Physician Assisted Suicide Argumentative Essay

While assisted suicide is not as controversial a topic as abortion or gun control, it is quite controversial nonetheless. The idea that a medically licensed doctor can help someone end their life, the exact opposite of their job description, is mind boggling. Many people feel as though this is wrong and religiously a sin, but others feel as though it is every person’s decision how they live and, in this case, how they end their lives. Those who are for physician-assisted suicide have probably had some sort of contact with it, whereas those who are so against it, probably have no reason to try to understand why someone may want to take their own life this way. Physician-assisted suicide can erase pain for those who are suffering, but also

In the United States two surveys were given to physicians, examining the effects that euthanasia has on them. While the majority of all physicians surveyed felt comfort from knowing they gave their patient what he or she wanted, 40 percent of physicians regretted performing the procedure or felt an emotional burden after the fact (Stevens, 2006, para. 23-24). Those of the physicians who completed the procedure and felt an emotional burden from it said that the burden came from the family members who outlived the patient. The doctor, although happy to have given their patient what he or she wanted, felt indebted to their patient’s family, almost feeling as though they had killed their patient instead of the patient committing suicide (Stevens, 2006, para. 33-35). People may ask, why would the physician approve the procedure when he or she will probably feel bad about the decision in the future? Here is your answer: many physicians feel intimidated by their patients when it comes to this conversation. They feel as though their patient is so determined to commit suicide that there is literally nothing for them to do to change their mind. When speaking about a patient’s disposition on the subject, one doctor described talking to the patient like, “talking to Superman when he’s going after a train.” The doctor was practically powerless in stopping or changing the patient’s mind (Stevens, 2006, para.