A very short answer to the question is that the main difference is that we're talking about treatable brain diseases, so if it's treatable, why are you offering death?
To the second point about suffering, when Dr. Fry asked the question, she was setting me up to sound like I'm paternalistic or that my wishes would supersede the patient's. In fact, the patient comes to me because of suffering. They come to me because they believe I have expertise and knowledge and the ability, with my team, to relieve that suffering. Why would I offer death instead of doing exactly what they're asking from me in the first place? They have crossed my doorstep seeking help, seeking relief from suffering, and I'm telling you I can offer it. I'm telling you that teams can offer it. I'm telling you that we only have one in three Canadians who have accessed mental health care in Canada and you're offering death instead of treatment.
Treat everybody and then let's have this discussion, but to offer them death and say, “Oh, these people have had all kinds of treatments”, I have patients referred to me all the time from psychiatrists who have said that they're never going to get better, and they get better because of subspecialist care. It's subspecialist care. If you have a particular type of tumour, you're not having your family doctor treating it. You're going to a specialist in that type of cancer. It's true in psychiatry as well. You have this false narrative going on here about how it's all equal and all psychiatrists are equal and all diseases are equal.
Talk about the treatment of resistant diseases. Talk about the people whose suffering has lasted for a long time and answer this question: What do they want? They want relief from suffering. I would tell you honestly—