The Suicide Of A Patient Essay - 970 Words

â€Å"The suicide of a patient suffering from an incurable disease, effected by the taking of lethal drugs provided by a doctor for this purpose,† is the dictionary definition of assisted suicide, or assisted death. Much debate has taken place over whether or not this should be a right of the terminally ill, and whether a doctor can grant that wish. Although modern medicine has brought a multitude of benefits to humanity, it cannot relieve the pain and suffering associated with the dying process. Kate Pickert, for TIME Magazine, notes that when people hear the term â€Å"euthanasia† they think of the battle in the 1990’s, featuring Jack â€Å"Doctor Death† Kevorkian. Slowly, countries, or at least individual states, have chosen to declare assisted suicide as legal or illegal based on a variety of reasons but religion being the most prominent reason. The idea of assisted suicide is considered illegal in considering the Biblical Commandment, which states Thou Shalt Not Kill. Despite this, some christian societies are considering the idea. Australia legalized it in 1995 but unusually, recanted that law in 1997. Also in 1997, the United States declared that assisted suicide was not a constitutional right but years later in 2006, the Supreme Court decided that such severe cases should be up to the individual states. This ruling contributes to Oregon’s â€Å"Death With Dignity† law, which was actually in place since 1997 but in 2007, â€Å"so me 46 people committed suicide in Oregon under the law† (Show MoreRelatedPhysician Assisted Suicide And The Rights Of Patients1523 Words   |  7 PagesPhysician-assisted suicide needs to be recognized by the federal government to show terminally ill patients that their right to autonomy is not being ignored. The Bill of Rights of Patients was constructed to outline just this. According to the American Cancer Society, â€Å"the American Hospital Association drafted a Patients’ Bill of Rights to inform patients of what they could reasonably expect while in the hospital.† One of the notes stated in the Bill of Rights of Patients is the right to autonomyRead MoreUse Of No Suicide Contracts With Mentally Ill Patients1439 Words   |  6 Pagesof the evidence around the use of no-suicide contracts with mentally ill patients experiencing suicidal ideation. It will ask the question â€Å"When treating mentally ill patients, does the use of ‘No- Suicide contracts reduce suicide outcomes?†. Suicide is a global concern and given the current social and economic difficulties current society face, is imperative we continue to consider effective suicide prevention strategies. The literature suggests that no suicide contracts are widely used within thisRead MoreHumane Essay : Patient Assisted Suicide Is Humane1362 Words   |  6 PagesPatient Assisted Suicide Is Humane Every year, thousands of people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The further along their disease progresses, the more they suffer both physically and mentally. The humane thing to do is to allow these people to choose whether or not to end their lives before this painful and inevitable conclusion is reached. Over 30,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year (Pancreatic Cancer 1). The pancreas is a small gland located near the stomach. TreatmentsRead MoreEuthanasia And Assisted Suicide : A Patient s Choice1742 Words   |  7 Pages Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: A patient s choice in their type of 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 generalRead More The Effect of Serotonin on the Brain in Suicide Patients Essay669 Words   |  3 PagesThe Effect of Serotonin on the Brain in Suicide Patients While this writer had some rudimentary knowledge of the impact serotonin had on the brain, Why? The Neuroscience of Suicide by Carol Ezzell piqued my curiosity on the role levels of serotonin and the process by which it is absorbed in the brain affect suicidal patients. This article was recently posted on the Neurology and Behavior website as supplemental reading for neurology and behaviors spring semester 2003 class. In this articleRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide Should Be The Choice Of The Patient2697 Words   |  11 PagesAbstract Physician assisted suicide is the process of ending one’s life with the administration of lethal injection with the assistance of a physician. Throughout the years, euthanasia has become a controversial topic, determining whether not it is ethical for a doctor to end a patient’s life. On one side of the argument, the negative term suicide creates this illusion of sin and many citizens believe that the task of ending one’s life should not be placed in the hands of a doctor. Doctors have aRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide For Terminally Ill Patients1814 Words   |  8 Pagesbut there is an alternative option. Physician-assisted suicide continues to gain attention and is being legalized across the world. The process in the United States is slower, yet a few states have already authorized it. People undermine this option for unethical reasons; however, it enables a person in agonizing pain to end their life before becoming entirely incompetent. Doctors across the nation seek this practice in order to help the patients as well as their families; even though, they could beRead MorePhysician Assisted Suicide Is Not A Beneficial Treatment For Medical Patients1350 Words   |  6 PagesPhysician-Assisted Suicide Imagine having a relative with a terminal illness; perhaps this person feels that their only option is assisted-suicide. Now, put yourself into their shoes. Would you choose to live the rest of your days in pain, or would you choose to die with a sense of dignity? Physician-assisted suicide has been prohibited for many years and many physicians have given their input on the subject, enlightening many on the fundamentals of assisted-suicide; others have stated their opinionsRead MoreIs Euthanasia A Assisted Suicide Or Killing Of A Patient With A Terminal Illness?937 Words   |  4 Pagesmoral issue I decided to research about was euthanasia. Euthanasia is the assisted suicide or killing of a patient with a terminal illness. There are three types of euthanasia: voluntary euthanasia (euthanasia performed with the patient s consent), non-voluntary euthanasia (where the patient is unable to give their informed consent, for example child euthanasia), and involuntary euthanasia (which perf ormed on a patient against their will). Euthanasia is illegal in all states except for Oregon, VermontRead MoreEssay on Terminally Ill Patients and Physician Assisted Suicide468 Words   |  2 PagesTerminally Ill Patients and Physician Assisted Suicide For hundreds of years a doctor was sworn into practice with the Oath of Hippocrates. Although in the present time parts of the oath have oath has come into question on how they should be interrupted. To do no harm, the question is what does one consider harm? With our modern technology in medicine our medical community has the ability to prolong a persons life for quite awhile. So the question now is to prolong a persons life that