The Pros And Cons Of Physician Assisted Suicide

Imagine an old man suffering from a life-limiting terminal illness. He feels as if he has become a burden on his family and every day he lives, is another day he miserably suffers in pain. He feels as if he has lost all control on your life and any independence he once had. His quality of life has disappeared. That is when he turns to physician-assisted suicide. The definition of physician assisted suicide is the act of intentionally killing oneself by administration of lethal substance with the assistance of a physician. Going into more detail, after a doctor prescribes a lethal drug, it is “either mixed in water to create a bitter drink or stirred into pudding or applesauce to hide the taste” (Engber). The patient will then consume the substance themselves, generally in their home, and soon slip into a coma, with death approaching within half an hour. According to an article from Berkeley Wellness, this means that after meeting certain strict criteria such as “being diagnosed with having 6 months or less to live, being able to have the mental capacity to understand what they are …show more content…
For instance, Andy and Peter Squires helped their mother travel to Switzerland so that she could have the assisted death she wanted. When Andy Squires writes about his feelings towards the subject he says,“We are happy in the fact that at all times mum retained her dignity, and ultimately she chose when and where to end her suffering.” (Squires). Also, people whose family member had opted for physician-assisted death have felt “more prepared for and accepting of the death” (“How does physician-assisted suicide affect the family”). Many loved ones of patients who have died from physician-assisted suicide take comfort in knowing that their family member died with their pride intact rather than dying in pain and