The Concept Of Physician Assisted Suicide

The concept of physician assisted death rattles through every political system. The idea that a doctor can help someone end their own life has developed into a taboo subject most choose to avoid. As of today, “physician assisted suicide is legal in five U.S states. It is an option given to individuals by state law in Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and California. It is an option given to individuals in Montana Via court decisions.” (CNN). The reason Physician assisted death has turned into a topic of hot debate is due to the fact it clashes heavily with morals and semantics. Most individuals stand by the fact no one should be able to end their own life running the risk of a premature death, holding onto the idea life is a precious gift that one …show more content…
As stated above the patient is in the driver seat. The individual is able to plan and choose their death in a way that allows them to retain dignity. For some this means having a “suicide party” which is a get together to celebrate their life before they draw their final breathes, for others this means being silently surrounded by those they love. Kevin Drum, a writer for motherjones.com bravely wrote on physicians assisted death. At first he began with a story of his father-in-law named Harry who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Telling Harry’s story, we were able to gain an understanding of physician assisted death and how it helped one maintain dignity when Drum hit us with a shocking twist. Drum was also diagnosed with multiple myeloma, with no clue how long he had to live. Drum stated “I don’t want to die in pain-or drugged into stupor by pain meds-all while connected to tubes and respirators in a hospital room. When the end is near, I want to take my own life.” This is the big aspect of dying with dignity. You are not living in fear that you will not be in control. You control when, where, and most importantly how. Terminal illness’s all end in death, but the suffering and way the individual dies in unscripted. With physician assisted death you know you will slip into coma and pass peacefully. In a bittersweet conclusion on his piece Drum states “I’ll be able to tell my wife I love her one last time. I …show more content…
Individuals against physicians assisted death fear that terminally ill people will feel it is there “duty to die”. They fear that the patient will feel like a burden to their families. In order to feel like they are helping out their family instead of feeling like a parasite they could opt for physicians assisted death, even if it is not something they desire. This is a good point brought up by those against it and it is certainly not something that should be taken lightly. The mental screenings the patient goes through as well as the lengthy process hopefully weeds out the ones that are feeling outside pressure, however it might not be catching them all. In “Why Assisted Suicide Must Not Be Legalized” By Marilyn Golden, she quotes a man by the name of Herbert Hendin who is he Medical Director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Hendin states in a congressional testimony in 1996 “a request for assisted suicide is … usually made with as much ambivalence as are most suicide attempts. If the doctor does not recognize that ambivalence as well as the anxiety and depression that underlie the patient 's request for death, the patient may become trapped by that request and die in a state of unrecognized terror.” This compares the state of those who commit suicide without doctor’s assistance to those who do it with. Although is it an important concept to keep in mind, the situations are to vastly