Doctor Assisted Suicide

[richi1173]

I think the people deserve the right to die if they truly want it.

Discuss.

 

[e2iPi]

Anyone of sound mind should be allowed to end their life if they so choose. I choose only terminally ill patients, although I think most doctors would refuse to assist in the suicide of a patient with a chance for recovery even if it was legal. Even in the case of the terminally ill, there should be a through assessment of the patients mental state.
If I was terminally ill and had a choice between existing in perpetual agony for an indeterminate amount of time or going ahead and ending my life while I still had reasonable control of my faculties, I am reasonably sure which route I would take.
It is my opinion that everyone has a right to complete control over their own body. If they choose to die, they should be allowed to die irrespective of any other issues other than demonstrably impaired cognitive ability.

-1

 

[Netheralian]

If someone really wants to die, then who are we to stop them? Thats not to say I would support absolutely anyone that wanted to top themselves as the desire for death based on depression can certainly be treated. I give you the example of Lisette Nigot who sucessfully commited suiced by the age of 80, who at the time was of sound body and mind.

I would certainly think that and doctor assisted suicide would have to be heavily monitored and controlled but I don't see any reason to restrict its use on mentally healthy patients or the terminally ill as we certainly should have the freedom to do what we want with our own body.

 

[CosmicSpork]

I think only people who are incapable of taking their own life and are terminally ill should have access to this 'service'. It seems wrong to me for a doctor to effectively kill someone who could otherwise do it themselves and potentially save said doctor any mental anguish. The doctor in question might initially think they could cope with the thought that they had gone against their hypocratic oath to ease the suffering of another, but what if they couldn't in the end? We'd have doctors having assisted suicides lol

There is mental stability of the patient to consider as well, what if the patient could lead a perfectly happy life given the right treatment, but this person was too depressed/whatever at the time wished to kill themselves and was given the opportunity?

I've wanted to end my life in the past, if I had gone to a doctor and they had helped me die, I wouldn't be where I am now. I have a decent job, my own house, a wife and a dog. I'm nobody special, but how do we know that someone who has had an assisted suicide wasn't someone who could have potentially cured cancer or written the next great novel? If you are terminally ill and you want to end it before it becomes intolerable then I see no issue with that.

Sorry if this is a bit rambly. I am still tired after putting together furniture till 1am...

 

[ninja_lord666]

Personally, I think it's wrong, but who am I to force my ethical and moral standards onto others? I would throughoutly support any law allowing assisted suicide, not because I like it, but because I believe that anyone should have the freedom to do what they want with their own body, even if that means ending it.

 

[DontHurtTheIntersect]

It's a doctor's duty to "do no harm". And I think that any patient, terminal or not, would suffer any more (physically or mentally) and did not want to continue living, then it's a doctors obligation to oblige.

 

[Marcus]

Not enough options! Assisted suicide should be legal for those who are able to make an unpressurised, free choice to end their lives but are physically incapable of performing the act themselves. One of the potential problems is a person with severe, permanent and worsening disabilities who feels that he/she is a burden and doesn't really want to die but feels that the distress, trouble, emotional and financial drains caused to their loved ones leave them no option.

Physicians should be able to assist when the patient is terminal and/or has an extremely poor quality of life that is almost certain to deteriorate.

 

[MRaverz]

It's a tough choice, but I think that Doctor should not be allowed to end a patients life on request.

This is because of three major reasons:
1) There is the chance that the patient is mentally ill at the time and unable to choose for themselves,
2) Just because a patient wants to die at that time, does not mean that they will always want to. As they get better, or simply experience less pain, they may wish to live,
3) There is always the chance that some Doctors may end a patients life and claim that they requested an assisted suicide,


Interestingly, euthanasia (and abortion) are strongly prohibited by the Hippocratic Oath.


I'd like to say something similar to ninja_lord666, but due to the reasons I've stated - I think it's too risky to be truly liberal on the issue.

 

[salko7]

This is because of three major reasons:
1) There is the chance that the patient is mentally ill at the time and unable to choose for themselves,
2) Just because a patient wants to die at that time, does not mean that they will always want to. As they get better, or simply experience less pain, they may wish to live,
3) There is always the chance that some Doctors may end a patients life and claim that they requested an assisted suicide,

i agree on the first and second

as the patient might have some shock from given news(tho many wont feel the need to die at first), a patient might suffer depression,
but it might not be major depression just some minor goes over time depression and those only need time to start wanting to live their lives, as for major its hard to say do you try to treat it or let the suicidal thoughts choose death(that they will choose).
major depression and sickness are hard to live with and a person would want to die, but its not the most "normal" human action to say "i want to die" , and most of the patients might choose to die from depression.
a patients mental state must be reviewed before even allowing the patient to know that suicide will be an option them
the patient must be given time to both before telling them and after (before: so they can take in the news , after so they can think about it)

and for the third,
i think its easy to have some legal work for this like : the patient and doctor must sign with both lawyers signing and as eye witness
and another doctor in the same field to review and sign(this might be a bad idea in law but im from KSA so i have no good view about law)

 

[e2iPi]

3) There is always the chance that some Doctors may end a patients life and claim that they requested an assisted suicide,

Realistically speaking, if a doctor wanted to kill a terminally ill patient, he would probably have the resources and knowledge to make it appear like a natural death anyway.

i^2

 

[Marcus]

Realistically speaking, if a doctor wanted to kill a terminally ill patient, he would probably have the resources and knowledge to make it appear like a natural death anyway.

Yup, that's how Britain's most prolific serial killer managed to keep killing for so long.

 

[e2iPi]

Yup, that's how Britain's most prolific serial killer managed to keep killing for so long.

This man was sick.
And I thought your last one was good ol' Jack :lol:

 

[Zylstra]

I view assisted suicides of terminally ill patients as an extension of a doctor's obligation to limit suffering. To force a terminally ill patient to continue a slow death is to force them to suffer, and violated, IMO, the principle behind the words 'do no harm'.

 

[AtheistBrit]

I voted "yes if they're terminally ill". My Mum's Mum was terribly ill in her final years and it's prompted my Mum to say to me many times "if I get like that, help me to die a dignified death". I will do that if that's what she wishes.

Life is sacred, but this is a subjective statement. If someone was in such intolerable pain and suffering, would they view their life as sacred? What if they were facing many years of this? In my opinion if someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness the doctors should explain to them ALL of their options, and that once medical intervention can do no more for them and all they face is a life of pain and suffering, they will have the option to end their own life. It will have to be entirely the patient's decision, and mental health tests will have to be conducted.