Suicide is a subject that has provoked ethical, moral, spiritual, and social deliberations and examination (Harris & Hawton, 2005). Civilization has fought with the notion of suicide as well as attempting to make coherent logic of the behaviors that proceed (Harris & Hawton, 2005). In managing such a multifaceted individual and social subject, therapists may come across copious ethical trials which must be resolved in order to be operative specialists (Harris & Hawton, 2005). Case Study Beth M. presented for an assessment as a single, American-Indian female; she identified her reasons for seeking services as being "I drink too much and it is causing problems for me." According to the criteria listed in the DSM 5, Beth presented with the symptomatology indicative of Alcohol Dependence. This being evidenced by continued alcohol use despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by alcohol (APA, 2014). Beth reported what appeared to be symptoms of depression; this being evidenced by her inability to sleep at night as well as complaints of poor eating habits. Criteria identified in the DSM 5 also included the client giving up or reducing important social, occupational, or recreational activities due to substance use; Beth reported to her clinician that she has repeatedly called into work (APA, 2014). One could contribute this to her maladaptive patterns of substance use but it
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM 5) describes the essential feature of a substance use disorder as a cluster of cognitive, behavioral and physiological symptoms indicating that the individual continues using the substance despite significant substance-related problems. Specifically, the DSM V describes diagnostic criteria as a problematic pattern of alcohol use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress. Mr. Holliday manifested the following:
As I was reading through the different views on the causes of suicide, I thought that the sociocultural view made most sense for me. It made sense due to the claim that a person’s connections with social groups, religions, and communities can determine suicide probability (Comer, 2014). I imagine a sliding spectrum where people who are very invested in everything around them are on one end and on the other are people who don’t care about society. The two ends are the high suicide probability areas. Altruistic suicides where lives are sacrificed would fall on the invested end of the spectrum while the egoistic suicides which society has no control over a person and anomic suicides where a person’s social environment fails to provide structure
The moral and ethical aspects of physician-assisted suicide are important ones that shouldn’t be overlooked. In virtually all cases of assisted suicide the pain and suffering experienced by the patient is unrelievable. Although it is important to go to great lengths to try and ease the suffering through traditional medicine, often times it’s just not enough. When the traditional approach fails sometimes more drastic approaches are necessary. One such measure that has come to be highly controversial in this decade is physician-assisted suicide. This form of suicide is hotly debated because it isn’t just a mere suicide, but a planned out social contract between two or more people. The basis for my argument for assisted suicide rests in the values of individual self-determination or autonomy and individual well-being. Self-determination is central to the issue because a person should be able to choose how to live their life or in this case, how to die.
Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States. 11 in 100,000 teens have or thought of or have committed suicide. Most that have committed suicide have a history of Anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse, and or other mental disorders. Society struggles to understand why tragedies like this happen. There are many bi-standers that strive to create prevention methods. But some are scared to make this topic known. For the fact that it might make teens consider it more. Suicide is a dull subject in school some schools don't touch on it at all. But in Palo California it’s a different story four teen’s committed suicide on the train tracks near the high school. Student’s parent’s and even innocent bi-standers stay up all night to “make the tracks safe again”. In Saratoga, California fifteen-year old Audrey Pott committed suicide due to a simple high school mistake she went to a party, got drunk two football players sexually assaulted her, drew all over her body, and took pictures of her unaware body lying in the front yard. They then posted the pictures all over social media, she was then called names and on September 12, 2012, her mother and father came home to their daughter hanging. In Canada another fifteen-year old Amanda Todd committed suicide after showing her breasts on a video chat site. It was screen capped and then a man had her do things for him and if she didn’t he threatened to leak the pictures like blackmail. This went on for about a
George Langelaan’ s short story, “The Fly”, reveals the intense details of an experiment gone wrong, which ultimately shifted every character’s ideal foundations. Andre Delambre, a French scientist and war veteran, faces a scientific devastation that buries him heap of hopelessness from ever recovering. Out of desperation, he asks his wife, Helen, to carry out his last wish – to commit suicide. Langelaan reveals the physical, moral, and emotional justification of suicide assistance through the perspective of Helen, much reflecting today’s modern version of lethal injecting or prescribing a lethal combination of medication to terminally ill patients at their wish. As perfectly depicted in the movie The Fly, when Andre tells Helen, while giving her precise instructions, “Three knocks means I have your promise. My life is in your hands” (Kurt Neumann), they are loyal to carry out their loved one’s desires to their upmost ability.
As the political debates are in full action, I am certainly aware of the discussion of controversial topics. Although assisted suicide is not among the topics, however I do understand the difficulties of addressing sensitive topics. The following assignment is a reflection on Helping a Suicide When the End Isn't Near. First, I’ll introduce the debaters as well as their background and position on this controversial topic. Next, I will address my view and rationale pertaining to the topic.
The debate on the morality and ethics of voluntary or assisted suicide versus passive euthanasia present an intriguing aspect in the nursing field. While there are distinct parallels between voluntary and assisted euthanasia, there exists a similarity that the death is explicitly at the request of the patient, and the doctor acts in a manner that brings about the death of the patient (Beauchamp et al. 2014, p. 82). In contrast, passive euthanasia does not directly involve the doctor and, as such, the patient dies of the medical condition that already afflicts them. However, despite these differences, the question of the ethical justifications of each of these actions remains largely debatable.
Assisted suicide is a very controversial subject in the healthcare world and like most things there are a lot of areas that are not written in black and white. Though assisted suicide is only legal in five states it is still practiced all across the United States. In most cases, little to no information is provided to the families and the terminally ill patients on what assisted suicide truly is and what it not. It all has to do with the intent, but most conversations are reduced to a wink or nod and a type of unspoken understanding that prevents healthcare providers from being prosecuted, but in the process leaving the family members confused and with unanswered questions. If the same practices continue, in the future healthcare providers will have to deal with the challenges of sidestepping questions and leaving the families in the dark during one of the most emotional and intense time of their lives.
Assisted suicide is a controversial subject that welcomes death over life and presents many ethical dilemmas. We are frequently confronted with situations that raise ethical and moral questioning in our lifetimes. Traumatic events, as witnessed in the cases of Terri Schiavo, Brittany Maynard and Dax Cowart, often leave an impression on one 's mortality and fate. Decisions may leave us questioning our moral, ethical, and spiritual beliefs. This report will address the ethical implications providing the pro’s and con’s, As well as principles and theories pros and cons of assisted suicide. I will also come up with current legislation, and the impact assisted suicide has on social and moral values.
Physician Assisted Suicide/Dying (PAS/D) is a medical health provision that has recently become legal in Canada Ontario. Since it was a topic of debate for many years and legislation has passed to make it a legal option, there must have been large support towards its legality. The role of the psychologist in the psychological assessment of patients considering assisted suicide has created a controversy in regard to the Canadian Code of Ethics for practicing psychologists and psychiatrists – most prominently, the inability to fulfill the responsibility for the respect for the dignity of persons clause and responsible caring clause. In addition to discussing these ethical concerns, this paper will avoid providing favor for or against physician-assisted
Although there were some authors who discussed rational suicide in one way or another in the early 1900s (e.g., Cavan, 1928; Hook,1927) - such as Hoche, who in 1919 wrote about "balance-sheet suicide" (Choron,1972) -the bulk of the writing in support of rational suicide, at least in the mental health and suicidology literature, began in the early 1970s. Several important theory-based articles on the subject were published in the 1970s (e.g., Brandt, 1975; Motto,1972; Szasz,1971) and 1980s (e.g., Diekstra, 1986; Kjervik, 1984; Maris, 1982, 1983; Mayo, 1983, 1986; Motto, 1981; Szasz, 1986; Widiger & Rinaldi, 1983). In an in-depth examination of rational suicide, Battin ( 1982) proposed that in order for a suicide to be considered rational, the
Ethics is the standard behavior is a person, and what a person views as right or wrong. What one believes is acceptable, another could disagree because their morals are opposites. Many individuals think that there is only one right answer that is permissible in a disagreement. In reality, each person can think differently for themselves, and still be acceptable. Religion, economy, or culture can play a significant role in morals. Whether suicide is permissible in any circumstance is the topic I have chosen. I take a strong attitude towards this subject because I am a religious person, but I also think suicide is morally adequate. Ethics comes a huge part of this controversial topic because everyone thinks their opinion is the correct one. No
Suicide is unquestionably wrong. Issues of life and death lie in the sovereign hands of God alone. Job said to God, “Man’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he can’t exceed” (Job 14:5). David said to God, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). Moreover, suicide goes against the commandments of god. In fact, the sixth commandment tell us, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). This command is based on the purity of human life. We must remember that man was created in Gods image. Notice how the command “You shall not murder” has no direct object. It doesn’t say, “You shall not murder someone else” or even “You shall not murder your
Suicide has preserved its importance since the time ancient philosophers began questioning the purpose of living (Nussbaum & Long, 1988). Some of them stated that it has no meaning, some thought that life itself is searching for meaning and some said that to be happy is the meaning (Nussbaum & Long, 1988). Did they kill themselves if there was no meaning? Would they kill themselves if they were unhappy? The answers to these questions are paradoxical because each person and their experiences are unique. Today, many psychological tests are available to disclose whether one might be suicidal or not suicidal, however, the topic suicide dated back to the 284-322 BC, is still exist. The reason is that emotions are complex and amendable to change,
“Americans have developed a paradoxical relationship with death-we know more about the causes and conditions surrounding death, but we have not equipped ourselves emotionally to cope with dying and death (Bender and B. Leone).” Death is a scary subject for all humans. And death caused by oneself, or suicide, is even scarier. Suicide on a medical terms, or euthanasia, confuses many people. It poses many moral questions to humans: should it be allowed? How is this