How Should I Pick My Death?

When a patient is terminally ill or is experiencing extreme pain, often Euthanasia or Assisted Suicide can both be plausible options to end any suffering. Euthanasia is currently legalized in seven countries and parts of the United States (New Health Guide). This number is not likely to increase soon because of the high controversy, which is due to the very serious topic of this matter: a person 's life. The general process of these medical methods is usually understood as a doctor somehow deliberately causing the death of a patient or helping with their suicide. Many believe that it is unethical and violates laws, oaths, and more. Though people believe this, it is truly unethical to not give a person a choice in the manner in which they will perish.

Death is one of the few inevitable events in life; it’s something everybody must face in their lifetime. Many fear it but for some, it’s an opportunity to embrace freedom and tranquility from their suffering. For the terminally-ill, they want to liberate themselves from their illness but modern medicine, sometimes, can only reduce their pain to a certain degree and others want to have the right to die. Doctors trying to salvage their patients’ lives could possibly cause more harm than giving them what the patients’ wants, Death. As medical professionals, they abide to do no harm to their patients, to only reduce their pain and cope with their suffering but it’s damaging them even more. The last option for many terminally-ill patient is to die and allow medical professionals to help them, which is considered Euthanasia. The practice of Euthanasia should be legalized and provided in the United States as a last resort for the terminally-ill.

Today, there is a large debate over the situation and consequences of euthanasia. Euthanasia is the act of ending a human’s life by lethal injection or the stoppage of medication, or medical treatment. It has been denied by most of today’s population and is illegal in the fifty states of the United States. Usually, those who undergo this treatment have a disease or an “unbearable” pain somewhere in the body or the mind. Since there are ways, other than ending life, to stop pain caused by illness or depression, euthanasia is immoral, a disgrace to humanity, according to the Hippocratic Oath, and should be illegal throughout the United States.

Terminal illnesses are terrible diseases that will ultimately end in death. What many people do not understand is that many terminal illnesses can cause an inability to function. Which is challenging for patients that have lived independently. The frustration of them not being able to function at the level they are used to would consume them. Although there are many reasons to ask for a life-ending medication, in 2014, Oregon reported that the inability to partake in events, the loss of independence, and the loss of dignity were among the top reasons why patients requested the medication (Goodale, Grossman, and Grundy 16). In addition to the patient's feelings, it can be as tough for the family of the patient. As humans, one of the most difficult things to do is to watch someone we love struggle. Physician assisted suicide would end the

Nevertheless, there are high cost associated with this type of care. This care comes with a price tag regardless of whether it takes place in a facility or at the patient’s home. Palliative care comprises of various different services to treat a variety of different patient symptoms (Round, 2015, p. 904). This care can include being hospitalized or in a nursing home where expenses will be enormous. Assisted suicide would not replace the need for palliative care; however, it could decrease the amount of care received thus reducing the amount of health care cost a person would incur. Since the terminally ill patient would end their own life while he or she was still capable and still in the correct frame of mind to

If a family member was terminally ill everyone would be very supportive on that persons wishes, but there comes a point where a person dying and suffering can be very unbearable to watch for that patients’ family. Medicine today is very expensive and sometimes too much for that patients’ family. Being a mentally stable patient knowing that you are going to die within a few months, and everyday towards the “end-of-life” the bills will start to sky rocket. “The cost of maintaining [a person dying] has been estimated as ranging from about two thousand to ten thousand dollars a month” (Dworkin 187). Of course the family will do anything that they can to save their loved ones, but only to be in financial debt after their loved one passes. The author of Life’s Dominion, Ronald Dworkin states that, “many people want to save their relatives the expense of keeping them pointlessly alive”(193). This is a great example of the financial burden that relative will go through just to prolong their loved ones life. These terminally ill patients’ have accepted the fact that they are going to die and would like to end their lives in the most peaceful way as possible. So, if a terminally ill individual decides that PAS is the route they want to take, it will easy their families’ financial burdens as well as their own personal

However, according to statistics, in 86% of the cases, euthanasia shortened a patient’s life no more than one week – usually, just a couple of hours. Patients ask for euthanasia when their chances for recovery are nearly impossible; besides, the last days of a patient’s life are usually full of agony and excruciating pain, and euthanasia is the only way to stop it

What is the right to die, euthanasia or physician assisted suicide? Is there a difference? Should a patient be left to suffer and die? Is there a difference? There is no difference because whether it’s a merciful death, assisted death, natural or artificial death, the patient will eventually die. However, the right to die a much faster and painless death with dignity is wiser. The Improvements in medical technologies enable individuals to delay the inevitable fate of death, but there are patients within the United States who technology cannot delay their fate of death, such patients, terminally patients. These patients should have the right to choose death over life to end their intractable pain, but with dignity. Death with dignity has been

The family will feel guilty and agree to any treatments that are being offered by the hospital to prevent the terminally ill person from dying a faster death. These high costs are not worth it. The medical bills can and probably will result in bankruptcy and losing your home all for someone who will die any ways. In the article, Killing Off the Dying?, Adam Wolfson points out that, “Less than one hundred years ago, the leading causes of death were influenza, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and gastritis, and the average life expectancy was in the mid forties. Most people died in their homes surrounded by family.” This is no longer the case because the technology we have today has allowed us to keep our sick family members alive for a long time. Most of the time, our family members are dying in the hospital after weeks or months of very expensive medical treatment left to the families to deal with. With the assist in suicide, it would be a complete different story. The bills would be more manageable and not as bad if they were left to go on until the terminally ill person finally

Giving a person the right to personal autonomy allows them to make a choice based on their own circumstances and ethical beliefs. In cases where a patient is unable to make a decision due to the severity of his or her condition, they should not be viewed as living, but instead as dying. In other words, involuntary euthanasia is only speeding up an inevitable process, which in no regard should be compared to assisted suicide. Whether it is through personal autonomy, the choice of a trusted other, or the expert decision of a doctor, euthanasia serves a righteous and moral

When families are told that someone close to them is about to die, they breakdown, and realize their time left with this person is valuable. They become very upset that their loved one is having to die, and don’t have the choice to live. If the family knew that the patient is choosing death, it would help them and the patient find some kind of closure in the situation. They would understand that this person is choosing to die, that this is their choice and they accept the situation. Physician assisted suicide is inexpensive, and helps the family and the patient. When the patient passes away, the family will be sad, but they will understand that it was the patient’s choice, and they chose this. Within the time the family has left, they will be able to work to pay off their debt, and find their way back to their normal life. “Finally, many terminal patients want the right to assisted suicide because it is a means to endure their end without the unnecessary suffering and costs.”

Opinions of euthanasia and assisted suicide vary by country to country, and only a few nations permit euthanasia in the case of terminally ill patients (van der Heide et. al., 2007, p. 1957). The public discourse surrounding the ethical, and subsequently legal status of euthanasia is frequently heated and somewhat polarized, because the debate cuts to the very heart of notions of human rights and ethics. Unfortunately, this only tends to further obscure the issue at hand, which is in reality a fairly simple question. Namely, what is more important; the preservation of individual human life for as long as possible, potentially despite the wishes of the individual, or allowing an individual to choose the time and manner of his or her death? As will be seen, the only reasonable answer to this question is to favor individual freedom, but first, it will be necessary to counter some of the distractions and misinformation that opponents of euthanasia use to avoid confronting the essential question at hand.

Euthanasia is a controversial issue. Many people believe that doctors should not prescribe any medication that ends a person’s life since it is considered to be against the Hippocratic Oath. The Hippocratic Oath states that doctors are professionally obliged to save lives. Some consider euthanasia to be immoral and others say that it is murder. Euthanasia should

Euthanasia is a controversial issue. Many different opinions have been formed. From doctors and nurses to family members dealing with loved ones in the hospital, all of them have different ideas for the way they wish to die. However, there are many different issues affecting the legislation and beliefs of legalizing euthanasia. Taking the following aspects into mind, many may get a different understanding as to why legalization of euthanasia is necessary. Some of these include: misunderstanding of what euthanasia really is, doctors and nurses code of ethics, legal cases and laws, religious and personal beliefs, and economics in end-of-life care.

In cases where an individual's quality of life is irreparably diminished by terminal illness, one may seek to end their life with the help of a doctor. This has been a solution for patient suffering in neighboring countries, but there are ethical and legal issues that make it an impractical solution for American healthcare. Considering the results of negative potential of euthanasia practices exposes its flaws, and sheds light on better alternatives. Therefore active euthanasia, not to be confused with physician assisted suicide, should not be legalized in the United States.