If we have terrible suffering, should we exit life or stay alive to the last breath?

Mitch86

Mitch86

Member
Location
Connecticut, USA
I believe now that no matter how much pain and suffering one has, he should stay alive to the last breath. Life exists only once and, when we die, we totally cease to exist. Thus, we should tolerate unlimited pain and suffering with full knowledge that there are times in everyone's life where we actually enjoy our life no matter how we suffered for most days. Even if we are in a coma, we can still enjoy our thoughts.

Finally, pain is really a matter of the mind's perception. If I have terrible pain, I play Civilization VI on my PC and get totally absorbed and all the pain goes away.

Distraction is the best cure for pain and it cannot kill you.
 

Mitch86 said:
I believe now that no matter how much pain and suffering one has, he should stay alive to the last breath. Life exists only once and, when we die, we totally cease to exist. Thus, we should tolerate unlimited pain and suffering with full knowledge that there are times in everyone's life where we actually enjoy our life no matter how we suffered for most days. Even if we are in a coma, we can still enjoy our thoughts.

Finally, pain is really a matter of the mind's perception. If I have terrible pain, I play Civilization VI on my PC and get totally absorbed and all the pain goes away.

Distraction is the best cure for pain and it cannot kill you.
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Sorry Mitch but , ... if you can ignore pain ? and make it go away / mask it ? It is not severe pain. If that were the case IMO ... then I should be able to absorb myself in a project , and feel no pain.
That doesn't work !

I also believe that if we want/choose to exit life , we should have a say as to when & how ....... so long as we harm no others in the process.
 

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If I had a terminal illness and someone wanted me to keep on living, I would.
On a side note, have you tried Humankind? It's like CIV VI but new.
 
Muslims believe suicide is a big sin. I feel so bad for those who have great pain and suffering. In the wake of a society where physician assisted suicide (considered different from euthanasia) is legal in 10 U.S. states and elsewhere I still have to agree with you Mitch. BTW Mitch...I keep you in prayer...that your chronic pain will be eased.
 
Mitch86 said:
Finally, pain is really a matter of the mind's perception. If I have terrible pain, I play Civilization VI on my PC and get totally absorbed and all the pain goes away.

Distraction is the best cure for pain and it cannot kill you.
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I don't believe for one second your pain is TERRIBLE if you can distract yourself so easily. Of course, my perception of terrible pain is probably much different than yours. You know how the docs ask which pain are you? Number 1 to 10?

For me, 10 is hard labor or waking up after a third of my lung was cut out. Pain where you can do nothing else but be in pain. No distractions.
 
Aunt Bea said:
I believe that we all have the choice to leave this world when we feel that we are ready.

IMO the thing missing is a legal and humane method to do that.
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well of course there's always dignitas in Switzerland ..and assisted suicides in some places..Spain, Belgium, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Switzerland and some states of the USA. It's not ideal, it comes with certain stipulations, and cost.. but at least it's there for those who satisfy the criteria.

For me , if they don't allow assisted suicide in the Uk, and if I'm suffering terminal pain and I'm unable to travel to another country to be euthanized , I will find my own very fast method...

I will never suffer unbearable pain where there's no hope of relief or cure.. if I have it in my power to put an end to it myself.
 
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Whatever works for you Mitch (y) although I do not entirely agree. If I am honest, I do not know what decision I would make if I were in intolerable pain or suffering from an illness which rendered my life unbearable but, I believe I would likely make the decision to leave. Whatever choice we make though, it should be our right to have that choice and either way, there is no right or wrong.
 
hollydolly said:
well of course there's always dignitas in Switzerland ..and assisted suicides in some places..Spain, Belgium, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Switzerland and some states of the USA. It's not ideal, it comes with certain stipulations, and cost.. but at least it's there for those who satisfy the criteria.

For me , if they don't allow assisted suicide in the Uk, and if I'm suffering terminal pain and I'm unable to travel to another country to be euthanized , I will find my own very fast method...

I will never suffer unbearable pain where there's no hope of relief or cure.. if I have it in my power to put an end to it myself.
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But that cost thousands holly !,
 
Your question is disingenuous because there isn’t a black/white, yes/no, Boolean logic answer to it. It’s a nuanced and complex subject and there is simply no one size fits all or correct answer to your question.

End of life decisions depend on a dizzying array of factors extending far beyond the person themselves and their level of pain. Even if someone in great pain wants to end their life for example, but can’t do it alone, and they live in a state where that is illegal, it requires the involvement of family or friends who are then culpable and can potentially be prosecuted for their involvement.

Loved ones may be grasping at every last bit of time with the terminal family member who chooses to continue on in pain for their sake.

I’ve heard of family who have challenged the authenticity or veracity of a DNR order put in place by their aged loved one, for personal gain because they wanted the will changed before the family member passed on. So many scenarios. 😥

My personal opinion is that I should have a right to choose when I’m done. I should be able to say when the pain is too much or my quality of life has dwindled to the point that I don’t want to live it any more. I should be assisted respectfully and with compassion, and without a bunch of complications and issues, to end my life if I so choose.

Perhaps by the time I’m at that point myself if I don’t die in my sleep like I want to, I’ll have that choice. Guess we’ll see.
 
Stay till the last breath because, there's an end to everything. Really. Some things just take longer, and some are harder and more painful, but stick it out cause you have in you what it takes to go through it. And when it is all over, you will be more thankful for the good times.
 
While in the hospital I was watching one of their health channels. I saw a young woman that never gave up hope that her husband would recover. He was on a breathing machine for 5 years. They kept after her to unplug the unit.

Finally, 5 years later he woke up & said to her "I love you" He is recovering & learning how to walk again.

God had a plan for him.
 
In 2011. January 22 to be exact,I was sitting in my lazy boy chatting with my daughter…without any warning or pain,I had turned blue…Complete Cardiac Arrest…put in induced coma…implanted defibrillator….had my daughter not been there,I would have missed so many years…so many friendships found..the only thing I fret about is the defibrillator zapping life into me when my heart does not respond to the brain’s command..(my problem was electrical,) I have read where a person who was shot,the defibrillator kept zapping and zapping…I have no choice in removing it..anyway…I will leave this earth when God sees fit..because my energy will come back…
 
Whether there is severe pain or not, I think we all have the right to end our lives when we feel it's time. I'm completely for dying with dignity or assisted suicide if that is readily available to the person. Having said that, this is a very personal decision that each of us have to make for ourselves, @Mitch86 I have no doubt you are in bad pain, I respect your decision and wish you well.
 
Tom 86 said:
While in the hospital I was watching one of their health channels. I saw a young woman that never gave up hope that her husband would recover. He was on a breathing machine for 5 years. They kept after her to unplug the unit.

Finally, 5 years later he woke up & said to her "I love you" He is recovering & learning how to walk again.

God had a plan for him.
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But that is not the most common outcome of such scenarios. If it were it wouldn't be a news story when it happens.
I have talked to my children about what i consider an acceptable quality of life. Being hooked up to machines and not mentally present enough to physically converse with them is not acceptable to me. Because of our relationships i trust them to know if my consciousness is just on walkabout giving my body time to heal or if i'm ready to transition. But that is something for each person to determine and work out with their family.
 
It is up to the individual. @Ronni Touched on a lot of my thoughts about it.

I respect each person's right to make their choice, but don't feel we are entitled to dictate to others.

I could write volumes about the subjectivity of not just physical pain but the emotional suffering that can result from it. i know for me from experience that physical pain is actually more easily managed with distraction and/or meditative techniques than emotional pain.

I could also relate stories of people i knew who hung on beyond any reasonable quality of life, those who decided on palliative care only and people like my Dad who wanted to end his suffering with a gun. When i told him i couldn't do that, but i believed it was between him and whatever he conceives God to be, that he could choose to let go of this life. He was totally bedridden in a week, and a week later after some goodbyes with family/friends via long distance phone calls he died peacefully in my arms at home.

But this indeed a complex matter with factors that always come back to being questions of personal beliefs, standards and choices. The main thing i object to is those who want to pass judgement on those who see it differently than they do.
 
Mitch86 said:
If we have terrible suffering, should we exit life or stay alive to the last breath?
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Good question.

Right now, being well and healthy, I believe I would prefer to die rather than suffer like that. And am even thinking about how I can make that happen.

However, it is hard to know what I will think when the time comes, people change their minds all the time.

I certainly believe we ought to have the right to make that decision, no matter what it is.
 
Ronni said:
My personal opinion is that I should have a right to choose when I’m done. I should be able to say when the pain is too much or my quality of life has dwindled to the point that I don’t want to live it any more. I should be assisted respectfully and with compassion, and without a bunch of complications and issues, to end my life if I so choose
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This is my hope too.
feywon said:
But this indeed a complex matter with factors that always come back to being questions of personal beliefs, standards and choices. The main thing i object to is those who want to pass judgement on those who see it differently than they do.
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Agreed. Worse are those who interfere with plans of the person who has requested to leave.
 
Tom 86 said:
While in the hospital I was watching one of their health channels. I saw a young woman that never gave up hope that her husband would recover. He was on a breathing machine for 5 years. They kept after her to unplug the unit.

Finally, 5 years later he woke up & said to her "I love you" He is recovering & learning how to walk again.

God had a plan for him.
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Exactly, the end of whatever it is will come when it is supposed to. But, on the other hand, hope can be hard to keep sometimes and prayers sometimes don't seem to be answered. Not our way thought. The outcome will be better if we leave it up to God.
 
It should be noted that every state in the USA allows any individual to create a Living Will and Advanced Directive whereby one can refuse all medication including nutrition and hydration. Of course, relatives could block that but one must discuss it all with relatives and get their consent before it becomes necessary. An attorney is required to draw up those documents and requirements may differ in each state. It takes just two weeks to die using that legal method.

For me I will try and hold out even in a coma. By the way, my severe pain in legs and feet was caused by arthritis of the spine combined with one doctor inflicting pain on my feet since he was going through a bitter divorce and the second doctor hitting my feet with his fists since I had squealed to the police and the Dept. of Public Health.

By the way, no penalties were imposed on the doctors since in my State of CT, it is policy never to prosecute doctors as long as their maimings and murders are confined to a hospital or their office.

However, I look back to Christ, the MAN, who took more pain than anyone on His Cross and never complained but accepted his fate. I frequently go back to this Serenity prayer: "God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."

Finally, posting here also alleviates my pain.
 
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