In the article Why not Commercial Assistance for Suicide? On the Question of Argumentative Coherence of Endorsing Assisted Suicide, by Rowland Kipke, addresses his disapproval for physician assisted suicide (PAS) and support for commercially assisted suicide (CAS), one assisted by a psychiatrist. He states that a person who agrees with PAS must rethink their position on CAS due to physicians having a lack of mental health understanding while a psychiatrist job is to study mental health. While arguing valuable points for both sides such as mental health training and drug use, the best way to solve this dilemma is to expand the authors argument for PAS and CAS into one that allows for both types of assistance: medically assisted suicide which
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Allowing the patient to choose who they feel more comfortable seeking help from is necessary to ensure they are making the right decision. The article talks about “psychiatrists might most likely have the necessary diagnostic skills” to determine if a patient should be able to carry on with assisted suicide (Kipke, 519). This is a viable argument considering they have the training to understand a person’s mental state. This compares to a physician who is a trained medical professional that studied the anatomy and biology of how human operate. They also understand that assisted suicide is not a light, easy subject to confront and is to be taken seriously. This is a choice that comes with lots of contemplation on whether this is a correct decision to make. A big positive to having a choice is the patient has the option to confide in someone they feel safe talking to. If a patient felt safer consulting a doctor or psychologist or psychiatrist, they should have the right to decide that. If someone had to consult a professional, about ending their life due to a medical issue or something very personal, they didn’t know, it would be tough and scary for them. The patient would have to explain everything that they have gone through which wouldn’t be easy. If they had the option to could consult their doctor, it might be easier since the doctor would have been a major contender in the patient’s journey and understand what they had been through. It helps because they are a part of the full picture rather than looking in on the outside. Then there is the other side of the spectrum where if someone feels safer discussing with a mental health professional, then they have the option to talk with them. Having a choice as a patient gives them the comfort and stability they need to think clearly about their
Allowing the patient to choose who they feel more comfortable seeking help from is necessary to ensure they are making the right decision. The article talks about “psychiatrists might most likely have the necessary diagnostic skills” to determine if a patient should be able to carry on with assisted suicide (Kipke, 519). This is a viable argument considering they have the training to understand a person’s mental state. This compares to a physician who is a trained medical professional that studied the anatomy and biology of how human operate. They also understand that assisted suicide is not a light, easy subject to confront and is to be taken seriously. This is a choice that comes with lots of contemplation on whether this is a correct decision to make. A big positive to having a choice is the patient has the option to confide in someone they feel safe talking to. If a patient felt safer consulting a doctor or psychologist or psychiatrist, they should have the right to decide that. If someone had to consult a professional, about ending their life due to a medical issue or something very personal, they didn’t know, it would be tough and scary for them. The patient would have to explain everything that they have gone through which wouldn’t be easy. If they had the option to could consult their doctor, it might be easier since the doctor would have been a major contender in the patient’s journey and understand what they had been through. It helps because they are a part of the full picture rather than looking in on the outside. Then there is the other side of the spectrum where if someone feels safer discussing with a mental health professional, then they have the option to talk with them. Having a choice as a patient gives them the comfort and stability they need to think clearly about their