Actress, 48, Seeking Medical Aid in Dying After Decades of Mental Illness: ‘It’s Been Too Much’

A Canadian actress and comedian says she wants to end her life through medical aid in dying after decades of living with severe mental illness.

Claire Brosseau was 14 when she began abusing drugs and alcohol, alarming her parents enough to seek professional help. A psychotherapist diagnosed her with manic depression, the first in a long series of diagnoses that would later include an eating disorder, anxiety disorder, personality disorder, substance abuse disorder, chronic suicidal ideation and other mental health conditions.

Now 48, Brosseau told The New York Times that she has spent nearly 30 years pursuing treatment. Her efforts have included more than 25 medications, psychiatric care, multiple forms of therapy and guided psychedelic treatments. Despite these attempts, she says she has not found lasting relief.

In an open letter published on her Substack last year, Brosseau described the depth of her suffering and disclosed that she has attempted suicide several times. “I can’t even speak about the real horrors of my situation, because I could be put in the hospital,” she wrote.

Brosseau says her condition has become unbearable, leading her to seek medical aid in dying (MAID). She first applied in 2021 under mental health grounds, but that request is currently tied up in the courts. She has since applied under physical grounds, despite being physically healthy.

Canada’s MAID program allows eligible patients with terminal illnesses to end their lives through medication taken by the patient or administered by a clinician. At present, the law does not extend to people whose sole underlying condition is mental illness. An expansion that would include mental illness is scheduled to take effect in March 2027.

Brosseau says she does not believe she can wait that long. “Every day I don’t know if I’ll get through the day,” she told The New York Times.

Her psychiatrists hold differing views. Dr. Mark Fefergrad said he recognizes the severity of her suffering but believes effective treatment is still possible. “I believe she can get well,” he said. “I don’t think MAID is the best or only choice for her.”

Another psychiatrist, Dr. Gail Robinson, said Brosseau’s decision is understandable, even as she hopes for a different outcome. “I would love her to change her mind,” she said. “I would hope that she would not have to do this. But I will support her.”

If her request is approved, Brosseau hopes to be surrounded by her family, her psychiatrists and her dog, Olive. She plans to say her goodbyes beforehand and have her loved ones wait in another room during the procedure.

“And it’s been too much already,” she said. “It’s enough.”