If you're asking someone to help you die because of a disease you have whether you're in the hospital or not, but on life supports, are you committing suicide and the person you asked would be committing what?
2007-04-05 15:15:25 · 6 answers · asked by ZORRO 3 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
Usually, if your belief is to not be resuscitated, then you should have a DNR( do no resuscitate) or a living will. Both of these give someone the authority to 'pull the plug' if it comes down to it. If you do not have either of these documents, then you next of kin has to make the decision. if you are in need of life support, you probably won't be in the decision making state of mind, so your wife, husband, parents or children will make the decision based on your beliefs(or their interpretation of them) It is not a crime to discontinue life support as long as you are the person legally able to do it. If not, then it will probably be decided as manslaughter.
2007-04-05 15:27:07 · answer #1 · answered by lilly j 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you are dying of a disease, you'll probably not be "plugged in" to anything that is keeping you alive - that situation is actually pretty rare. What does happen, is that things like ventilators, oxygen, etc. are still in place, but the patient wants them disconnected so that nature can take it's course. This is a patient's right - you don't have to jump through hoops to refuse medical treatment.
It is very important to have a living will so that your family and friends will know what you want or don't want. Death is part of life, and when we're dying, the best thing is to take away all of the medical machinery and let the body die naturally. Family and friends can be with the person, holding their hand, comforting them through the process.
It's scary, even for healthcare people, and when the right-to-lifers get involved, it's even scarier! Remember, even the Pope had his feeding tube disconnected at the end - so, no matter what people who are healthly think, when it comes time to die, the person knows it and wants to let it happen.
2007-04-05 22:32:50 · answer #2 · answered by nightngle 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Death in this situation would only not be suicide if caused by natural means like letting a disease run its course or pulling someone off a ventilator and letting nature do its thing.
2007-04-05 22:20:29 · answer #3 · answered by Troy 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The person would technically be comitting murder, the only people allowed to "pull the plug" are medical personnel and they have a whole system they have to go through to make it "legal". Most people wont prosecute the person for murder they usually drop it down to man-slaughter but it is jail-time punishable.
2007-04-05 22:21:10 · answer #4 · answered by Shell 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
im not sure what that is in america but im guessing its some sort of murder 2/manslaughter charge. it is definately not suicide as someone else did the action of pulling the plug. it would only be suicide if u physically pulled your own plug.
2007-04-05 22:21:23 · answer #5 · answered by chasedbutterfly 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is called physician assisted suicide and there is a lot of controversy surrounding it. Aiding and abetting is punishable by law in many states and countries
2007-04-05 22:25:08 · answer #6 · answered by QuiteNewHere 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋