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Opinion on Physician-Assisted Suicide?


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Title. What are your beliefs towards Physician-Assisted Suicide, regarding the Hippocratic Oath AND basic morals?

 

I did a full length research paper on it last year, and i'm curious as to what you guys think.

 

Some states require several written and oral permits, which of course can not be given in certain cases (i.e. long term comas or people in a vegetative state). A lot of states have it straight-up banned.

 

All states, except: Oregon, Montana, Washington, and Vermont have it OUTLAWED

 

What should be the terms to be met in order to have a physician assist in your death? Should all physicians be required to assist if requested? What age should you be able to request assisted suicide?

 

NOTE: THIS IS ABOUT PATIENTS IN CRITICAL CONDITION, FACING TERMINAL ILLNESS AND/OR GREAT PAIN AND/OR INCURABLE MENTAL ILLNESS. NOT KIDS OR ADULTS WHO AREN'T HOSPITALIZED LONG-TERM

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why should someone be kept alive against his will? its going to cost more to keep them alive than to kill them and if they would rather not go through extreme pain for the rest of their life why not?

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I think it's fine an all, but it needs to be heavily regulated and not be available to everyone so you won't have depressed people wanting to kill themselves for the heck of it like you said.

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Being kept alive with machines and being confined to a small room or even a bed isn't living. If that's the way I'd have to live for the rest of my life, I'd rather not.

Possible terms would be written and verbal consent, along with a mental exam which I would think would be required to determine what state of mind I was in. If I was unable to give consent it would have to up to the closest relatives unless this scenario was specified in a will or legal document. A specific age would be tough to determine, but no higher than 18 years/legal adulthood.

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Just like people have the right to live, they have the right to die. If it's a doctor's job to help them live, then it should also be a doctor's job to help them die if they so choose.

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I had to do an assignment on this a few months ago - it's an interesting topic.

 

It feels as though most countries / states are going with the "It's against God's will to respect human life" or the "It goes against the Hippocratic Oath" mindset. A fair amount of people (mostly people on the Internet, I'll point out) seem to believe that if you want to end your life, then why not do it with dignity? Most doctors oppose it though (goes against the Oath, hasn't stopped a few countries from legalizing it though) but y'know, the world's changing, so who knows in a decade's time.

 

Personally, I'm all for it though. Death with dignity is a pretty big thing.

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http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrv1d0_let-our-dad-die-dispatches-s26e07_shortfilms

 

A case involving this had been documented a couple of years ago by Channel 4 Dispatches. Documentary shows that sometimes, people have no chance in life to do something, because of their inability and it makes them seem like a waste of space. However, a UK court jury ruled against legal physician-assisted death. The thing is that in parts of America, I'm quite sure you're able to just pull the plug on someone's life support and end their life. It opens the option to either let them spend a couple of weeks / months suffering in pain in a hospital bed or being able to die peacefully right then. 

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I am pro euthanasia, people should have a right to die. And doctors a right to refuse to do the act (another doctor will then take his place). I like our current law on it

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I am pro euthanasia, people should have a right to die. And doctors a right to refuse to do the act (another doctor will then take his place). I like our current law on it

honestly expected a different response from you, since you were shaming me for missing my mum yesterday.

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 Most doctors oppose it though (goes against the Oath, hasn't stopped a few countries from legalizing it though) but y'know, the world's changing, so who knows in a decade's time.

 

Not in my experience. Most doctors (and health professionals in general) that I know think it shouldn't even be a debate. It (should be) the patient's right to make that decision for themselves (as long as they're of sound mind when they're making it.)

 

 

The thing is that in parts of America, I'm quite sure you're able to just pull the plug on someone's life support and end their life. It opens the option to either let them spend a couple of weeks / months suffering in pain in a hospital bed or being able to die peacefully right then. 

 

Removing life support is not the same thing, legally, I don't think.

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Also, I highly doubt this is going to be legalized world wide as it brings them more money keeping them "alive" then helping them end their lives.

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Youth in Asia is an extremely controversial topic. It passes for me, as I would like to die if I was sitting in a room all day hooked up to a machine (I kind of am already, but at least I've got people to talk to).

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Also, I highly doubt this is going to be legalized world wide as it brings them more money keeping them "alive" then helping them end their lives.

 

This kinda depends on where you're talking about, no? Healthcare isn't a for-profit business everywhere.

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This kinda depends on where you're talking about, no? Healthcare isn't a for-profit business everywhere.

For America at least. Just to quote this "If corporations can control the government to tax you to your death bed why not milk more money from you as you slowly wither away in misery; with no alternative option than 'take this pill it will make it more bearable."

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death is frightening for me. so hell no. if i had a medical complication, id be making the most out of my short, painful life. but angel said my other point of view on this.

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The point of medicine isn't just to prolong life.  It's also to reduce suffering.  With this in mind, you need to acknowledge that a person can reach a point where suffering becomes so great that it outweighs the will to live, and there is no hope of reversing their condition.  Keeping them alive beyond this point is causing them harm, because it is torture, and the only route of escape from that torture is death.  Many doctors dance around this issue by using the phrase "quality of life".  Listen for it.

 

It's not always 100% cut and dry, but doctor assisted suicide is the humane thing to do in many cases.

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honestly expected a different response from you, since you were shaming me for missing my mum yesterday.

I was not and would never purposefully do that. I was (and am) completely unaware of your parental situation. I am sorry if I upset you. I would never mock somebody besides my best friends for missing their parents, that is completely normal human behaviour

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I believe assisted-suicide should be allowed; however, it needs to be regulated.

 

Because if some depressed kid comes into the hospital and asks for the doctor to kill them, they shouldn't have that decision. In fact, they need to be steered towards other options (ex. mental health facilities) before suicide should even be considered an option on the table. There has to be a certain limit to what should be allowed and what shouldn't. 

 

I can understand if someone wants to shave a few days, weeks, or months off of their life, because of some illness that's going to slowly and painfully kill them. Not because they're depressed and want a way out.

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My father technically killed my grandfather when the old man had multiple types of cancers, internal bleeding and amnesia. He had died once to a heart attack, and they could've revived him, but my father chose to kiss him on the forehead and say goodbye.

 

It's immoral to keep people suffering pointlessly.

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