Essay Sample about Physician Assisted Suicide

The suffering has been endured far too long by terminally ill patients and there is an answer now. What I mean by that is physician assisted suicide. Physician assisted suicide in simple terms, is an individual who is terminally ill and has been diagnosed with 6 months or less to live; they would have the choice of ending their life early. No one should even be diagnosed with a terminal illness. That is horrible enough. However, we should allow those people to decide what they’d like to do with their lives. Every terminally ill individual should have the choice to end their remaining months painlessly and with dignity, rather than suffer through brutal pain.

The whole reason for physician assisted suicide is to help the patient. The main point is to end their suffering early. Also, they are allowing that individual to end their life with some dignity, and decide what they want to do. There is a reason why it is even talked about or thought of, because of how agonizing it is for that individual to endure that pain for the remainder of their time alive. It is commonly thought that medicine helps, but a quote taken from Lonestar, “The only thing that medical technology does for a dying patient is give that patient more pain and agony day after day”. The suffering only gets worse as time goes on. Also, from personal experience a close friend of mine, his mother died of cancer. I went to visit her a couple of times, and just seeing her every time got worse. She was in more pain and it was very hard to see and deal with. Sadly, she passed away. I wish she had this option when she was still alive. Even if she did not take it, just having the option should be there for every individual in that situation.

Another good reason as to why it should be legal is because, if they are terminally ill, what is wrong with ending their life just a little sooner? Not only would it be sooner, but more importantly, it would be painless and peaceful. The individual who decides to do this would have one last time with their family to say goodbye, and enjoy that last moment with them. It is easier for both the family and the individual when they get to share that last moment together and enjoy it. This is a common practice among the most common household pets, which are dogs. When dogs get too old or sick it is very common for their owners to “put them down”, which means they want to put the dog out of its misery. If people worry about their dogs this much, I think we should care about our loved ones as much and at least offer them this option.

For the most, part physician assisted suicide is off the table in the United States. However, there are some states that allow it, but the number is very small. Additionally, there is a lot of controversy and even confusion about it. There is a good percentage that view the topic as murder. They feel that the doctor shouldn’t be allowed to do that to the individual. However, that is a common misunderstanding, because it is not the doctor who is injecting the medicine to make the individual pass away. Given the name, it is assisted. The physician is giving that individual whatever medicine or drug it is that will have them painlessly pass away. Therefore, it is no way murder it is the individual who is administering that medicine themselves, hence the name “physician assisted suicide.”

Another way some people might think of it as not being ethical. They believe that it goes against morals and ethics. However, when you deal with seeing your loved one suffering through the worst pain they’ve felt in their life and they know they only have months left to live it is a humane thing to do or at least consider. If we let nature run its course and just continue to let that individual suffer, that is an inhumane thing to do. That is why at least making it legal allows the certain individuals who don’t believe in physician assisted suicide to decide not to do it. Because, at the end of the day, everyone should have the choice to do what they please with their bodies and their lives. 

Furthermore, the only problem with physician assisted suicide is that it is not legal in more states. There is no way that it should affect anyone else's lives who do not support it. The reason why it shouldn’t is because everyone should decide what they want to do with their body. Having physician assisted suicide become legal would help so many people who suffer daily through agonizing pain. Being able to have that option allows that individual to do it painlessly and have a peaceful last moment with their loved ones.