A physically healthy Dutch woman died by euthanasia shortly after her 29th birthday because she did not want to live with depression and anxiety.
Zoraya ter Beek, who also suffered trauma and borderline personality disorder, She decided she wanted to die after battling mental health issues for more than a decade, while claiming no treatment had helped her.
He died at 1:25 p.m. local time on May 22, 20 days after his birthday, with the help of the Euthanasia Expert Center, a blog post shared by a friend said.
A tweet shared by another friend named Martin He said Beek died “humanely.” People who die by euthanasia are typically given a barbiturate solution that stops their heart, although Beek’s method of death has not been shared.
Zoraya ter Beek (pictured), who suffered from depression and borderline personality disorder, decided she wanted to die after battling mental health problems for more than a decade because treatment had not helped her.
The capture of Zoraya ter Beek’s account X is a touching nod to his recent death
A tribute shared by a friend showing her date of birth and death. The crossed out date suggests that she may have planned to die on her 29th birthday.
A screenshot of Beek’s X account was posted, which now says Zoraya – Status: Departed in an apparent nod to her death.
Another photo in the same post showed Beek’s date of birth (May 2, 1995) and his date of death. May 2, 2024 was also printed on the card, but crossed out, suggesting that he may have originally planned to die on his 29th birthday.
A third image showed a bird flying away from a tree that had lost some of its leaves in what appears to be a symbolic representation of Beek’s passing.
He died “a dignified death, which he had desired for years due to unbearable psychological suffering,” according to an obituary published by a Dutch newspaper. Algemeen Dagblad.
Beek was with her boyfriend when she died, although no further details about her death have been shared.
A blog paying tribute to him said: “It’s quiet now… no more texts… no tweets… no vague rumors… no cat pictures… …no motivational kick in the ass.” the butt……
Another tribute that described Beek’s “humane” death. Euthanasia patients are typically given barbiturates that stop their hearts.
A final tribute image shows a bird flying away from a tree in what appears to be a symbolic nod to Beek’s passing.
‘Me too? I am sad but happy at the same time. It’s sad to lose him, but there is so much understanding that the sadness doesn’t bother me. Happy because her greatest wish could come true in the way she hoped and desired. That she could go to sleep forever.
Beek, who hails from the small Dutch town of Oldenzaal, had openly expressed his desire to die and publicly shared his hopes of dying through euthanasia last October.
The 29-year-old, who celebrated her birthday on May 2, said she had a good life, but it wasn’t enough to live on.
‘I have a house. Two happy cats. And a partner who loves me very much and I love him. I have everything. But that “everything” is not enough to live.’
Beek’s partner supported his wish and was at his side when he died.
His account on X was closed and it was up to his friend Martin (@tintal1971 on X) to announce his death.
She wrote on Wednesday: ‘To the people who called her bluff, who called her an attention whore. Excuse yourself and sit in a corner. Ask yourself: are you part of the problem or part of the solution?
The announcement read: ‘Zoraya passed away today at 1:25 p.m. Or as she saw it herself: she went to sleep. Her last wish/request is to leave her loved ones alone and, if possible, swallow disrespectful reactions. She understood that euthanasia for psychological suffering is still a “thing” for some people.
Beek comes from the small Dutch town of Oldenzaal (pictured)
She had been on the euthanasia waiting list for three years, and when Beek shared her journey on social media, she became an ambassador for other patients.
As an advocate of death by euthanasia for those who want it, Beek came into the public eye, where many people examined her views.
“Sometimes a lot of shit is thrown at you by people who are against it anyway. Who accuse you of being an attention seeker. There is always some kind of burden of proof,” he told the Dutch newspaper.
‘People want to be able to see that you are suffering. May you cry. But yes, I put on makeup and dress well when I go out. They only see me happy doing my thing, not the days when I’m in bed all day.’
Zoraya ter Beek received approval for assisted dying earlier this month. After announcing the news, He lashed out at critics and declared their protest of his death “insulting.” She suggested that she planned to end her life in June, but she ended up being euthanized a little early.
Beek appears here in 2017 with his do not resuscitate badge that he chose to obtain, it is something that older people normally wear.
“People think that when you have a mental illness you can’t think clearly, which is an insult,” he said. the Guardian.
‘I understand the fears that some disabled people have about assisted dying… bBut in the Netherlands we have had this law for more than 20 years. “There are very strict rules and it’s really safe.”
Euthanasia has been legal in the Netherlands since 2002 for those experiencing “unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement.”
Beek’s case has received worldwide attention and has ignited the debate over assisted dying. Many who support euthanasia say it should only be available to terminally ill people facing an imminent, painful and undignified death.
Others, like Beek, insist that a comfortable and peaceful suicide should be an available option for people suffering insurmountable mental anguish.
Those who are completely against euthanasia say it is a slippery slope and that offering it to the terminally ill will eventually lead to it becoming an option for people whose illnesses could be cured or effectively treated.
Beek decided he wanted to die after a psychiatrist told him “there is nothing more we can do for you” and that “you will never get better.” The free press reported.
She previously said she would be euthanized on the couch at home with her boyfriend by her side.
The latest figures from the Regional Monitoring Committees (RTE) of the Netherlands show that 8,720 people ended their lives by euthanasia in 2022, an increase of 14 percent on the previous year.
Beek said her crippling depression and anxiety caused her to self-harm and become suicidal for years, stating that no mental health treatment, which to date has included talking therapies, various medications and even electroconvulsive therapy, has worked to reduce her distress.
When he was just 22 years old, Beek opted to get a do-not-resuscitate badge, something older people often wear.
He had thought about suicide on many occasions, but resisted after seeing the devastating impact the violent suicide of a schoolmate had on his family.
The 29-year-old told The Free Press last month that she has always been “very clear that if it doesn’t get better, I can’t do this anymore.”
Her boyfriend will spread her ashes in “a nice place in the woods” they have chosen together, she said.
“I don’t see it as my soul leaving, but rather as myself being released from life,” she said of her expected death, admitting: “I’m a little afraid of dying, because it’s the ultimate in the unknown.” .
‘We don’t really know what’s next, or is there nothing? That’s the scary part.’
The Netherlands is one of only three EU countries where the practice of assisted dying is legal, and human rights groups argue that it gives people battling terminal or disabling illnesses the right to end their suffering. human form.
The data revealed that 8,720 people in the Netherlands ended their lives through euthanasia in 2022, an increase of 14 percent from the previous year.