By Jenny Brodsky
I lost my best friend to suicide a
little over three years ago and to this day I still wonder if he could have
gotten better or if choosing death was the right thing for him. The right to die has been a topic of debate
for many years, but it’s not common knowledge that assisted suicide is legal in
Washington and Oregon or that there are groups around the nation who are
illegally helping people commit suicide.
The article In ‘The Suicide Plan,’
Frontline Explores Hidden World of Assisted Suicide discusses a PBS show
airing on November 13, 2012 that presents the debate on the right to die from
the view of those who are choosing to end their lives.
The article
starts by introducing a woman who, after 50 years of marriage, had to witness
her husband die a slow and painful death due to lung cancer. After this experience she decided she would
die on her own terms. She found a group
called Compassion and Choices and ordered 60 pills from them that she would
take over 15 minutes to kill herself.
This end-of-life group has been working underground in a world of
assisted suicide that many don’t even know exist.
Aside from
the obvious controversial issue, we must consider whether anyone of sound mind
would want to commit suicide. Suicide
has been investigated for many years and there is strong evidence that the
serotonergic system of the brain corresponds to suicidal behavior. This is where serotonin is found, which has
been linked to many cognitive disorders such as depression and
schizophrenia. When serotonin levels are low, it has been
observed that the brain experiences behavioral dis-inhibition causing things
like impulsivity.
So, we must ask ourselves: Can
someone want to die who is completely psychologically sound? And if not, then wouldn’t the right thing to
do be to treat them, not assist them in their impulsive desires? In addition, if
assisted suicide becomes legal in some cases, where can anyone draw the
line? This issue may not ever be agreed
upon, but it is clear scientists will need more neurological evidence to know
for sure whether suicide is in fact the result of a psychological imbalance or,
for some, a rational decision.
Sources:
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