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The Quiet Expansion of Death
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The Quiet Expansion of Death
I remember being a strong supporter of the idea of the right-to-die, it seemed like the compassionate thing to do, and I thought every country should have it.
Then, about six years ago, I happened to hear a talk by a priest who really challenged my thinking. He spoke about the potential slippery slope, he asked what happens when elderly people begin to feel they’re a burden, or when vulnerable people sense that choosing death might be easier for everyone else.
It completely changed my perspective.
So I’ve watched what’s happening in Canada with growing concern.
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) was introduced as a compassionate option for a very small number of exceptional cases.
Today, it accounts for around 1 in every 20 deaths in the country.
How did something intended to be exceptional become so commonplace? Why aren’t we putting the same energy into relieving suffering, loneliness, disability, and despair before offering death as a solution? And how is it changing modern medicine?
Dr. Joseph Varon explores these ideas and questions in his latest editorial.
Read it here https://journalofindependentmedicine.org/articles/v02n04a02/
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10 Replies
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Wow, that is a shocking number, 1 in 20.
Certainly some is valid, given how modern medicine can extend life seemingly indefinitely even when the quality of that life is low.
The rest of these cases I couldn’t call a failure of medicine alone, but a failure of society. To take care of those who need it. To discuss death in a more open and meaningful way. And to use every tool available to truly restore health instead of trying to mask symptoms with drugs which often don’t work as they are purported to.As a person who has spent much of my life sick, a big thing that always made it bearable for me compared to those I know who are like me, is that I had money. (Other things are having episodes of health between the illness, and having a loving husband.) But being very sick and poor in this country is truly miserable, and I can understand why people would rather die. Especially if they are basically alone.
I know so many people suffering from extreme illnesses that the standard medical system doesn’t understand (like mold, and lyme.) There are treatments that significantly help these things, but they aren’t covered by insurance and many people I know who are suffering can’t afford them. And these treatments are in large part individualized and trial and error, so it’s not a one and done. You need really good doctors who understand how the body works and are good at individual diagnostics. That means 2 hour office visits and $2000+ initial work-ups. Instead what we mostly have trained are doctors who try various drugs to see if they work. That approach doesn’t work for these types of people. And in the case of mold specifically, these people can’t afford to move, can’t afford to remediate, often end up living in tents as it is the only option financially available to them.
This is just examples of what I have seen first hand.
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I know, the stats are shocking!
I think you’ve highlighted something that’s often missing from this conversation, the role of family, community, and compassionate care.
When my dad had cancer, we talked openly about death. He knew where I stood. I told him I would never help him end his life, but I also wouldn’t ask for treatments that simply prolonged dying without adding quality of life.
I had the privilege of nursing him at home, and he died peacefully in my arms. Looking back, I see that as one of the greatest privileges of my life. So few of us get the chance to be present for someone we love in their final moments.
Your point about poverty, isolation, and access to care also resonates. If people are choosing death because they’re lonely, unsupported, or unable to access treatments that could relieve suffering, then those are problems we should be confronting as a society. Before we make it easier to die, we should be asking whether we’ve done everything we can to make life worth living.
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What is happening now, especially in Canada, is exactly what I feared would happen and why I was always opposed to it. It gives those we should fear most the power to eliminate anyone as time goes by, too much power in the wrong hands is a dangerous thing. I have no problem with someone asking to end their own life if they are suffering physical pain and are terminal as long as its their choice. But offering it to people who are depressed, seriously where will it end…..
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It does feel like we’ve crossed into territory that many people never imagined when these laws were first introduced.
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I am trying to read the article, but when I use the link it requires me to sign in again, and then for some reason it says there’s a sign-in problem. Very frustrating, want to read!
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So sorry that is frustrating. I have tried it via my other email and it took me to the article, please try again and let me know if you can get in.
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No, I tried repeatedly and ultimately had to set up a whole other account to be able to read the journal.
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Will send this to tech to see if they have any ideas. Thanks for letting me know.
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I am not religious, but I did take the Hippocratic oath. It is against the Hippocratic oath for a physician to kill someone, even if they want to die. It is not hard to die. Many easy methods are readily available.
The other problem is that sometimes relatives or other associates of the person being considered for euthanasia conspire with physicians or other medical professionals to kill someone whom they say wants to die—but who actually does not want to die. This can make it difficult to distinguish between euthanasia and murder.
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Exatly…. the question we need to ask again and again is do the systems we’ve created adequately protect the most vulnerable.
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