Mr. Silvan Luley:

There is one element that plays a role we have not mentioned. No matter whether it is do-it-yourself or violent suicide or physician-supported assisted suicide, it is a matter of socialisation. We still live in a generation in which men are brought up to solve problems themselves and not discuss issues with other. Professor Boer has mentioned this. Women talk with others more. They talk with family and friends. With just a quick jump, this brings us to the problem of the taboo around suicide and assisted dying. The taboo and this fear of being seen as being weak or weird, being stigmatised or being sectioned under the Mental Health Act if you go out and say that you want to end your life, for whatever reason, prevents a lot of help. Women are probably more inclined to talk about these things with friends and others while men are under more pressure from this taboo and fear of being stigmatised and do not go out and talk openly with others.

Quite frequently at Dignitas, we see people turning to us and saying they cannot talk to their family, their wife or their children about wanting to make use of assisted suicide with Dignitas because it would be too much for them. There is pressure from this taboo or responsibility to deal with everything themselves. We have to motivate these people to still take that step forward and discuss these matters with their families because that is important.