Advantages And Disadvantages Of Physician Assisted Suicide

Physician-assisted suicide as an option for the terminally ill

Physician-assisted suicide, often confused with euthanasia (differences to be addressed shortly) provides an incredible amount of relief to both patients and the families of those suffering from terminal illnesses, by allowing patients to choose to end their life with dignity, on their own terms. Without the option of physician-assisted suicide, terminal patients would succumb to their afflictions over time. This could potentially involve prolonged periods of pain, both physical and emotional. In the eyes of those who wish to practice assisted suicide, this is interpreted as unnecessary suffering. Those who oppose physician-assisted suicide often claim that their opposition
Euthanasia, while usually performed by a medical professional , does not technically have to involve anyone trained in the application of medicine and can vary in its means and outcomes. Physician-assisted suicide, as it currently being used, involves careful and meticulous planning with a physician regarding the means, and then the act is left up to the patient to perform on his or her terms and timing. There is a considerable difference between euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Euthanasia carries a heavy, negative connotation that should not be applied to physician-assisted suicide because, in contrast to euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide allows the patient to have complete control over the time, place, and significance of their passing. Control is often a keyword for those researching physician-assisted suicide and it 's a major buzzword for groups that support and promote physician-assisted suicide as a viable option for the terminally ill. "In, theory, patients retail ultimate control in cases of assisted suicide, whereas control rests with the doctor in euthanasia" (Black 's Medical Dictionary, 2010). The main point of
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