Death And Dying In The United States

In regards to death and dying, the United States, historically, has inadequately acknowledged the existence of death, the process of dying, and the appropriate ways in which individuals should and must grieve. The fear of death and loss in the United States is so overpowering, it has permeated into our culture and the language we use surrounding death and dying. Additionally, our tremendous fear has fundamentally shaped how, we as a society, perceive and treat those with terminal illnesses. As a result of our failure to acknowledge the existence of death and the proper methods in which to cope with dying, we have lost sight of what it means for an individual to live the last chapters of their life, not as a gradually decaying vegetable, but with dignity and joy for life and living. A fundamental example exemplifying the United States as a death denying society is our use of language surrounding death. To expand, seldom do we anymore say the word “died” when acknowledging the death of someone else. We have retreated to hiding behind ambiguous phrases, such as they
As we discussed in class and also frequently mentioned in Dr. Rachel Remen’s book, is the refusal of doctors to recognize treatment is not always the best option for someone who is dying. There comes a moment in a dying individual’s life when continued treatment may only do more harm than good. Rarely, do medical professionals ask their patients how would they like to live the last moments of their life. For many individuals dying of terminal illness, six weeks of high-quality life is much preferred in comparison to six months of low-mobility degradation. This aspect of our culture prohibits individuals from dying while they are still fully themselves and instead creates a long, protracted, and painful degradation of life and