The constitution prohibits anyone from taking his/her life. If one tries to take his/her life and doesn’t succeed he is taken to a court of law and then put into prison for attempted murder. Society does not also allow people to commit suicide by any means. Instead, one is supposed to wait till the last minute when God decides to take his/her life. Although in some instances doctors are allowed to intervene and take someone’s life, there are set procedures that should be followed by the closest family members to succeed in terminating one’s life (Lo 2009).
In this case, I would be faced with the ethical dilemma of explaining to the victim that this is not the right thing to do. Instead, I would try and convince him that there are other ways that one can be able to cope with the disease and live longer. In addition, I would be faced with a situation of trying to explain that she will set a bad precedent for other members of society. Therefore, I would try to request her to try and fight the disease in order to leave a clean legacy to the other members of society. I would also be faced with the dilemma of explaining how religion expects us to behave when we are faced with such situations.
I would be faced with the dilemma of explaining how law prohibits anyone from taking his/her laws. In such a case, it would be hard to explain different clauses that prohibit someone from taking his/her life. This is because; they are likely to argue that the law cannot deal with them once they die. Instead, I would try to explain how the law can get in touch with her if someone leaks such a secret to the authority. This would have a major impact on the rest of her life because most likely she may end up in jail (White 2004). This would make the condition worsen especially due to little attention that could be given to her when she is behind the bars. Another major legal dilemma that I could be faced with is that of reporting her to the police for her to be arrested and her life saved. Doing this will, on the other hand, betray our friendship which we have shared for a long time. As a result, I would be faced with the dilemma of looking for a psychiatrist who might help her to appreciate her condition. In extreme cases such as this one, the psychiatrist might report her to the authority and I would also be guilty of concealing crucial information on her.
I would be faced with the dilemma of trying to explain that it is morally wrong to take one’s life. Society expects that one should look for help in hospitals for treatment instead of deciding to commit suicide. In such a case, society will feel betrayed by the decision to commit suicide (Doka, Jennings & Corr 2005). In addition, it will be a disgrace to her family who will be held responsible for such immoral behavior.
In conclusion, I would therefore try to convince her to look for other avenues which might increase her lifespan. This would play a great role in diverting her attention from committing suicide.
References
Doka, K. J., Jennings, B., & Corr, C. A. (2005). Ethical dilemmas at the end of life. New York: Hospice Foundation of America.
Lo, B. (2009). Resolving ethical dilemmas: A guide for clinicians. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
White, L. (2004). Foundations of Basic Nursing. London: Cengage Learning.