Could You, And Would You, Assist Someone In Great Pain Who Wished To End Their Life?

Bronwen- Another very interesting question! I'm not surprised. Some questions encourage the responder to water ski, others encourage swimming. Yours, encourage the use of a high diving board (if one dares :-)).

Consequently some contemplative breath-holding is likely to be helpful-at least until one is able to get a broad enough perspective to get to the surface of our culture, if not our own psyche.

And yet our general societal perspective on "killing" seems less than illuminatingly refreshing or helpful. It seems somewhat startling that we weigh the pros and cons with such due diligence under these circumstances and yet seem to treat life so cheaply under so many other conditions.

We don't seem to be as unduly ruffled by acts of omission (e.g., letting others starve to death, or die from a lack of adequate health care). Nor is it more than a momentary pause to consider acts of genocide outside our general areas of interest. And wartime collateral "damage" is simply caulked up to "acceptable losses". Our entertainment is rife with fantasies of killing. And we revel in acts of ultimate brutality justified with the slim rationale that we were pushed beyond our ability to discover less impulsive or dramatic alternatives.

The point is that the act of considering to help to end the suffering of a loved one, somehow qualitatively changes our perspective. We have now somehow crossed the line, necessitating hard thought and philosophical considerations. We are in danger of being entangled in the throes of a moral or ethical dilemma!

How much simpler if would be if our loved one was simply a terrorist or gullible enough to believe corporate advertisements about certain safety standards... We could certainly assure a quick ending without unnecessary contemplation, if we could simply have our loved one tried for any crime in Texas (sorry, I know that is a cheap shot).

The point is that there is a difference. Under these conditions life is potentially taken much more seriously. Perhaps life, under all conditions would benefit from a bit more sanctity. But perhaps not. I am not sure of that answer.

I do know that I have often considered these conditions, no doubt, as a means of attempting to provide some internal preparation, for that day that might well come. I do feel that under the right circumstances it would be the right thing for me to do. But I will only know if I have the courage and the fortitude to comply with the wishes of my loved one, when I get there.

I have always believed the quality of life is what matters, not its duration.

This woman suffering unbearable pain is not really living in any way except in a strict medical sense. Yes, her lungs are working and blood is still circulating through her body, but she is not getting any enjoyment out of life. She has nothing to look forward to (except death). Life is no longer a precious gift but a nightmare.

I would have helped her end the misery. Most people believe there is some afterlife, so we are no longer afraid of death. In fact, some are quite curious about what comes next.

Growing up, we had a dog named Pepe. He was not just our "pet"; he was the heart and soul of our family. If love were heat, we would have radiated the equivalent of a thermo-nuclear blast. He was not just our pride and joy, he was our best friend and our little baby, (and sometimes our strong protector), all rolled into one.

When he got to be about fourteen and a half, his whole body started a precipitous decline, but his heart just wouldn't quit. He was almost blind, incontinent, terribly arthritic, seemingly half deaf, confused, had lost his sense of balance, and he would often shiver as if he were cold.

Still, even though he had all these problems, some of his basic internal organs showed no signs of letting him have a quick, peaceful death.

We could see he was in misery. We couldn't even keep him clean because he had lost control of his bodily functions. Out of love, we gave him an aspirin (which would be fatal to a dog of this size), sang him to sleep, and waited about an hour for him to peacefully die in his sleep.

I would help someone I love end the senseless pain. Life should be more than being a prisoner in a body that has become a torture chamber.

Yes, that bit's a relief but there still isn't any provision for that to take place in England and i think it's dreadful that people should have to go abroad to die. We have friends who's daughter died nearly seven years ago of motor neurone disease, she choked to death in hospital with them by her side. If you treated an animal in that way you would be prosecuted so why do we continue to allow our loved ones to be treated like that? Is there no pity for them - only fear of others abusing circumstances? Kuta, that's a very insightful and outstanding response, perhaps the way you've phrased that might help some in the hospice movement to think again. Their care is fantastic but i too know that they cannot always manage pain right to the end.

My uncle died of stomach cancer that caused excruciating pain. He asked his brother, my father, to shoot him to end the pain... my father wanted to help, but not in that way.

We now have pallative care units in the hospital, not existant when my uncle passed away. Another one of my uncles died in the last few years and was basically comatose with drugs when the pain became unbearable. He passed quietly two days later.

I would aim to relieve the person's suffering and would demand that doctors up their dosages of pain killers if they were doing less than needed. We know a lot more about pain and for a person who is terminal, addictive doses of drugs for months should not be a barrier to relieving pain and suffering.

Psychologically and physically, I'd be there as much as possible to aid and assist the person, but I would not assist in ending their life.

Having said that, every situation is different and to be an absolutist in this ethical rock and hard place is likely a mistake.

Peace

wow....I guess I would Bronwyn. If the person was of sound mind enough that I could be assured the decision was made in good judgment, how could I ignore such a request and still say I love this person? the ethical, legal and moral issues would all need to be dealt with after wards but I could not stand by and watch someone I love suffer so horribly. I would only hope that if faced with that situation I would be strong enough and brave enough to do the requested act.

Yes. It would be the merciful thing to do. I've heard cancer is so painful ~ I would hope someone would likewise help me if I were in the same situation. People should be able to end their own lives on their own terms if and when it comes to that.

As the baby boomers get older, I'm hoping that we can enact some laws to help people die when they're ready to. This is something that I would definitely advocate for.

A terrible question, with only terrible answers.

I would be sorely tempted, even knowing it is morally wrong and against all my teachings and beliefs.

No matter how you slice it, the law calls it murder and gives you no slack, no matter how well intentioned.

Only someone who is or was in that position can answer this truthfully. Isn't it strange that you can give merciful release to a beloved pet, but not to a loved one who is suffering the pains of hell from a terminal disease?

No.

simple as that, because it's not my place or the person in pain's to decide wheather to cut short one's life line.

life is given with purpose. untill it is not achieved, one doesn't get permission to enter Sumerland (or whatever it is called in other faiths..)

a person in great pain should learn to live with it, or block the pain through various mecanisms, or use medication... and never forget to stop and look at the sky, and smell the roses / flowers in the garden etc. nature is a healer!!

worries dissappear once you've acknowledged truth, when you peacefully walk the path.

one should make the best of this existance for as long as it lasts; though you may reincarnate, you'll never meet again the people you love or are acquainted with now

no, i wouldn't.

(though depending on the person and my emotional involvement, i could try to heal.... because i have the ability... or at least pain releave them, which is quite easy to acchieve)

My father got cancer my senior year of high school and I watched the chemo slowly and miserably make him waste away to nothing until he died 1 year after his diagnosis. I remember thinking that if he were a dog he would have been put down. Now my dad wanted to fight, and never asked us to end his life for him, but if he would have asked me, I cannot say that I would have said no. I still to this day can't understand why we are more "humane" to our pets than we are to our fellow species. Mind boggling isn't it?

It's a felony honey. One's self-survival could be hindered by fearless law enforcement. One is usually not placed under such pressure by severe illness. The person who has the illness is under pressure. If they want to die a little early, it's ok with me, but I won't expidite their death, but I won't stand in the way. Speaking just for me, I reserve the right to execute someone only on grounds of sef-defense, family defense, or I just don't like them. but that wasn't the question was it?