The Pros And Cons Of Physician Assisted Suicide

Although physician-assisted suicide is only legal in certain states, many people look into this method. In many of the states in the United States, physician assisted suicide is illegal. There are four states that allow physician assisted suicide, and the four states are: California, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. These four states only allow physician assisted suicide if the patient is terminally ill. Physician assisted suicide is a dilemma to the medical profession in today’s society due to patients getting deadly illnesses and it has multiple effects on the patients’, doctors, families, and the society in a bad way. Physician assisted suicide was developed because of people getting chronic illnesses that they cannot fight off. The illnesses could be cancer, HIV or AIDS. “Mainly patients with cancer use PAS” (Emanuel et al. 150). Many sicknesses that the patients get are so bad that their body is very weak they cannot fight the …show more content…
When someone passes it is never easy for a family member and it is never easy to accept the fact that they are gone. Grief or depression is the first reaction a family member will get when a loved one passes. ”Sudden loss, loss of a child or a partner, low self esteem, low internal control, lack of religion or spiritual belief, lack of social support, low education, and young age have been identified as risk factors for developing traumatic grief”(Swarte et al.1). When a patient decides on using physician assisted suicide, then it’s hard for a family member, even if they know it is happening. If the patient cannot make the decision of using physician assisted suicide because they are so sick, then the family member that takes care of them can then decide for them. Some family members live with the regret on how the one receiving PAS dies. The family members will have to help the patient look at the cost for this procedure to see if they can afford on this