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James Stern's avatar

Jef - Another interesting and enlightening article. I'm on the other side of the fence. Even if a painful death is rare, there should be dignified respectful off-ramp which avoids dramatic non-medical attempts for those facing down an excruciating end of life. I understand the "it offends my principles" view of "I don't assist abortion" or "I won't assist death". For me, I've confronted the reality that for some people, "life isn't beautiful" and filled with moments of contentment. For some people, living with pain, boredom, and/or meaninglessness, a painless medically assisted end seems to me a reasonable choice and one that shouldn't be illegal. As for those suffering from treatable and acute depression, they should not be legally assisted to die. But even depression has its limits of tolerance for those with severe untreatable chronic depression. Some people's lives are not bearable. People have different levels of endurance, tolerance, and will to live. I hope that I have something to live for until my forced exit from consciousness, but if I don't or living is too much work or pain.....I'd like a reliable painless option without risking making my situation worse by a botched attempt or putting my family at risk of criminal prosecution when they find my body or my botched attempt. If my choices are dying restfully in my sleep on a day of my choosing OR six months of mild to severe neglect at a medicaid end of life facility waiting it out, no visitors, no family, nothing enjoyable to occupy my mind, food is unpleasant and not worth the effort of chewing, in increasing bed-ridden pain, discomfort, and constipation from all the opioids...I'd appreciate having the first option be available and legal. Of course, what do I know and I hope I never know.

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Elliot Sneider's avatar

The need for New York State to include the contradictory clause regarding the definition of suicide in the bill might seem to some to be a prudent way of relieving stigma but to me it is a red flag that the underlying concepts are in conflict.

I am also intrigued by the statement from the Hippocrates oath you mention. Although it could be seen as dogma, the simplicity of this oath and the fact of explicitly stating opposition to assisted suicide is profound and should imply the need for not only significant guardrails but significant reordering of our definition of medicine.

I think about the stories of those who have survived suicide attempts. Although I do not have citation, I know that it is said that they often experience a profound regret the moment they realize there is no turning back, and a profound appreciation for life afterwards. Life is the only thing that produces pain, and you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.

As someone who lost a good friend to suicide, I know that the world does fail some people. He could not get the treatment he needed for chronic pain. But in no way do I wish that he could have had an easier suicide. On the contrary I wish that he trusted the medical establishment more. I know his mental health was impacted, and as a friend I would have been apoplectic to find a medical doctor help him end his life rather than help to alleviate his pain.

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