Contents
- Requirements
- Advocacy Checklist
- Statements
- Suicide List
- Advanced Planning
- Give Family a Break
- Prepare for Hospitalization
- Advanced Directives
- Euthanasia Advanced Directive
- Letter to DWD
- Ask for Money - Death with dignity
- Fatal Insomnia
- Can Bi-polar be Terminal?
- Why do people with mental illness
commit suicide?
- Lack of Sleep
- Brittany Maynard
- Death with Dignity (DWD)
- Brittany Maynard
- DWD Wants Money - This just in—a last minute $15K match!
- EOL Rights
- In the Hospital
- Ways to Advocate
- Advocacy Checklist
- How is it that people commit
suicide?
- Protect Yourself
- Appendix – Photo Gallery – PASS Cemetery
Advocacy Checklist –
Advanced Planning Advocate (8-16-26)
20260814-F-Statement - Dignified and Humane Passing
My terminal illness is an intractable sleep disorder. It is complicated with un-curable Bi-polar
Disorder. It is absolutely painful and
un-sufferable for me at this point to put up with sleeplessness and avoidable
suffering. As I age it is very likely I
will end up in the hospital. I have been
hospitalized before and it is likely that I cannot return to the QOL I have
now. I wish to be placed in palliative
care. I need them to admit me, sedate me
to unconsciousness (Palliative Sedation), and withhold nutrition and fluids
until I pass. I have outlined this in my
Advanced Health Care Directive. If and
when I become eligible for Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) I would like to pursue
that route.
Formal Diagnoses - Advocacy
My latest diagnosis is Bi-polar 1 illness. I also suffer an indirectly terminal sleep
disorder. My final wish is to be sedated
to un-consciousness and protected without food or fluids until I expire. If the EOL law changes to include those
suffering mental illness I wish to be treated per Medical Aid in Dying
(MAiD). I have suffered in the hospital
on more than one occasion. I am still drafting my final wishes. Beginning summer of 2026 I have transitioned
from advocating for the homeless and disadvantaged. I now advocate about advanced planning
especially for those with one or more behavioral health
diagnosis/diagnoses. This material applies
to the majority of Americans. DWD indicates that there is much to do informing
people with regards to EOL Choices.
Suicide List (Partial)
Advanced Planning - Advanced Directives
- Advanced Health Care Directive
(AHCD)
- Euthanasia Advanced Directive
(EAD)
- Psychiatric Advanced Directive
(PAD)
- POLST
- DNR
- Powers of Attorney
- Treatment Plan
- Advocate (Proxy)
End-of-life giving your family a break
Providing end-of-life care is
emotionally and physically exhausting. To give your family a necessary break
and prevent caregiver burnout,
utilize hospice respite care. Medicare covers up to 5 consecutive days of
temporary, in-facility respite care, while local agencies offer flexible,
in-home relief. Exploring respite
options near Buena Park, CA can provide your family with much-needed relief:
Medicare-Covered
Inpatient Respite:
If your loved
one is under a hospice program,
Medicare covers short-term stays (up to 5 consecutive days per period) at a
Medicare-approved facility to give caregivers a break. You are typically
responsible for just a 5% copayment.
In-Home Care Services:
Local agencies
like Comfort Keepers Home Care (located on
Orangethorpe Ave in Buena Park) provide professional caregivers who can step in
for a few hours or multiple days so your family can run errands, work, or take
a vacation.
Local Inpatient
Facilities:
Facilities
such as the Buena Park
Nursing Center on Western Ave can be arranged through
your hospice care team for short-term residential stays.
Promotion - Healthcare Center of Orange County
Preparing for Hospitalization
Preparing for a hospital stay
involves getting your paperwork in
order, packing only the essentials, and planning your daily logistics. You should
leave valuables and large amounts of cash at home.
Documents to Bring
Photo ID and your current insurance card.
Advance directives or a living will.
A list of
emergency contacts.
Your doctors'
names and contact information.
A detailed
list of all current medications,
including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements
(include dosages and how often you take them).
Information on
allergies (especially to medications or foods) and your past surgeries or medical
history.
Packing Checklist
Personal aids:
Eyeglasses,
contact lenses with case, hearing aids, and dentures.
Electronics:
Cell phone,
extra-long phone charger, and a tablet or e-reader.
Comfort items:
Comfortable,
loose-fitting clothes for your discharge (e.g., sweatpants), a bathrobe,
slippers,
and a favorite
pillow or blanket.
Toiletries:
Toothbrush,
toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm, body lotion, and hairbrush.
Logistics and Pre-Admission
Pre-register at the hospital if
required, and complete any pre-admission or pre-anesthesia testing. Arrange
your transportation to and from the hospital, especially for your discharge. Find
out if you need to adjust your diet or stop taking any medications before you
check in. If you are having surgery, follow exact instructions regarding when
to stop eating and drinking beforehand.
FYI – AI - If you tell me the type
of procedure or reason for your stay, I can help you find specific
pre-admission guidelines or a more tailored packing checklist.
Advanced Health Care Directive (AHCD)
An advance health care directive
is a legally binding document that lets you appoint a medical proxy and state your medical treatment preferences in case you become incapacitated. Every adult over
18 should have one to ensure their personal wishes are respected and to relieve
loved ones from having to make critical, stressful decisions during a medical
emergency.
Key Types of Advance
Directives
Advance directives usually combine
two distinct legal tools:
Durable Power of Attorney
for Health Care (Health Care Proxy): This
designates a trusted person (your
"agent") to make all medical decisions for you if you become
temporarily or permanently unable to speak for yourself.
Living Will: This dictates your specific preferences for life-sustaining
medical treatments (such as artificial ventilation, tube feeding, or CPR) if
you are terminally ill or in a persistent vegetative state.
State-Specific Requirements
Because health care laws are
governed at the state level, the required forms, legal terminology, and signing
rules (such as requiring a notary
or two witnesses) differ depending on where you live. You can find, download,
and print your state-specific advance directive forms for free through
resources like AARP's Free Printable Advance Directives or CaringInfo State-by-State Forms.
Euthanasia Advanced Directive (EAD)
An Advance Euthanasia Directive
(AED), sometimes called an Euthanasia Advanced Directive (EAD), is a
pre-written legal document that outlines an individual's request to receive
medical aid-in-dying or voluntary
euthanasia if they become incapacitated and unable to verbally request
it.
Current Legal Status (United
States)
Active euthanasia is strictly
illegal across all jurisdictions in the United States, meaning pre-existing
directives cannot authorize a
doctor or designated agent to actively end a person's life.
However, Medical
Aid-in-Dying (MAID)—where a physician prescribes medication that a
patient must voluntarily and consciously ingest themselves—is authorized in
several U.S. jurisdictions. Jurisdictions include California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington,
Vermont, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Montana, and Washington, D.C.
Limitations:
Because these
laws require the patient to have the current mental capacity to understand the
decision and self-administer the medication, an Advance Directive cannot be
used to mandate MAID for someone with advanced
dementia or a persistent vegetative state.
Legal_EOL_Managed_Passing_EAD_Euthanasia_25030702_Actual
Lack of sleep propagates
> Intense suffering
Name Keith
Edward “Buster” Torkelson
20241028-M-Submit
to Death with Dignity
Disease Controls
How I Live
My current
diagnosis is Bi-polar 1 disorder. Bi-polar
disorder controls how I live. In
combination with a Sleep Disorder my suffering can rapidly become too
great. For me bipolar is a crippling
illness. Bi-polar is indirectly terminal
via suicide. All of my friends and
family if they haven’t passed away live with a greater freedom than I do. I am dependent on others for the first time
as an outpatient for my medication. Most
importantly for my nightly sleep medication.
There is always a chance for medication gaps.
Without
Medication
Without the
medication I go without sleep. My Sleep
Disorder is indirectly fatal. I would
like to be empowered particularly if I am bedridden by being Euthanized before
more than 24 hours of SLEEPLESS suffering.
The four stages of Fatal Insomnia happen in one night leading to misery.
Within 24 hours of going without sleep I wish to be Euthanized. I would like to control how I die. I would like to die Peacefully. Last time I was let to go without my sleep
medication I went sleepless for some odd 40 hours and suffered brain damage as
measured by cognitive functionality. I
want to go on file via “Death with dignity” and my personal blogs as wishing
for my own version of Death with Dignity.
Lack of sleep propagates
> Intense suffering
Name Keith
Edward “Buster” Torkelson
20260718-SA-Revision > Submit to Family
Advocate
Disease Controls
How I Live
My current
diagnosis is Bi-polar 1 disorder.
Bi-polar disorder controls how I live.
In combination with a Sleep Disorder my suffering can rapidly become too
great. For me bipolar is a crippling
illness. Bi-polar is indirectly terminal
via accidental death. Most all of my
friends and family if they haven’t passed away live with a greater freedom than
I do. I am dependent on others for the
first time as an outpatient for my medication.
Most importantly for my nightly sleep medication. There is always a chance for medication
gaps.
Without
Medication – Permanently Sedated
Without the
medication I go without sleep. My Sleep
Disorder is indirectly fatal. I would
like to be empowered particularly if I am bedridden by being sedated to
unconsciousness before more than 24 hours of SLEEPLESS suffering. This is how they treated a friend of mine in
the hospital. They sedated him with
Propofol and he passed away soon after. For
me the three of the four stages of Fatal Insomnia happen in one night leading
to misery. “The sleep disturbances get worse, leading to dementia, other severe
symptoms.” Within 24 hours of going without sleep I wish to be permanently
sedated. I would like to control how I
die. I would like to die peacefully
without pain. Last time, I was left to
go without my sleep medication I went sleepless for some odd 40 hours and
suffered brain damage as measured by cognitive functionality. I want to go on file via my personal blogs as
wishing for my own version of Death with Dignity. I call it PassMan for Managed Passing. At the present time I am not eligible for Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD). If or when I do become eligible being
diagnosed with a fatal disease I opt for MAiD.
Tue, Oct 29 at 5:07 AM (2024)
KEITH,
Time is running out, so we’ll
keep it brief.
Amendment One isn’t just a West
Virginia issue, it’s a threat to medical aid in dying in every state. West
Virginia’s proposed constitutional amendment is designed to take away the
freedom to make deeply personal, end-of-life choices – permanently.
A constitutional ban in any state
is an invitation for similar bans across the country. We need to stop this
extremist attack on your fundamental rights before it spreads. This is your
last chance to donate to ensure your state doesn’t follow down the same
dangerous path.
With your donation today, we can
fight back against this drastic government overreach. Every dollar helps keep
your state a place where people are empowered, not restricted, in making the
most personal decisions.
Act now—donate today to help
protect the rights you still have.
Sincerely, The Death with Dignity
Political Fund
P.S. – Your donation today could be the difference between
safeguarding our state’s freedom and watching it disappear.
Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To
update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving
emails from Death with Dignity, please click here.
The Death with Dignity Political
Fund
The Death with Dignity Political
Fund is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that serves as the political and lobbying arm of the Death with
Dignity National Center. It drafts, campaigns for, and defends medical
aid-in-dying legislation across the United States. The Fund focuses strictly on
advocacy that the 501(c)(3) National Center cannot legally engage in, such as
lobbying lawmakers and backing political campaigns. To learn more about their
active legislative campaigns or to support their policy work, visit the Death
with Dignity Donation Page.
https://deathwithdignity.org/donate-annual-report/
FYI - Fatal Insomnia
https://www.medicinenet.com/what_triggers_fatal_familial_insomnia/article.htm
The four stages of fatal familial
insomnia include:
Stage I: Lasts for three to six
months. The primary symptoms include difficulty sleeping and unusual dreams.
Symptoms worsen and psychological symptoms, such as panic attacks and paranoia,
may begin.
Stage II: Lasts for five to nine
months. The symptoms, such as mood changes, may worsen, and anxiety and
depression may start. Other symptoms, such as increased heart rate, sweating,
breathing difficulties, and trouble moving and walking, could begin.
Stage III: Lasts for three
months. The sleep cycle disrupts, and sleeping could be very difficult.
Stage IV: Lasts up to six months.
The sleep disturbances get worse, leading
to dementia, other severe
symptoms and coma, and then death.
Can Bi-polar be terminal?
Bipolar disorder is not a
terminal illness, but a chronic, lifelong mental health condition. While it is
not directly fatal, it is linked to a reduced average life expectancy of about
8 to 13 years due to elevated risks
for suicide and untreated physical health conditions.
Key Details on Health
Risks and Management:
Life Expectancy:
Reduced
lifespan is primarily attributed to higher rates of cardiovascular disease,
diabetes, and metabolic syndrome—often exacerbated by side effects from
medication or lifestyle factors.
Effective Treatments:
Although there
is no cure, consistent, long-term treatment with mood stabilizers,
antipsychotics, and psychotherapy (like cognitive behavioral therapy) allows
most people with bipolar disorder to lead full, stable lives.
Suicide Risk:
Individuals
with bipolar disorder face a higher risk of suicide, making ongoing psychiatric
care and a strong support system
critical.
FYI – AI - If you or someone you
know is in crisis or needs immediate support, help is available. In the US, you
can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis
Lifeline or visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline website to connect with
confidential support.
Survivors Statement >
“You can go into psychosis not
realize what you're doing and jump off a bridge”
Bipolar disorder carries a high
risk of severe outcomes,
including early death and dangerous psychosis. A severe manic or mixed episode
can impair reality testing so deeply that a person acts on fatal impulses without clear awareness of their actions.
Risks of Bipolar Disorder
Early mortality:
Studies show that
severe mental health conditions can reduce life expectancy significantly due to
medical illness and suicide risk.
Severe psychosis:
Extreme mood
states can cause delusions or hallucinations.
Loss of control:
A person may
lose the ability to judge safety or
reality.
People also ask…
Is bipolar disorder a terminal illness?
Having bipolar disorder – a
serious mental illness that can cause both manic and depressed moods – can make
life more challenging. It also comes with a higher risk of dying early. Now, a study puts into
perspective just how large that risk is, and how it compares with other factors
that can shorten life. Jan 4, 2024
Why do people with mental illness commit suicide?
Mental illness increases suicide
risk by causing overwhelming emotional
pain, profound hopelessness, and impaired decision-making. Conditions
like severe depression can make suicide feel like the only way to escape intractable suffering. For
others, psychosis, extreme anxiety, or co-occurring substance use can drastically
reduce impulse control.
The connection between mental
illness and suicide involves several compounding factors:
Overwhelming Emotional
Pain:
Mental health
conditions like major depression or bipolar disorder bring extreme, persistent psychological agony. When people
feel this pain is permanent and unmanageable, suicide can be falsely perceived
as a viable escape.
Hopelessness:
A core symptom
of many mood disorders is the inability to imagine
things ever getting better. This deep sense of despair leads to the
belief that living is no longer an option or has no purpose.
Impaired Judgment and
Impulsivity:
Psychiatric
conditions can disrupt the brain’s executive functioning, making it difficult
to regulate emotions, weigh consequences, or consider alternative solutions.
Psychosis and Paranoia:
Conditions
like schizophrenia can cause severe distress through command hallucinations
(voices instructing self-harm) or overwhelming delusional fears.
Co-occurring Substance
Use:
Alcohol and
drug use is a major risk factor, as it creates erratic mood swings, lowers
inhibitions, and worsens impulsive behaviors.
Social Isolation:
Stigma and the
exhausting nature of mental illness often cause people to withdraw from friends
and family, deepening feelings of loneliness.
FYI – AI - It is important to
note that most people with
mental health conditions do not die by suicide, and mental illness alone is
rarely the sole cause. For a comprehensive overview of the relationship between
mental health and suicide, explore the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Verywell Health
Can You Die From Lack of Sleep? - Verywell Health
https://www.verywellhealth.com/can-sleep-deprivation-cause-your-death-3015067#:~:text=Researchers%20do%20not%20know%20exactly,sleep%20for%20just%20one%20night.
Researchers do not know exactly
how long humans can survive without sleep, but the longest record was 264
hours—just over 10 days—which
was achieved during a scientific sleep experiment. Still, you can start to feel
the effects of sleep deprivation after not getting enough sleep for just one
night. May 3, 2023
Frequently Asked Questions about
Death with Dignity
FAQ – What is Death with Dignity?
https://deathwithdignity.org/resources/faqs/#:~:text=Death%20with%20Dignity%2C%20or%20medical,protect%20both%20patients%20and%20physicians.
Death with Dignity, or medical
aid-in-dying, statutes allow certain adults with terminal illness to request
and obtain a prescription for medication to end their lives in a peaceful
manner. The acts outline the process
of obtaining such medication, including safeguards to protect both
patients and physicians.
20141103: Death with Dignity
On November 3, 2014, terminally
ill right-to-die advocate
Brittany Maynard passed away after legally choosing to end her life via medical
aid in dying in Oregon. Her high-profile case brought national attention to the
Death with Dignity movement, significantly shifting public discussion on
end-of-life options across the United States.
In the news – Here is the News!
By Nicole Weisensee Egan: Is a
former senior writer at PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2017.
People Editorial Guidelines
Updated on May 9, 2017 11:04AM EDT
Terminally Ill Woman Brittany Maynard Has
Ended Her Own Life
https://people.com/celebrity/terminally-ill-woman-brittany-maynard-has-ended-her-own-life/
People Magazine - 17 hours ago
She said she began thinking about death with dignity in
January – when she was first...
Terminally ill 'death with dignity' advocate
dies
MSN.com - 4 hours ago
Death with Dignity Advocate Brittany Maynard Dies in Oregon
NBCNews.com - 13 hours ago
Death with Dignity
(DWD) National Center
We Should All Have the Right to Die With Dignity
http://www.deathwithdignity.org/
Information on U.S. polling, state legislation, the Oregon
Death with Dignity Act, and case of Oregon v. Ashcroft.
Death with Dignity, PO Box 2009, Portland, OR 97208
Contact Death with Dignity
DWD Links
https://deathwithdignity.org/states/california/
https://deathwithdignity.org/campaign/share-your-story/
https://deathwithdignity.org/take-action/share-your-story-v2/thank-you-for-sharing-your-story/
California
Current Status: Enacted
About
California’s End of Life Option Act passed in 2015. The law
took effect on June 9, 2016.
Resources
Our Partner: End of Life Choices California
Share your story
Live in this state?
Personal stories
help people understand the importance of Death with Dignity
legislation, and how it's being enacted.
Further Research >
Death with Dignity (DWD) Activities
Death - Frequently Asked Questions
Oregon Death with Dignity Act
California EOL Option Act
California - End of Life Choices (DWD Partner)
Associated
08_Managed_Passing_EOL_Choices_California_25031302_Content
Work Done
08_Death_Choice_14122401_Dignity V2026
https://healthman2059.blogspot.com/2026/08/death-pass-with-dignity-and-choice-by.html
https://deathwithdignity.org/stories/
What can we do if we care about
Death with Dignity and peace? Tell
the stories of our loved ones who die with more suffering than
they should; listen to the voices of others who eloquently spoke of
their suffering and desire to die with dignity.
FYI >
Dec 6, 2021
Making Peace with Life through
Death; Part 2: Processing
https://deathwithdignity.org/stories/making-peace-with-life-through-death-part-2/
Circa 2014 - Death With Dignity Advocate Brittany Maynard Dies in
Oregon
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/death-dignity-advocate-brittany-maynard-dies-oregon-n235091
NBCNews.com
13 hours ago - Brittany Maynard fulfilled her final
wish Saturday, purposely ending her own life on her own schedule,
activists close to her family confirmed...
Nov. 2, 2014, 6:29 PM PST / Updated Nov. 2, 2014 (Sunday),
8:01 PM PST
Brittany Maynard fulfilled her final wish Saturday,
purposely ending her own life on her
own schedule, activists close to her family confirmed Sunday night.
She was 29. She was diagnosed
earlier this year with a fatal brain
tumor — told the cancer likely
would kill her in six months. But she had no intention, she said, of
allowing the disease to control how she lived, or how she died.
Circa 2014 - Brittany Maynard, Death with Dignity Advocate, Dies At 29
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/02/brittany-maynard-dead-cancer_n_6091142.html
The Huffington Post
16 hours ago - Maynard and her
family, including her husband Dan Diaz and her mother Debbie
Ziegler, moved to Oregon, whose Death with Dignity Act has...Brittany Maynard,
the Oregon woman who had become an outspoken
advocate for patients' rights following her terminal cancer diagnosis,
died on Saturday, the Oregonian reported. She was 29.
Final Messages - Brittany
"Goodbye to all my dear
friends and family that I love," she wrote in a Facebook post, according
to People. "Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my
terminal illness... the world is a beautiful place, travel has been my greatest
teacher, my close friends and folks are the greatest givers... goodbye world.
Spread good energy. Pay it forward!"
“If I should die today know that
I loved you as no other.”
Alternatives - Analogy
Helping an aging or hurting pet
age with grace means managing their
discomfort so they can sleep restfully. When standard prescription
drugs like NSAIDs cause side effects or do not work well, safe alternative
therapies can relieve pet pain and improve rest without harsh medications.
Want Money - This just in—a last minute
$15K match!
Death with Dignity
To me
Mon, Dec 30, 2024 at 5:30 AM
(2024)
KEITH,
Our Death with Dignity community
is coming together to show their support, will you join them?
When an advocate heard we reached
our last matching goal, they generously pledged a $15K matching gift as a final
end-of-year push to rally our community together! Their New Year’s Eve
challenge to you: every dollar up to $15K they will match, to prepare Death with Dignity for our work in
2025. Will you help us reach our new goal?
$15K Matching Gift
Every gift we receive we use
toward protecting existing Death with Dignity laws, expanding the law to new
states, and bringing national
awareness to patient rights all over the U.S. We don’t know what
challenges next year will bring, but that won’t stop us from advocating alongside you! Your
dollars fund our work to protect the rights of all terminally ill patients.
Help us reach our last matching gift today.
Thank you,
Death with Dignity
Patient Rights
Terminally ill patients have core
legal and ethical rights that protect their autonomy, dignity, and comfort.
These rights include the freedom to accept or refuse medical treatments, the
right to comprehensive pain and symptom management, and the ability to control end-of-life choices
through advance directives.
Want Money - Letter from DWD
Double the fight by doubling your impact - Death with Dignity
To me
Mon, Dec 2, 2024 at 5:31 AM
KEITH,
Let’s be honest, 2024 has been
exhausting. In the rollercoaster of uncertainty and emotions, we’ve decided to ground ourselves in our mission
and the people we advocate for,
and plan for the future. We’re planning to fight.
We don’t know what challenges Death
with Dignity will face over the next four years. However one thing is certain —
we’re preparing to fight for your end-of-life
rights and protect the law in this country. But we cannot do this alone
and we need your help. To
kick off our end of year fundraising, a generous donor has agreed to match all
of our gifts for Giving Tuesday up to $50,000. And they’re letting us open the
matching gift a day early. Please GIVE NOW to DOUBLE your impact.
This past year we introduced
Death with Dignity legislation in 23 states, led awareness and policy-changing
state and national campaigns, and provided end-of-life
resources to thousands of people. Each new year our goal is to do more,
and 2025 is no exception. Our goal is to expand access to the law in more states,
raise more awareness, and
support more terminally ill patients and their families. Please join us in
achieving our matching gift.
It takes a village to build a
movement, and a multitude of
advocates to support change. Our end-of-life mission relies on your
support and your dollars. Doubling your impact today will give us a strong
foundation for 2025 to continue to push end-of-life rights forward.
Sincerely,
Death with Dignity
End-of-life rights (EOLOA)
End-of-life rights give adults with a terminal illness the
legal choice to plan their medical care or request prescription medication to end their life peacefully. In
California, the End of Life Option Act allows eligible resident adults with
a prognosis of six months or less to request aid-in-dying medication.
Key Legal Options
Advance Directives:
Legal forms that state your choices for medical treatment if you cannot speak.
Living Wills: Written
instructions about specific treatments you want or do not want, like life
support.
Medical Power of Attorney: Choosing a trusted person to make health choices for you.
Medical Aid in Dying (MAID): Requesting a prescription to self-administer life-ending
medication under strict doctor rules.
California Rules for Medical Aid in Dying
Age and Residence: Must
be 18 or older and live in California.
Diagnosis: Must have a
terminal illness confirmed by two doctors to result in death within six months.
Capacity: Must be
mentally competent to make medical choices.
Requests: Must make
three separate requests (two verbal and one written).
Self-Administration: The
patient must take the medication themselves; active euthanasia by a third party
remains illegal.
Voluntary Participation:
Doctors and patients can choose whether or not to take part.
FYI – AI -If you'd like, I can help you with: Finding local palliative or hospice care resources. Details on filling out an advance
directive form. Rules for medical aid in dying in other
states
Let me know how you want to proceed.
In the Hospital
Are you allowed to request heavy
sedation, withholding nutrition, and withholding fluids while in the hospital?
Yes, a competent patient can refuse medical treatment, including artificial nutrition
and hydration. However, requesting heavy sedation combined with withholding
food and fluids to hasten death is
strictly regulated, and doctors will not grant requests intended solely
to cause death by omission.
Legal and Ethical Rights
Refusing Treatment:
Mentally clear adults have the
legal right to decline any medical intervention, including feeding tubes and IV
fluids.
Artificial vs. Natural:
Courts
generally separate artificial life support from natural eating and drinking.
Refusing artificial nutrition is a protected right; withholding natural food
and water from a conscious patient who asks for it is ethically restricted.
Advance Directives:
You can
document your end-of-life wishes in an advance directive, but specific requests
regarding sedation and withholding care require explicit medical context.
Palliative Sedation vs. Direct
Requests
Palliative Sedation:
Heavy sedation
(terminal sedation) is only used for terminally ill patients with severe,
uncontrollable pain or distress (refractory symptoms) that cannot be
eased by other comfort care.
Medical Goal:
The sole legal
and ethical goal of palliative sedation is to relieve suffering, not to end
life.
Withholding Food in
Palliative Care:
When a patient
is actively dying under palliative
sedation, stopping artificial or natural fluids is standard because the
dying body can no longer process them and additional fluids can increase physical distress.
FYI – AI - If you are planning for a specific
situation, would you like to discuss advance directives or hospice
and palliative care options?
Ways to Advocate
Advocating for a cause involves everyday actions like talking to
family and friends, writing or calling public
officials, voting in local and national elections, supporting ethical
businesses with your spending, and joining grassroots organizations or digital
campaigns.
Civic and Political Action
Vote: Participate in every local, state, and national election.
Contact officials: Call, email, or write letters to your local and federal
representatives.
Sign petitions: Use platforms like Change.org to support or launch focused policy
petitions.
Attend meetings: Show up at
local city council, school board, or town hall meetings.
Community and Daily Choices
Support values-aligned
groups: Volunteer your time or donate money to
trusted local non-profits.
Vote with your dollar: Buy products and services from businesses that match your social
and ethical standards.
Educate your circle: Talk openly and
respectfully about important issues with friends and family.
Amplify others: Give space and a platform to directly impacted voices rather than
speaking over them.
FYI – AI - If you have a specific
cause or issue in mind (such as the environment, education, or local
policy), let me know and I can give you a more targeted action plan.
Advocacy Checklist
An advocacy checklist helps you
plan, organize, and execute an effective campaign or communication. It guides
you from researching your core issue to contacting decision-makers and
following up on your goals.
Preparation and Research
Define the goal: Pick one clear, specific outcome you want to achieve.
Know the facts: Gather accurate data, background information, and real stories
related to your issue.
Identify decision-makers: Find the exact person, agency, or elected official who has the
power to make the change.
Map stakeholders: List your allies, partners, and potential opponents.
Message Development
Craft your core message: Keep it short, positive, and focused on the solution.
Prepare materials: Create brief fact sheets, talking points, or personal notes.
Official action: Decide on the exact action you want the official to take.
Action and Delivery
Choose your method: Select the best way to reach out, such as a phone call, a formal
meeting, a letter, or a public hearing.
Deliver cleanly: Be firm and clear without being rude or threatening.
Offer support: Tell the office how you can remain an ongoing resource for
information.
Follow-Up
Request a response: Ask the decision-maker to reply to your request.
Track progress: Monitor upcoming votes, policy changes, or agency updates.
Say thank you: Send a quick note thanking the staff for their time and reiterate
your key points.
If you tell me what
specific issue or cause you are advocating for, I can help you tailor
this checklist with custom talking points and action
steps.
How is it that people commit suicide?
People die by suicide when overwhelming emotional or physical pain
combines with a profound sense of hopelessness,
making them feel that ending their life is the only way to escape. It is rarely
caused by a single event, but rather by a complex mix of health, environmental,
and personal factors. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis,
help is available. You can call or text 988 or chat at 988
Lifeline in the United States and Canada, or contact your local
emergency services.
Mental Health and Medical
Factors
Severe depression:
The most
common condition linked to suicide, causing intense despair and the inability
to see a positive future.
Other mental health
conditions:
Disorders like
anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD).
Chronic physical illness:
Long-term,
painful, or terminal health
conditions that diminish quality of life and a person's sense of
control.
Substance misuse:
Alcohol and
drug abuse can lower inhibitions and increase impulsive behavior during a crisis.
Life Events and Environmental
Stressors
Major losses:
The end of a
relationship, job loss, financial ruin, or the death of a loved one.
Severe social isolation:
A deep lack of
connection, support, or a feeling of intense loneliness.
Shame or trauma:
Experiencing
public humiliation, bullying, abuse, or a history
of childhood trauma.
Perceived burden:
A painful
belief that one is a burden to family, friends, or society.
FYI – AI -If you are asking
because you or someone you know is having a hard time, please tell me what
kind of support you are looking for so I can help you find the right
resources.
Protect Yourself - Taking Action
You should check into a mental
hospital or emergency room when you experience an acute mental health
crisis, such as active suicidal thoughts with a plan, urges to harm yourself or
others, severe psychosis (hallucinations or delusions), or a total inability to
care for your basic daily needs. If you or someone else is in immediate danger,
call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call 911, or go to
the nearest hospital emergency room.
Critical Signs for Inpatient Care
Suicidal or homicidal intent:
Having active thoughts, a specific plan, or a strong urge
to end your life or hurt someone else. Severe loss of control: Experiencing extreme, unmanageable panic, mania, or deep emotional instability
that standard outpatient therapy or medication cannot fix.
Psychotic symptoms: Hearing voices,
seeing things, or holding intense paranoid beliefs that disrupt your safety and
grasp on reality. Inability to function: Stopping basic survival tasks
entirely, such as eating, drinking, sleeping for days, or maintaining personal
safety.
What to Expect and How to Prepare
Assessment: Medical staff will
evaluate your current mental state to decide if inpatient hospitalization is safer than outpatient care.
Packing basics: Users on Reddit
generally agree that if you are admitted
voluntarily, you should bring comfortable clothes without drawstrings,
basic toiletries, and a list of your
current medications, while leaving sharp items and electronics at home.
Stabilization focus: Stays are
typically short-term (ranging from a few days to a couple of weeks) with a
primary focus on safety, medication
adjustment, and discharge
planning.
PASS Cemetery
Sometimes we just don’t know, yes!
Appendix – Sci Fi Alternative
The episode you are looking for
is "A
Taste of Armageddon"
from Star
Trek: The Original Series (Season 1, Episode 23), first
broadcast on February 23, 1967.
Episode
Overview
Captain
Kirk and the USS Enterprise
visit the planet Eminiar VII, which has been at war with the neighboring planet
Vendikar for 500 years.
The
planetary war is entirely run by computers that simulate attacks and calculate casualties.
Citizens
who are designated as "virtual casualties" by the computer are
expected to voluntarily report to disintegration booths to be killed for real,
keeping the cities and infrastructure undamaged.
When
the computer simulates an attack that successfully "destroys" the Enterprise, the local authorities
declare that the entire ship's crew must report for voluntary execution.
Kirk
refuses to comply, destroys the simulation computers, and forces the two
planets to face the real, messy horrors of actual warfare instead of a
sanitized game.
Opinions on Reddit
are mixed regarding this choice, as some viewers argue Kirk was completely justified in breaking
local laws and interference rules to save his crew, while others feel he forced
an external, destructive conflict onto a stable society.
