Joanna Margareth A.

Aranda May 15, 2024

DDM2C Health Ethics

1. Suicide: Suicide is the act of intentionally taking one's own life. This can be due
to various reasons such as mental illness, severe depression, overwhelming
stress, or hopelessness. It's a complex and tragic phenomenon with profound
personal, social, and psychological implications. For example, a person
struggling with depression and feeling hopeless about the future may choose to
end their life by suicide.

2. Euthanasia: Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a person's

life to relieve pain and suffering. It is typically done at the request of the person
who is suffering from a terminal illness or an irreversible condition that causes
significant pain and suffering. Euthanasia can be voluntary (with the consent of
the person) or involuntary (without the person's consent). For example, a patient
diagnosed with terminal cancer may request euthanasia to avoid prolonged
suffering and a painful death.

3. Dysthanasia: Dysthanasia is the opposite of euthanasia. It refers to the

prolongation of the dying process through excessive or inappropriate medical
interventions, often resulting in unnecessary suffering for the patient.
Dysthanasia occurs when medical treatments are continued despite the patient's
irreversible condition and poor prognosis. For example, administering aggressive
and painful treatments to a terminally ill patient who has no chance of recovery,
solely to prolong their life without regard for their quality of life.

4. Orthothanasia: Orthothanasia, also known as natural death or passive

euthanasia, involves allowing a patient to die naturally without medical
interventions that would artificially prolong their life. It respects the natural course
of the dying process and focuses on providing comfort and palliative care to
alleviate suffering. For example, a patient in a vegetative state who is not
responsive and has no chance of recovery is allowed to die peacefully without
being put on life support or receiving aggressive medical interventions.