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
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.
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.
Don’t Let Your State Follow West Virginia’s Lead
Death with Dignity Political Fund
From: info@deathwithdignity.org
To: ktork46@yahoo.com
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
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?
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 - 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
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.
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