Young Writers Society

Do you think that doctors should assist patients who wish to commit suicide?

depends.

if they're just depressed then absolutely not.

however, if they happen to have a disease that is garanteed to be fatal, and the death they will suffer with it would be extremely painful or excruciating, and there was absolutely no hope for cure, then why not? they're going to die anyway, why not ease their passing rather than forcing them to a fate worse than death, then death? but if its a disease with a garanteed death, but a relatively easy one (is there one?) then i dont think so.

there is a form of assisted suicide that isn't refered to as suicide. if you sign a living will and allow for a DNR (do not recesitate) then under certain cercumstances it qualifies. most hospitals allow for a pulling of plugs when a living will or DNR is signed.

CYA dudes.
cover your A**

Hmmm...

Can you imagine the litigations? As Qi said, they would have to sign a document and have it notarized before any one would be willing to touch it. And even then, few people would be willing to do anything with it.

I think it depends on the situation. If it's just depression, I don't think suicide of any kind is the answer. On the other hand I can understand assisted suicide for the terminally ill so long as it was entirely their choice.

The practically of it would be another issue all together. For instance, how would it be determined whether the illlness was severe enough? Or how would be determined whether it was truly that person's wish? I could easily see someone being persuaded by a relative, even if suicide wasn't what they really wanted.

I think it's fine for someone to be assisted in suicide, aka euthanasia, if the person is ill and there's no chance of recovery, and they'll die a horribly painful death, painful for them and their family. It's that person's choice, and I think under those circumstances it is acceptable. Any other situation when the person's condition wasn't gauranteed death no matter what, then no, I don't think it would be right at all.

Point in case: assisted suicide is not an option because there is always the possibility of a cure or a "miracle" (much as I detest the word). I spoke with several doctors about this, and they all concluded nobody would help someone commit suicide, because if a cure was later found, say 10 years later, the doctors could be sued for homocide in the 3rd degree. So, no, I don't think that assisted suicide should be legal.

not necisarily. there would be certain statues to go along with legally assisted suicide, and im sure a statute of limitations, based on documents and the apperance of experimental cures and what not, would be established to prevent such lawsuits. then there are malignent tumors that are deadly cancerous that cant be removed. and there would be extensive research im sure, into the possiblity of such cures emerging within the limitation time. then there would of course be good defense lawyers who could argue that a signed document would account for assisted suicide, not homicide, and eventually we would probably see a suprime court case come out of it.

i agree with assisted suicide. except in depression or if a cure/potential of recovery readily available. i think they have places where you can die in denmark or norway (not sure)

I agree with assited suicide to some extent - if you're depressed then no I don't however if you have something like cancer and have become to ill you cant move talk feed yourself wash yourself do anything for yourself I feel that it is SO digradeable for a human being and for the people who love you to sit by and watch you becoming the living it dead.

On the other hand if you begin to let assited suicide happen many people will abuse it after a while and I think it will become out of control. Plus doctors wont want to touch your case as undoubtly there will be an up roar of some sort about it.

Wu. x

I'm against suicide 100%. I don't even like to think or talk about it...memories of an old freind...it's a very tender subject for me. But I will put in my views. I believe that doctors should try to revive suicidal patients, and help them get on with regular lives.

I personally think that unless you have a terminal illness that causes pain and suffering, assisted suicide should be illegal.

Nikki

The reality of the matter is this: unless the doctor is a sadomasochist, he won't help a patient commit suicide. The legal liability of such an act, and the legal consequences thereafter, are numerous. For instance, murderers could force their victims to sign the form, and then, if they decided to kill them, their would be no problem. So, many, many rules and regulations would then be put into effect. Which in turn would cause a delay in what is already a bureaucracy, so in conclusion, there is no way in hell it will ever be made legal.

Incandescence wrote:Point in case: assisted suicide is not an option because there is always the possibility of a cure or a "miracle" (much as I detest the word). I spoke with several doctors about this, and they all concluded nobody would help someone commit suicide, because if a cure was later found, say 10 years later, the doctors could be sued for homocide in the 3rd degree. So, no, I don't think that assisted suicide should be legal.

I agree. And I agree with Tara as well.

Suicide is one of my least favorite topics. Not a pleasant one for me, since I played with thoughts about it myself a year ago. The closest I got was cutting.. More like scratches than anything else. But let's move on.

There's ALWAYS the chance of a miracle. Yes, it may be hard to suffer for such a long time, only to deteriorate into death, but think of the people out there who were suffering and then miraculously cured. What if that was someone you knew? Would you regret assisted suicide being illegal if your mother, or sister, or uncle, or whoever, suddenly was cured and was able to live the rest of their lives happily? Somehow I doubt it.

A friend of mine did a report about this, sort of. I'm completely blanking out on the name of the guy but he helped a bunch of people commit suicide and I think he was from Michigan?

Anyway, I don't think assisted suicide (or suicide in general) is ever right. Even if you have a terminal illness, there might be a miracle or a cure. Besides, people treasure the last bits of time they have with those who are dying and killing them right away wouldn't give them much time.

The only time I can see it possibly being right, and even then it really isn't assisted suicide, is when someone is comatose. They're, like, a vegetable and are dead in all senses except becasue of machines they're still "alive". They can't function, they can't hear, they can't see, they can't talk, they don't know anything ... their heart is just beating because of some machines. Then, if there isn't a chance of them recovering then the family should be able to decide whether or not to pull the plug.

I've never tried to commit suicide. I was always a very morbid little girl, however, and thought about it sometimes. Not commiting it...just...thought about it. In sixth grade I lost a freind to suicide. I still dream about her. Sometimes in a pleasant way...but sometimes I see her face...the way it looked after she did it. Ok...I'm gonna go to another thread now