Film Essay
The episode that I have selected to write about is from Grey’s Anatomy “Suicide is Painless”. The basis of this episode is about Kim and Shawn Allen. Kim is a female patient who has lung cancer and has had a variety of other health concerns that have been rising, including the inability to breathe on her own. Kim’s prognosis is that she has six months to live. The doctor had informed her of all the alternative options and she had met with a psychologist. The psychologist clarified that Kim was mentally fit to make the decision to die. Kim had to say out loud, twice, that she would like to end her life through physician assisted suicide.
In viewing Kim’s case, a consequentialist might say that due to the consequences of taking the medication that was designed to end life, is not worth it. In a situation in which euthanasia is being utilized, the consequence would be the death of the patient. In a utilitarianism perspective, one might say that being taking this pill will allow for more people to be happy—in respect to not having to worry about taking care of this person, and his or her suffering is over, then taking the pill is well worth it. In addition, the patient would be happy that his or her suffering would be over. There are different forms in which suicide and euthanasia can take place. Suicide, for example, can be assisted, while euthanasia can be either passive or active. Passive euthanasia is when a physician will allow nature to take its course and
In a Netherlands report it tells, “Many physicians who had practiced euthanasia [form of assisted suicide] mentioned that they would be most reluctant to do so again” (Stevens 189). Everyday these physicians are faced with decisions of how to best save their patient. Now they also, have to determine if they can come to terms with ending their lives. The impact on these physicians is tremendous. Kenneth R. Stevens the Vice President of Physicians for Compassionate Care concludes, “Doctors who have participated in euthanasia and/or PAS [Physician-Assisted Suicide] are adversely affected emotionally and psychologically by their experiences” (187). Physicians, who have made the decision to help, face the consequences of their actions. They have helped someone take a life, even if it their own. Death always leaves an impression. Imagine what it must be like to be directly involved with a death. Those men and women in time will have to come to terms with their participation in Physician-Assisted Suicide.
Furthermore, the practice of assisted suicide has a significant possibility of being abused. Assisted suicides are designed to allow those who are seriously ill and suffer from extreme pain to easily end their lives (Braddock and Tenelli 1). Those who lack support from members of their family or friends may feel worthless and hence may desire to end their lives (Pretzer 2). If the patient has no loved ones to confide to and receive support from, they may feel as if no one cares and therefore no reason to live exists. Since assisted suicides are unregulated, doctors may allow patients wishing to die for subordinate reasons, such as the one previously stated, instead of suffering reasons to commit suicide. Moreover, “Patients who want to die for psychological or emotional reasons could convince doctors to help them end their lives” (Messerli 3). As stated before, assisted suicides are not meant to allow those with emotional or mental problems to end their lives. If someone has such problems, they should
There are multiple types of physician assisted suicide. Collectively, they fall under the categories: active or passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia is when someone steps in and deliberately ends a life. An example of this would be a physician administering a lethal dose of muscle relaxants to end the life of a patient. Passive euthanasia is best described as when a patient withdraws from a life preserving treatment. Euthanasia in general can also be classified as either voluntary, non-voluntary, and involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is when a person makes the conscious decision to end his or her life. Non-voluntary euthanasia is when a person is unable to give their consent, and another person makes this decision on their behalf. This usually is the case for patients who are in a coma who have previously expressed this wish. Involuntary euthanasia is when a person is killed against their wishes. Involuntary euthanasia is almost always considered
To fully understand the issue at hand, one must understand the various forms of euthanasia. The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: Tenth Edition defines euthanasia as “the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals…in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy.” Euthanasia can be either passive or active. Passive euthanasia occurs when a patient is relieved of medical treatment and is allowed to die naturally. Active euthanasia occurs when either a physician or a family member actively takes the life of the patient, perhaps through lethal injection, and eliminates a natural death process. Many people commonly use the word “euthanasia” to refer to assisted suicide. Essentially, assisted suicide is a form of active euthanasia in that a person, usually a physician, aids in the suicide of a patient.
For instance, if a doctor gave an overdose of medication or gave a lethal injection this would be considered an active euthanasia. Passive Euthanasia is withholding something needed for life. Examples of this might be taking someone off of a feeding tube or life support and letting them die on their own.
In an individual’s decision to apply for physician-assisted suicide, the reasons for which they provide are most likely related to diseases they have or are developing. In Maynard’s case, she had developed brain cancer and in researching cures, found that the effects would leave her “quality of life...gone” (Maynard, 2014). The treatment called for full brain radiation which would have left
The topic I chose to write about is Physician-assisted suicide. My position on the topic is that I agree with physician-assisted suicide because it helps terminal ill people end their suffering faster than if they waited until the illness took their life away. Also, the terminal ill person decides that he/she wants to end his or hers life with a clear conscious knowing what is going to happen to them taking the physician-assisted suicide route to end their suffering. By the terminal ill person deciding that they want to end their life with physician-assisted suicide they are helping out their family. They help their family by reducing their pain that they feel and also by helping them financially because it is cheaper to end their life with
Passive euthanasia can be defined as letting the patient die. The doctor takes the patient off their treatment and let the disease run through until they die. Active euthanasia is not legal today, and leans more toward killing the patient. The patient is ready to die so the doctor gives a lethal injection to speed up the process. Physician assisted suicide is almost a combination
(Interview) The patients have their own decisions and wants on how they want to be treated, allow them to have a voice and speak for themselves. Everyone would like to be allowed a respectable, painless death, so we must allow one for everyone else who wants one. We cannot limit or accuse those who chose physicians-assisted suicide and the ones who don’t chose it, we have many medical advances today, such as nursing home and hospice care, but they are not always enough to cure or stop any pain that someone may be in; physicians-assisted suicide is the only answer to this problem. (Interview) Everyone will make plans to ensure that the end of our life remains in our own personal control. Just as we write wills to dispose of our prized possessions, we can make decisions about what medical treatment is acceptable and what is not. (Euthanisa) You can even choose someone to make your health care decisions if you are unable to. This is called the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care or Health Care Proxy; and that individual you so choose should be someone you trust, who knows what you want, and will fight for your rights. (Euthanasia) In a survey of thirty thousand Americans over the age of fifty-five, sixty-five percent said that people with a terminal illness should have a
Active euthanasia means that someone other than the patient commits an action with the intent to end a patient’s life, for example injecting a patient with a lethal dose. Voluntary euthanasia is when a patient asks for help in committing suicide or is refusing treatment. Non-voluntary euthanasia occurs when a patient is unable to make his or her own decisions such as: a person in a coma, an infant, a person who is senile, or a person who is mentally unstable. Physician assisted suicide is when a physician provides medication or other means to a patient with the understanding that the patient intends to commit suicide. (Should Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal?,
What can be more personal than the decision to end one's life in its final, painful days? Physician-assisted suicide is a justifiable suicide; “self-deliverance” and a person's liberty should not be taken away. On September 15, 2001 my negative attitude toward physician-assisted suicide changed drastically. My mother's parents are deeply in love and unfortunately have become very sick. My grandma was just diagnosed with Lou Gherig's disease one year before her death. My grandpa was always depressed because my grandma was in so much pain and was miserable. She was such a loving person and my mom was upset. When my grandma researched her illness, Lou Gherig's disease she realized that she
Euthanasia is categorized in various forms. The first category deals with the patient’s consent. Voluntary euthanasia refers to a patient making the voluntary enduring demand to be assisted with the procedure of assisted suicide while involuntary euthanasia is ending the patient’s life without their consent or awareness. Euthanasia is also categorized in the approach the patient’s life was ended. Active euthanasia is ending a patient’s life by the use of drugs with or without the aid of a physician. Passive euthanasia is terminating a patient’s life by disregarding the necessary actions to maintain life such as withdrawing water, food, drugs, medical and surgical procedures. While passive euthanasia is legal in Canada, active euthanasia is considered murder and is illegal.
Active versus passive euthanasia are two different, albeit arguably similar, ways in which an individual is helped to die. Passive euthanasia involves withholding life-saving medical treatment or removal from life
The above-mentioned types of Euthanasia can be further divided into two more major parts: Active and Passive Euthanasia. The hastening of the death of a person by active procedures such as deliberately overdosing on a medicine is known as Active Euthanasia. On the other hand, Passive Euthanasia is when death to a patient is brought by an omission. It is when the treatment necessary for the continuance of life is brought to an end. For example, ventilators or life support
To clarify, active voluntary euthanasia occurs when a medical practitioner deliberately and directly causes the death of a patient with means such as with lethal injection. Physician assisted suicide happens when patient-requested, pharmaceutical means are provided for that patient to end his or her own life (Emanuel, Ezekiel J., et al. "Attitudes and practices of