week 10 response (Luis)

Physician assisted suicide is one of the most controversial topics in the world with both sides of the argument being very defensive of their side. I would define it as a medically assisted procedure in which a medical professional administers a treatment protocol (that can come in a variety of forms) in which completion of the treatment would result in the death of the patient. This procedure obviously requires consent from either the patient themselves or a designated person that will make the decision on behalf of the patient if they are unable to make the decision themselves in that circumstance. The obvious reason that this is such a heated topic is because if you look at it purely black and white, the medical professional is literally killing the patient. This procedure is typically used when the patient is in a condition in which their quality of life is so low that it may not even be worth living a life like that. One example could be if the patient is left. in a vegetative state where they cannot move but they constantly feel the pain of their injuries. The patient being kept alive is directly causing them to suffer more than death would. In this instance, most people would be in favor of physician-assisted suicide. An instance where it is more difficult to choose a side is when the patient is in a coma. Sometimes there is as low as a 2% chance that the patient will recover from their coma, but this is enough to have a lot of people be against physician-assisted suicide because it is not something that can be undone.

I am personally in favor of physician assisted suicide if the situation warrants it. For example, if one of my loved ones was in an unsalvageable condition that causes them to suffer, I am okay with the procedure. While this is probably not a great reason to think this, I often think of these kinds of situations as a never ending drug trip, especially if the brain is damaged. I have had friends tell me about their bad experiences with some drugs and it sounds like a literal nightmare. Often times they tell me that in the moment they feel like it will never end and its horrible. So when I think of these awful states patients get in sometimes, this is what my minds jumps to, and I would never wish this upon anyone. Like I said, this may be strange but that is the easiest way I can describe why I am in favor of physician assisted suicide.