Quitting medicine = suicide?

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AlanFromWichita

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Last year, an old man asked my wife whether the Church would consider it suicide if he quit taking his medicines so he could shorten his suffering.

He was very ill, but he took his medicine anyway and ended up dying about a month later.

My wife and I think it is probably would not have been a sin to quit taking medicine. What do others think? She told him that the medicine might make it less painful as he goes.

Alan
 
If he was going to die regardless…then I do not see how it was suicide. I would imagine that is simply a choice he made when it comes to how he is managing his health…now if the meds would have saved him…and he chose to stop knowing it would be life or death it might be different but I don’t see how it could be suicide.
 
The Declaration on Euthanasia states that:
  • “When inevitable death is imminent… it is permitted in conscience to take the decision to refuse forms of treatment that would only secure a precarious and burdensome prolongation of life, so long as the normal care due to a sick person in similar cases is not interrupted.”*
👍
 
When the medicines do nothing to improve quality of life (or even worsen it) and are suspect in their ability to prolong it, there is nothing wrong than discontinuing the medicine.

A terminal cancer patient, for example, is not obligated to take chemotherapy that might prolong his life by a few weeks or months at the expense of the ability to enjoy it.
 
Life is given for us to live. So until we have the ability to survive in this planet, we need to do everything to save our lives

Only god has the right to decide our death

Regards
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Dennislp3 said:
If he was going to die regardless…then I do not see how it was suicide.
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We are all going to die regardless;)

His question is the position of the Christian Scientists, basically.

As Catholics, and I would argue even as “only” Christians, we are not required to undergo heroic treatments, but taking your meds is not heroic treatment.
 
Thank you for all your replies so far. It is helpful to me. I see there are some on both sides of the issue. 👍

Just to clarify, he did take his medicine. He talked about stopping but didn’t. I think he wanted to but was afraid it was sinful. His ending was not in question, so the question for me is hypothetical and for future reference, at this point. 🙂

Alan
 
JohnDamian said:
The Declaration on Euthanasia states that:
  • “When inevitable death is imminent… it is permitted in conscience to take the decision to refuse forms of treatment that would only secure a precarious and burdensome prolongation of life, so long as the normal care due to a sick person in similar cases is not interrupted.”*
👍
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John gets the gold star.

The CCC, 2nd Ed states -
2278
Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of “over-zealous” treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; one’s inability to impede it is merely accepted. The decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected.

**2279 **
Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately interrupted. The use of painkillers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity if death is not willed as either an end or a means, but only foreseen and tolerated as inevitable. Palliative care is a special form of disinterested charity. As such it should be encouraged.
 
AlanFromWichita said:
Thank you for all your replies so far. It is helpful to me. I see there are some on both sides of the issue. 👍

Just to clarify, he did take his medicine. He talked about stopping but didn’t. I think he wanted to but was afraid it was sinful. His ending was not in question, so the question for me is hypothetical and for future reference, at this point. 🙂

Alan
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NO. Since you listed yourself as Catholic there are no two sides to this issue.

Read your “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” revised in accordance with the official Latin text promulgated by Pope John Paul II.
You can purchase a copy through EWTN.com or USCCB web site.

We all need to know this stuff, not only for others, but for ourselves when preparing any Official/legal health care documents.

This CCC is the official teaching document of the Church.
 
WatchingMedia said:
NO. Since you listed yourself as Catholic there are no two sides to this issue.

Read your “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” revised in accordance with the official Latin text promulgated by Pope John Paul II.
You can purchase a copy through EWTN.com or USCCB web site.

We all need to know this stuff, not only for others, but for ourselves when preparing any Official/legal health care documents.

This CCC is the official teaching document of the Church.
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Thank you for the advice, and for the CCC quotes. Yes, I used to have a CCC but I’m afraid it got destroyed and I haven’t seen it for a while. Usually when I do think to use it, I use the online one at USCCB. I don’t use it enough, as you perhaps already think. 😉

If I’m reading this right, in the case in point the medicine was probably considered “ordinary care” and should have been continued. I was not sure what to take from the “will to die” part because this man did have a will to die at that point. Anyway, he chose to continue the medicine and it was the right thing to do.

Alan
 
AlanFromWichita said:
Thank you for the advice, and for the CCC quotes. Yes, I used to have a CCC but I’m afraid it got destroyed and I haven’t seen it for a while. Usually when I do think to use it, I use the online one at USCCB. I don’t use it enough, as you perhaps already think. 😉

If I’m reading this right, in the case in point the medicine was probably considered “ordinary care” and should have been continued. I was not sure what to take from the “will to die” part because this man did have a will to die at that point. Anyway, he chose to continue the medicine and it was the right thing to do.

Alan
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Don’t worry 👍

A person is not obligated to perform any medical treatments if death is known and those treatments would be “burdensome” etc. This is in accordance with the CCC.

So this gentleman was not obligated to continue medication as he was already dying - it was a truly heroic thing of him to go beyond ordinary (required) means to save himself. May he and other brave people like him set a good example for those who are facing seemingly insurmountable struggles - we should never give up!

As an aside; even if someone was in pain and decided to cease treatment un-nessecarily; it is probable that this would not constitute a mortal sin, as anyone in severe pain could hardly be expected to give full consent.

Peace
 
JohnDamian said:
Don’t worry 👍

A person is not obligated to perform any medical treatments if death is known and those treatments would be “burdensome” etc. This is in accordance with the CCC.

So this gentleman was not obligated to continue medication as he was already dying - it was a truly heroic thing of him to go beyond ordinary (required) means to save himself. May he and other brave people like him set a good example for those who are facing seemingly insurmountable struggles - we should never give up!

As an aside; even if someone was in pain and decided to cease treatment un-nessecarily; it is probable that this would not constitute a mortal sin, as anyone in severe pain could hardly be expected to give full consent.

Peace
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With all due respect, I disagree.
  1. We are all going to die. I have personal experience of a man who was told he was going to die of cancer “within a month or two”, and lived 8 more years
  2. Taking regular meds is not extraordinary care. If treatment required, say, a risky procedure that would cut off both your legs to survive, you would not be required to have the procedure. Or a procedure that could leave you brain damaged, or in more pain, or was only shown to add a few months to one’s life.
 
Depends on two things:

a) the nature of the medicines (ie what they did for him, what the sideffects were and how severe they were in comparison to the benefits) and

b) how certain and imminent his death was.

I think the (name removed by moderator)ut of both medical professionals and people well versed in Catholic ethics would be required to answer the question adequately for a particular case.
 
We are required to take ordinary care of our bodies, but we are not obligated to take extraordinary care.

But each case must be decided individually. Because what is normally ordinary care may become extraordinary care in extreme circumstances.
 
AlanFromWichita said:
Thank you for the advice, and for the CCC quotes. Yes, I used to have a CCC but I’m afraid it got destroyed and I haven’t seen it for a while. Usually when I do think to use it, I use the online one at USCCB. I don’t use it enough, as you perhaps already think. 😉

If I’m reading this right, in the case in point the medicine was probably considered “ordinary care” and should have been continued. I was not sure what to take from the “will to die” part because this man did have a will to die at that point. Anyway, he chose to continue the medicine and it was the right thing to do.

Alan
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**Alan,

Here’s a great site to search the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

i strongly recommend all Catholics get a copy of the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” revised in accordance with the official Latin text promulgated by Pope John Paul II (CCC) & read it cover to cover (i did it twice when i was returning to the Church!)

It is an incredible teaching document, put together by Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) & is easy to read & extremely informative with numerous references from Sacred Scripture, Church Fathers Councils & Papal writings over the 2000 years of the Catholic Church.**

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
 
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