Arguments Against Assisted Suicide

Control, defined as the ability to rule or have power over something, is often woven into the basis of life. Ranging from a baby’s first attempts at feeding themselves to changing the thermostat, life is a series of events in which we exert control. However, there are unfortunate moments in life when the opportunity to control is taken away from people, and they are then left with the feeling of fear and anxiety over what they can’t manage. This sentiment is often the feeling that many patients feel when they are diagnosed with terminally incurable illnesses. Numerous individuals have the misfortune of suffering through painful yet incurable diseases, causing them to often seek out more dignified end of life care and treatments. Subsequently, …show more content…
By choosing assisted death, patients can take back control and choose how they wish to say goodbye without the constant fear and agony they would have previously experienced. However, despite these reasons for advocating for assisted death, countless people are strongly against this modern solution. Many religious groups, such as the Catholic Church and Jewish law, feel that assisted death is far too similar to suicide and therefore goes against their practices and beliefs. Likewise, many believe that it goes against a doctor’s Hippocratic Oath, especially since “pain can be alleviated,” (Sulmasy, et al). Although, despite these understandably opposed positions, there is a lack of recognition for the patients who truly feel the need to end their suffering in a dignified and independent form, or for family members who must sit through and watch loved ones suffer until their final moment. Although many family members may be opposed to the mention of assisted death, they will most likely come to terms with it eventually when considering the benefits of assisted death becoming more

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