Everything You Wanted to Know About VSED But Were Afraid to Ask

Dr. Timothy E. Quill, co-editor of the new book, Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking: A Compassionate, Widely Available Option for Hastening Death, will discuss the clinical, ethical, legal and institutional issues that arise in the context of choosing to stop eating and drinking at the end of life or for those suffering from dementia.

[mikesnyder]

I am 75+ years of age and I just heard about this process on this very day. Both my wife and I have seen beloved friends and family members suffer for months on end and we have vowed not to go down that miserable road during our final days. VSED is definitely a topic we will investigate further so thank you for sharing this information with us.

[MCshlthead]

Will this work for a younger person that is just suffering mental illness, can I do this from home?

[chriscraft]

I just want to say how much I hate the 6-month bullshit! Does anyone have any fucking clue with that even means? You know what it says to people who may have some treatments that will extend their life past 6 months. It says if it's really that bad then do it yourself. Do you have any fucking clue how cold that is. When you're inside feel like they're burning and you're shitting blood constantly because of your illness. But because it won't kill you in 6 months you don't get any help dying. No comfort no nothing. While I was hopeful I did everything I could to extend my life and well-being and now I pay for it!!!??? I have ulcerative colitis and have tried so many treatments and I'm just done with it all. I've had a treatment that works but like all treatments with this illness ...it stops working... Then you have to restart the whole fucking process again trying to find something that works. The first time it took 2 and a half years! It's been another two and a half years and I still haven't found another medication and I'm just done! But because it's not going to technically kill me in 6 months and instead will take years to slowly destroy my I just have to suffer dying alone ...with no help. I can't even tell my family because It's illegal to do what I'm doing. Deciding to die is somehow illegal. A parent has a right to choose whether or not to have a child but I don't have the right to choose to end my own life. What the hell is that!!!???

It really makes me wonder why I tried so hard in the beginning wanting to live and did everything I was supposed to only to have to pay for it later! Because I had such will to survive and wouldn't give up ...now I'm being forced into even more hell! I thought it would be over once I got better but I realized it was an endless cycle that I wanted no more part of. Find a medication that works and then have your immune system beat it only to be right back to the same spot! That's my life and that's what I have to live with If I wanted to live. But instead I want to choose peace and to do that I have to do it all alone with no help. Had I had no will to begin with and just let my disease do what it did I would have died a while ago. Hell I was literally in the hospital and told that if I didn't come in and was a few hours later I probably would not be alive or recoverable. Oh how I wish I never went to the hospital that day! Had I just never went in I wouldn't have to be living with this anymore!!!

[patyoung]

In re-reading my husband's Advanced Directive, I'm concerned that maybe we're not totally honoring his wishes. He stopped eating several days ago, and is being given limited water via syringe. However, he is also on onygen to ease his breathing. Please advise. Thank you.

[mykke]

Can VSED be done without medication? Would it be physically painful?

[CaptainRScott]

Hooray that's:qhat im going to do

[TobyMasky]

I tried so many times but I never succeed.Once I did not eat for 20 days, and still stayed the same.The only thing I have got in the end is a little fever and small a weakness.