Mental Health - Widower Experience (WX)

Assistance in Dying with Dignity There are different forms of assistance in dying. Passive euthanasia - Allowing to die by forgoing life-prolonging medical treatment or high-dose, life-shortening pain treatment, such as morphine (indirect euthanasia), are forms of euthanasia that a patient can make binding in a good living will.  Active euthanasia - Killing on demand, in which a doctor injects a lethal substance into the patient at his request is prohibited in Germany and in Switzerland.  Assisted suicide or suicide assistance (by physicians or others) with a self-determined end of life - is expressly permitted – and even declared a fundamental right by the Federal Constitutional Court. In contrast with the different forms of “euthanasia”, the decision-making process remains with the person (as outlined below) who wishes to end their own life. The patient decides on the end of their life and intentionally brings about his/her own death. In Germany and a few other countries, th...

If you think about dying with dignity - you might have in mind to take that final choice out of the hands of a 'higher power' and putting it squarely in your hands. To die at a good place, or as my wife did, at home in her own comfortable lounge chair with loved ones is a good final moment. It’s about the quality of life, not the quantity of life. And we as intelligent beings should be able to make those choices ourselves, not some stranger who knows nothing about us. But in order to that - you have to talk to your spouse, your family and friends. And I firmly suggest to start to compose a piece of writing. Make up your mind (and this may surprise you) about the good and positive things in your life ... ... what you want ... what you love, ... what makes YOUR life worth living, ... where, when and how do YOU enjoy life, ... how do you want to see yourself Then think about what you don't want ... the dark sides, the negative things you won't experience ... ...

I am convinced that the individual and general right of personality of everybody encompasses a right to an autonomous living and also a self-determined death. I firmly believe in freedom, respect and dignity and as a last consequence it must include the freedom to take one’s own life and, as the case may be, resort to assistance provided voluntarily by third parties for this purpose. When I talk about third parties - I think of medical, anesthetic, professional, and psychological support by experts - experts like medical practitioner, psychologist, and other experts perhaps also palliative and hospice care. It should be beyond all question that the consideration and the act of a self-determined death and assisted dying isn’t easy for anybody. When an individual decides to end their own life - came to this ultimate decision - basing and founding on individual and personal definitions of their own thinking, perception and believing of their quality of life and a meaningful existence. ...