The Pros And Cons Of Assisted Suicide

The topic of assisted suicide has been debated on whether each state should allow and accept this life-taking act. Opposers and supporters have long argued over the importance and necessity of both hospice care and assisted suicide. Assisted suicide, over time, has provided more harm than good when it comes to the patient’s value and care. This distressing act that “provides relief” to the patient can, in turn, provide availability to non-terminal patients, affect the patient/doctor relationship, and have an impact of the patient’s quality of life. Numerous people who undergo assisted suicide are not considered terminally ill; but instead they have an illness or disease that does not require this act. Over the course of thirty years, “Nearly
Instead of going through assisted suicide, depression can be treated through evaluations, depression therapy, prescribed medicine, and counseling. Assisted suicide has taken the lives of individuals who have promise for curing their illness. Another reason why the act of assisted suicide is harmful is because no treatment or evaluation is provided before a physician administers the drug. When a person believes they have an illness that could be potentially terminal, they might go towards the easy way out of assisted suicide. “‘Safeguards in Washington and Oregon, where physician-assisted suicide is legal, are failing to protect patients, as there are no requirements that patients receive psychological evaluation or treatment prior to receiving lethal drugs” (Dangers of Assisted Suicide). The patient’s calls for help are not heard, and in turn, are not given the right treatment for their curable illness. Lastly, harmful repercussions can be given to a patient who is going through family struggles. “There have been documented accounts of individuals committing suicide under pressure and/or duress from family members, friends, and/or suicide advocates present at the ingestion
When the issue of assisted suicide comes forth, the pride of a strong relationship seems to diminish and harm the patient’s treatment. In Washington in 2010, half of the patients had a “relationship” with their physician of only 3 to 24 weeks. This lack of a long-term relationship between doctor and patient precludes a doctor from truly understanding a patient’s psychological condition…” (Dangers of Assisted Suicide). Over the course of the treatment, a physician should develop a professional and caring bond with their patient. The lack of this connection can result in a lonely process, with the physician not caring for the person’s well-being or providing hope for a solution. If this bond does not form, the physician cannot connect personally with the patient, and cannot know anything about their patient’s condition with the illness or disease. Another reason why assisted suicide is harmful to the doctor/patient relationship is the physicians are not always present or up-to-date with the patient, and therefore are not meeting their needs. “Oregon nurses reported that the inadequacy of meeting patients’ needs had increased “up to 50 percent” and that “[m]ost of the small hospitals studies have revealed that when offered personal support and palliative care, most patients adapt and continue life in ways they might not have anticipated…”(Dangers of Assisted Suicide). The number of