Physician Assisted Suicide Argumentative Essay

Words: 977
Pages: 4

Terminal illnesses are terrifying situations to be in, the feeling of hopelessness and pain creep up from every corner one would turn. Seeing the pain and suffering not only in your eyes but also in the eyes of your beloved ones; as the pain is seeking through every nerve in your body, you attempt to look for a way to halt the misery. Physician assisted suicides appear to be the ideal solution; however, the government does not happen to agree as they have rejected the notion completely. Physician assisted suicide is the act or practice of painlessly putting to mortality a person’s misery from painful and hopeless diseases in addition to devastating physical disorders by allowing them to die by the suppression of treatment or diminishing artificial …show more content…
Studies show that approximately forty to seventy percent of fatally ill patients in the United States are said to die in pain, while an additional fifty to sixty percent die feeling shortness of breath (Morrow, 2014). With conditions such as these, patients appear to be in the utmost pain and cannot take matters into their own hands. In addition, a survey conducted within the Journal of American Medical Association found that a numerous amount of patients favored having the option of a physician assisted suicide if the pain and physical symptoms progressed to a point of intolerance (Wilson et al., 2000). For instance, Brian Swallow at age eighty-seven has prostate cancer that has progressed and infiltrated other parts of his body making it incurable (Swallow, as cited in Dignity In Dying, 2014). At this point in his illness, it is unknown what may occur; however, it is known that ultimately the medication will lose effect. Brian Swallow narrates that he fears having his family watch him suffer instead of the option of leaving peacefully; although, the government looks down upon his preferred choice of a physician assisted suicide, therefore leaving him with no option. Another purpose as to why physician assisted suicide should be legalized is that the end result would not change except for the fact that the patient would feel at ease and uphold their pride in their last