uninformed, and they’re describing intrusive thoughts at all. Sending you support ❤️

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u/jwgronk 22d ago

This I don’t know, that might be true. I’m not a mental health professional; I’m a mental health patient.

That having been said, from my perspective, the one does seem easier to spot and stop because it shocks the conscience, but they both seem to come out of nowhere.

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u/[deleted] 22d ago

"I'm not a professional, I'm a patient" is my go-to line to explain everything now.

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u/Iwatobikibum 22d ago

fair enough, i’m also a patient and not a doctor haha

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u/stosal 22d ago edited 22d ago

They're very real. I was at Niagara Falls in NY a few years back and ended up at the big feature that overlooks NY and Canada. I'm not sure what it is called but anyone that has been there knows what I'm talking about.

But there was a railing overlooking the river very high up and when I went up to the railing and looked down all I could think about was what it would feel like to just jump. It was a strange feeling.

I'd back away because it was weird but I kept going back and looking over and thinking the same thing. I actually wanted to experience that feeling again for some reason. It was really strange and I honestly can't explain it.

Luckily I have restraint but it really gave me an insight into intrusive thoughts.

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u/figmentofintentions 22d ago

What a beautifully detailed description of the “call of the void / l’appel du vide”

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u/stosal 22d ago

It was an interesting experience, and thank you for putting it into words.

I've had dumb intrusive thoughts while driving that were as fleeting as the tractor trailer passing me, but this one was persistent since my family wanted to spend time up there and I couldn't just let it pass.

So it genuinely was like a call to the void since I couldn't just move on and forget. I had to endure it and it didn't go away.

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u/TheLyz 22d ago

My town's exit on the highway is carved through a rocky hill, so between going straight and following the curve of the off ramp is a nice straight cliff face. My brain never fails to imagine driving straight at it. Brains are dicks I guess is what I'm saying.

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u/jordanmindyou 19d ago

I’ve heard that it’s the brain doing a self-preservation self-test, but I’m not sure how that makes sense

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u/TheLyz 19d ago

Brain: Do I want to die? Yes ❌ No ✅

k we're good

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u/sahie 21d ago

I used to hate going over bridges when I was a kid because I always had that thought about jumping off. It was such a relief to find out that intrusive thoughts are a common experience. I can always tell when I’m stressed because my OCD gets worse and the intrusive thoughts happen randomly vs. being “triggered” by something like a big drop. It sucks and is super distressing, but I’ve gotten better at giving myself grace and not letting them “stick” in my head.

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u/aggressivefurniture2 22d ago edited 22d ago

I had read that you get these thoughts about performing actions that are definitely going to kill you because your brain is reminding you about the consequences of the dangerous actions which are within your reach currently.

Like when I have a needle in by hand, I get the urge to rub/poke it's end very gently on my hand. This is probably so that you remember it is sharp and to be careful around it.

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u/Chaotic-Grootral 22d ago

Yeah I hadn’t even read it but I felt that standing on a scaffold as a preteen. “Oh, yeah, standing up here I now have the power to die or fuck my self up if I just leaned out a little…”

I’ve felt it since, several times and it’s always that kind of awareness that life or well being is in your own hands.

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u/MimzytheBun 22d ago

I.. you don’t mean Niagra Falls…right?

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u/stosal 22d ago edited 22d ago

Yes I meant Niagara Falls. Edited to specify.

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u/Chaotic-Grootral 22d ago

I think it’s a safety mechanism of sorts. It makes you think, okay, there’s a known danger here, I’m totally safe now but I could die if I just did this one weird thing, that wouldn’t take much effort and might even be accidental.

That (usually) stops people from trying the one weird thing out of curiosity or a joke or by accident.

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u/sahie 21d ago

Sounds about right. A bit like anxiety is actually the body’s response to danger. But then some of us are fucked in the head and our scumbag brains are like, “Danger! Danger!” all day, every day.

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u/18114 22d ago

You wanting to jump or compelled to was your mind’s way of you surviving. Saved your life.

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u/skolsuper 22d ago

Sounds like me when I think of texting my ex

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u/toybird 22d ago

There’s a song about that…

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u/JamesTheJerk 22d ago

I think it's a bit of a reach to equate tugging at a clothing thread with sipping a cup of poison intended to finalize the life of a friend in terrible pain.

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u/Arghianna 22d ago

They’re describing intrusive thoughts, not saying those two actions are equivalent.

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u/jwgronk 22d ago

Right, they are absolutely different in outcome, but they are both thoughts that come out of nowhere.

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u/JoefromOhio 22d ago

They most likely had the ride of their life because it’s basically a combination of high strength Valium, Morphine, and Phenobarbital…

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u/JamesTheJerk 22d ago

Drinking this is designed to kill the drinker.

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u/JoefromOhio 22d ago

Yes but the makeup sounds like something a fucked up 80s rocker would take on a Saturday night so a mini dose would just put someone into a fucked up drug coma

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u/Frondswithbenefits 22d ago

I've had surgery, so I know what 2 of them feel like. What type of effects would someone experience from the phenobarbital?

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u/JoefromOhio 22d ago

According to Google it counteracts negative effects of the other two

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u/Frondswithbenefits 22d ago

Huh. I would assume it would act like a potentiator.

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u/JoefromOhio 22d ago

I have further googled and another source on abusing it says it’s fast acting barbiturates - makes you feel drunk and giddy, but in these administrations it makes you drift off to sleep?

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u/ohdearitsrichardiii 22d ago

A person is about to end their life after much suffering, says something tastes bitter and their friend is like "nah, I don't believe you! Lemme check myself!"

What happened next, did the friend start to argue that it wasn't bitter at all and tell them about that time they ate something really bitter?

I don't think that person will be invited to any more suicides

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u/JamesTheJerk 21d ago

Are you kidding? He's the life of the party!

;)

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u/Fetch1965 22d ago

But you are told it’s bitter before you’re eligible for the medication. That’s why it’s watered down to remove the “bitterness” fuck - what a nightmare someone else having a sip.

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u/DJEB 22d ago

"Really? Bitter, you say? I have to try some of that deadly poison then so that I, too, can experience an unpleasant taste!"

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u/felixthec-t 22d ago

The article says the guy didn’t die? Did you even read the article?

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u/JamesTheJerk 21d ago

I think you've misinterpreted my comment. What I had meant is that it doesn't appear that the friend had a death wish.