Assisted Suicide Case Summary

“We don’t let animals suffer, so why humans?”(Stephen Hawking) Not only is assisted suicide not legal in most states, but people are judged for taking that option. So basically, they should just live in pain because you’re uncomfortable…? How is ending your dog's life because he’s in unbearable pain any different from helping a person end their pain?

Petitioners in this case are the State of Washington and its Attorney General. Respondents Harold Glucksberg, Abigail Halperin, Thomas A. Preston, and Peter Shalit, are medical physicians who practice in the State of Washington, along with three gravely ill, pseudonymous plaintiffs who have since died and the non-profit organization that counsel people considering physician-assisted suicide, Compassion in Dying, sued in the United States District Court, seeking a declaration that Wash Rev. Code 9A.36.060(1) (1994) was unconstitutional. Washington vs. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702 (1997). The Washington State statute provided a person was guilty of the felony of promoting a suicide attempt when the person knowingly caused or aided another person

The patient is a 12 year old female who presented to the ED with thoughts of self harm and cutting behaviors. The patient denies suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, and symptoms of psychosis. The patient reports that she has been sad lately. Per- documentation the patient reports to peers at her school that she was trying to kill herself, which the school sent her to DayMark. Further, Daymak IVC the patient and requested further evaluation.

This is a case study that will be examined and evaluating a 68-year-old male, husband that killed his wife per her request. Allowing someone to die has always been a sociological concern. Will take into consideration the ethical values as well as providing proposed solutions on how this can benefit the husband and wife as well as the family, even though they have moved away. During this process, will look at possible treatments, suggestions that will result in a better outcome.

- Confirmed with 3rd party what needs to be included in the email and foreshadowed when they will receive it.

When faced with a terminal illness or severe depression people look for a way out. Rather than let these people some European countries and a few states have legalized the use of euthanasia, or assisted suicide. Euthanasia is a procedure that medical officials follow, where they pump the ailing patient full of drugs that firsts put them into a coma and then they die peacefully. Patients in these select countries and states that are beyond helping or severely depressed utilize the euthanasia as either a means to an end or a way to die on their terms.

Pt is a 12 y/o African American female presented at NNBHC with dx of ADHD combine type, ODD, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation D/O, Mood D/O, PTSD and Sexual Abuse (victim/ perpetrator), who have been feeling severely depressed and SI. Pt states that she has had SI with a plan to overdose or cut her wrist. Pt is considered high risk due her unsuccessful attempt to commit suicide on 7/5/2015 by taking a handful (unknown quantity) of Clonidine. She was hospitalized at CHKD until she was medially stable, than transferred to Maryview for mental stabilization. Pt states that she is unable to contract for safety at this time, and unsure of what she may do due to her impulsivity. Pt has also have been currently distributing nude pictures to adult males via cell phone. Virginia Beach Police Department is involved with the solicition of child pornography per report from pt mother. Pt have been using explicit communication of sexual acts via text message with males and females. Since 7/5/15 there have been a change in medication Vyvanse 70mg to 30mg. Pt have a hx of becoming verbally aggressive towards hospital staff when medications change. Pt denies any psychosis or paranoid thinking.

The thing that kept Steven going was the thought that Jeffrey having cancer was going to be a mistake. During Jeffrey’s stay at the Philadelphia Children's hospital Steven was kept unnotified of how Jeffrey was doing. Apart of that he was getting no attention whatsoever from either of his parents. Steven felt forgotten and this brought anger. Through journals from Miss Palma’s class he wrote about how nobody had thought about how he was feeling about this situation. However when Jeffrey and his mother returned from Philadelphia Steven learned that the thoughts he had was wrong.

After researching assisted suicide I have more questions than when I started. The definition of assisted suicide is very factual: suicide facilitated by another person, especially a physician, who organized the logistics of the suicide, as by providing the necessary quantities of a poison (The definition of assisted suicide 2016). After much research I have learned that assisted suicide is an option one has to make depending on their moral standards, will to live, and how they want to die rather than a factual process one can follow.

He came to his appointment approximately 25 minutes late. Therefore, we had less than 30 minutes for this intake. He presented with a sense of anxiety related to his concerns for the future. He discussed his interest in perusing a career as a physical therapist. However, for now he has decided to wait until next year to apply for a graduate school. He presented a sense of uncertainty, which increase his anxiety, towards his plans for post-graduation from UWB. He discussed a few options he has with regards to his living situation, which include staying with his parents or moving out with his girlfriend. He also expressed financial concerns. He presented an uncertainty about whether he would be able to meet his financial needs.

Physician-assisted suicide first became legalized in Australia’s Northern Territory on 1 July 1996 (Walker 21). It was later legalized in Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Quebec, Oregon, Montana, Washington and Vermont (Gulu 1). In Michigan, throughout the 1990s, Dr. Jack Kevorkian petitioned to legalize assisted suicide and help over one hundred and thirty people commit suicided in and eight year period (Schneider 1). Dr. Kevorkian was in prison for eight years for second degree murder (Schneider 1). According to Jack Lessenberry, “Jack Kevorkian, faults and all, was a major force for good in this society. He forced us to pay attention to one of the biggest elephants in society’s living room: the fact that today vast numbers of people are alive who would rather be dead, who have lives not worth living”(Schneider 2). Due to Dr. Kevorkian’s assistance in an Oregon schoolteachers death, Oregon passed its Death With Dignity Act (Schneider 2). On the 1 November 2014, Brittany Maynard took advantage of Oregon’s legality of physician-assisted suicide.

During the time of assessment the patient was asleep and wakened by TACT. The patient was cooperative and clam when wakened. The patient reports that all his life he has had concerns with controlling his behavior. Patient he was in the army from 2008-2012 and suffers from nightmares. The patient reports self-medicating with Marijuana to cope with "mood swing",

Euthanasia or assisted suicide is the practice of intentionally ending someone’s life to alleviate his or her pain. The article “Terminally Ill Brittany Maynard Takes Her Own Life Under Oregon Law” explains the case of a woman with terminal brain cancer who decided to change of state to obtain medical assistance to end her life. In the United States, there are just few states that are not against physician aid with dying (PAD), which is the reason why the Maynard had to relocate from California to Oregon. It is important to emphasize that this case occurred in 2014, when euthanasia was still illegal in the state of California. Many in the country criticized Maynard’s decision; this indicates that choosing when and how to die, regardless of

Patient is a 46 year old female who presented to the ED via EMS due to overdose on Benadryl. Patient reports financial issues with supporting her daughter going to college. Patient reports depressive symptoms of fatigue,worthlessness, hopelessness, tearfulness,irritable, and anhedonia. At the time of assessment, patient denies feeling suicidal or having a plan. While patient currently denies suicidal ideation and plan, review of the patient's medical documentation does not support that. When confronted about admitting being suicidal and having a plan, the patient presented guarded and later reports she felt like harming herself during overdose due to financial situation.The patient reports she does not want to let any of her daughters down.

The patient is a 21 year old male who presented to the ED with audio hallucination. Patient reports today the voices he hears, has been increasing in commands, telling him to cut his wrist and hang himself. Per documentation the patient has been pacing room.