The purpose of this article was to inform readers of the thoughts and feelings of patients, families, and physicians. This article informs others of what is really in the thoughts of people going through physician assisted suicide. The audience can be anyone from other physicians to patients and families or anyone who wants to read about this topic. This article can help explain why physician assisted suicide has more positive than negatives. It helps to explain the thought process and feelings of someone who had to really consider this as an option.
Imagine a family member being extremely ill and suffering from day to day. When they decide they cannot take the pain any more, would you want them to pull through for you or would you fulfill their dying wish and let the doctor pull the plug? Could you even make a decision? Many people would not allow such an event to happen because with all the pain and confusion the patient is enduring may cause confusion and suicidal tendencies. However, there are people who believe otherwise. This is called physician-assisted suicide. Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is a controversial topic that causes much debate. Though it is only legal in the three states Oregon, Washington and Montana, there are many people who are for it and think it can be necessary. Even with morals put aside, Physician-assisted suicide should be illegal because it will be a huge violation of the oath every doctor must abide by, there would be no real way to distinguish between people who are suffering and the people who are faking or depressed, and it causes a lot of confusion to people with new diseases or new strands of disease that does not have a clear cure.
Physician assisted suicide is immoral in the case of people who are alive and desire to terminate their life. However, there are extreme cases when hastening the dying process is justified in the circumstances of individuals who are in intense physical impairment.
Assisted suicide also known as mercy death refers to a patient who request assistance with terminating his/her life due to a terminally ill diagnosis or an illness that brings on pain that is deemed unbearable. Most patients who request assisted suicide do so because they are unable to commit suicide due to paralysis or they are too weak [physically to so it themself. Some request the assistance simply because they do not have the courage to commit suicide. The support for assisted suicide and the support against assisted varies from one person to the next person.
People put down animals that are terminally ill out of mercy for the pain they might go through, why should a human not be allowed the same compassion? It is a known fact that everyone’s life comes to an end at some point, for those who are terminally ill and want a less painful and quicker way out they might use physician assisted suicide (PAS). Physician assisted suicide, and euthanasia give the same outcome that the patient wants, to be rid of their life of pain and illness. Do not be confused, while these two practices serve the same purpose, the physicians involvement in physician assisted is quite different from euthanization. Assisted suicide is when a doctor gives the means for the terminally ill to commit suicide. They suggest taking a certain dosage of prescription pills, and will prescribe to you said pills. Physician assisted suicide can help the terminally ill in many positive ways by giving them the peace they were looking for.
Physician Assisted Suicides. For example, they could consider going to therapy, talking to a
So what options are out there? You are a terminally ill patient drowning in debt and unable to pay the bills. But, you have a choice to stop the treatments that have no significant effect on you, or do you keep suffering? So let’s say you decide to end this agony, you know the inevitable is coming, but you want to take charge of your own death. Although the state you live in does not support your decision and only gives the option of lying in your death bed on life support. This research paper examines, if assisted suicide should be allowed in all states? Within this essay, will be points about why someone would choose to end their life, what states have legalized assisted suicide, pros and cons, and why this topic should be more talked about. Evidence will be gathered from, written sources. Sources that will likely be scholarly-reviewed journals, magazine articles and other articles from a religious viewpoint along with a doctor, family, and the patient’s viewpoint. The public should be more informed of the pros and cons to assisted suicide and which one has the greatest benefit for the patient and their families.
Physician-assisted suicide, often referred to as assisted death, is a scenario in which a physician provides medication or advice that allows a terminally ill patient to take their life. (Breitbart) This term is often confused with euthanasia, a situation in which a physician administers lethal doses of medication to a patient to end his or her life. (Breitbart) This is often done by a physician who wants to be merciful and who believes they are ending the patient’s suffering. (Breitbart) A patient who requests a physician to assist them in their suicide is asking the physician to go against their morals and the Hippocratic Oath.
In physician assisted suicide, after a request from a patient, a doctor prescribes a lethal dose of medication, making the means of death available but not participating in it. The patient then chooses whether or not to take the medication. But some patients may not kill themselves at all if they know the legal option of help from a doctor will be available if the day comes that they wan...
The word Euthanasia comes from the Greek and means “good death” (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/hp.asp) and in the range of this paper, it will be called physician assisted suicide or “active” euthanasia. The definition of “active” euthanasia is ending one’s life yourself or with aid of a doctor. It can be done in various different ways; however, the most common form is with a combination of drugs, usually given by a physician. ( http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/hp.asp) The reason Physician Assisted Suicide (or PAS) is an important issue in this country and around the world is that there are many people out there suffering from debilitating, incurable and intensely painful diseases that would like to end their lives with dignity and without suffering. (Leo & Lein, 2010, The Value of a Planned Death)
The history of the debate for physician-assisted suicide has been long, tracing all the way back to the Greek and Roman times. The debate is primarily focused on ethics of the practice. With the popularity of Christianity, many physicians continued to ban Physician-Assisted suicide. Within the last 200 years the public has rejected many discussions about Physician-assisted suicide and Euthanasia from many different historic perspectives. Although this debate has been long and many of the issues discussed over the history of the debate are repetitive, a lot of concerns do come out with the debate. Physician-assisted suicide is when a physician provides medication to a patient with the understanding that the patient intends to use them to commit
The debate on physician-assisted suicide is a significant topic that concerns people all over the United States. The debates go back and forth about whether a dying patient has the option to die with the assistance of a physician. There are valid arguments both for and against it, although based on research, the cons outweigh the pros. Physician-assisted suicide not only changes the culture in which medicine is practiced, it violates a doctor’s morals and doctor-patient relationships. This weight should not be laid on the shoulders of medical personnel. Physician-assisted suicide should not be legalized in all fifty states.
Euthanasia - Pro and Con
Abstract
This paper will define Euthanasia and assisted suicide. Euthanasia is often
confused with and associated with assisted suicide, definitions of the two are
required. Two perspectives shall be presented in this paper. The first
perspective will favor
Health care institutions should never allow or participate in euthanasia or assisted suicide in any way. Medical personnel - faithful to the service of life - cannot cooperate in any euthanasia practice. They are invited to acknowledge the truth that if care is administered properly at the end of life, only the rare patient should be so distressed that he or she desires to commit suicide. Thus, dying patients who request euthanasia should receive loving care, psychological and spiritual support, and appropriate remedies for pain and other symptoms so that they can live with dignity until the time of natural