Chronic Pain, Suicide, Physician-Assisted Suicide, Family-Assisted Suicide ...

Yusuf Smith left me this comment and I wanted to address some of what is in it in a separate post:

"As-Salaamu 'alaikum,

Have you been following the Lynn Gilderdale story here in the UK? It was about a woman who committed suicide (with her mother's help) after suffering for 17 years with ME (no, not MS). She'd been ill since she was 14 and had been bed-bound for almost all of that time. The mother was accused of attempted murder but was acquitted last week, and there has been a lot of public sympathy (although some criticism as well).

Has it received much coverage in the USA? I posted two long entries about it as, although I know nobody who has that illness, I found it affected me quite deeply, particularly reading the published extracts from her blog (which was mostly private).

Do you have any opinion on this? I know there have been some with MS who are quite vocal in support of euthanasia, particularly here in the UK; is this quite widespread or is it a few people given disproportionate coverage?"

Wa Alaikum As Salaam Dear Brother Yusuf and Everyone:

To my knowledge, this case hasn't received a lot of coverage in the US. Of course, we have had similar cases here, and there are Americans who believe that people should be able to die with "dignity" when, where, and how they choose.

You may be familiar with Dr. Jack Kevorkian, also known as the notorious "Dr. Death."




In the US, they are referred to as "right-to-die activists" and in the case of Dr. Kevorkian, "physician-assisted suicide." I'm not sure or aware of the position of the MS community.

Some people feel that the medical profession should help terminally ill patients and their families so there will not be tragic and sad cases such as the one you wrote about.

As for me personally, and my position, my life is guided in all matters by Islam, Alhamdulillah. Islam does not permit a person to wish for death, nor does Islam permit the ill person to kill himself. Further, Islam doesn't permit anyone else to do it either, including the Muslim patient's physician.

It is Allah swt Who gives life and causes death.

However, there are cases where it is Islamically permissible for a physician to remove the life-support system of a Muslim, after the physician is absolutely sure that the person is "dead." Dr. Muhammad al-Jibaly explains the details very nicely in his book, Sickness: Regulations & Exhortations, 2nd Edition. I recommend every Muslim to have this excellent book on his bookshelf, may Allah swt reward Sheikh Jibaly/Ameen.

That being said ...

I can definitely understand how a person, including a Muslim, would reach the point in his illness, whether it be a brief illness or chronic one, wherein the person would want to end his life and his suffering.

I have numerous health problems which affect my back and legs, particularly my left leg. The problems are complicated by overall MS and Arthritis. I have severe varicosity, Schamberg's disease, a back injury, peripheral neuropathy, and Restless Leg Syndrome. I also have a Baker's cyst behind my left knee which does not want to leave me (they say they dissolve by themselves, Allahu Alim). MS causes me to have severe balance issues, pain, and mental confusion. At times it affects my eyesight. I have slight tremors that make fine motor skills a nightmare. Arthritis causes severe pain and stiffness. I live with these illnesses as well as a lifelong heart valve problem and asthma one day at a time.

But there have been times where I have been severely depressed. Chronic health problems and pain can cause depression. Because I am a retired counselor, I am able to recognize when I am becoming depressed, and I do things to snap myself out of it. It is important to mention that this depression is not the same as chemical imbalance depression seen in some psychiatric disorders. However, if the human brain lives with depression or anxiety long enough, the brain will become changed because the brain tends to be an adaptogenic body part in certain cases. The challenge is not to let depression progress to the point of no return where someone may have feelings of suicide, and where the person cannot recognize that he is depressed.

Back to my left leg ...

The other day I saw a program on National Geographic called Taboo. In the particular episode I saw, they highlighted a problem that some people have which is a kind of body dysmorphic illness, but in this case, the person has issues with a limb or limbs. The one guy profiled felt since childhood that his right leg was not a part of his body. He had strong negative feelings about his right leg to the point it negatively affected all the major areas of his life. He was a very unhappy camper. Since most physicians and psychiatrists are not willing to recommend amputation for this condition on what they perceive to be ethical and moral grounds, many sufferers do something to injure the limb to the point where IT HAS TO BE AMPUTATED. Some people have gone as far as to shoot themselves in the leg or attempt to chop their own leg off, etc. Can you imagine?

(Funny how physicians have no ethical or moral problems amputating a man's penis because he feels like he is a woman. Anyhow, I digress ...)

But I found myself oddly relating to the man in the program. I thought of my own left leg. I found myself agreeing with the man. There have been times I have felt like I didn't want my left leg. Oh how nice it would be to have it gone sometimes!

What good is my left leg? After all, it is barely useful or functional. About the only use it has is for balance - and that is even SOMETIMES. I can't even make salaat on all of my limbs. Sitting back in jalsah is nearly impossible.

What use is my left leg?

It is the cause of constant excruciating pain, stiffness, burning, stinging, swelling ...

Of what use is it?

Well, all I can come up with is the each body part of mine will speak for or against me on the Last Day.

Will my left leg explain to my Lord that I was patient and tender with it? Will it tell my Lord about the times I cursed it out, lol, or wished ill of it?

So I try to remind myself that Allah swt tests me through this body and especially my left leg.

So my opinion Brother Yusuf? I would encourage a person to be patient in illness or any other hardship or trial.

I would recommend that the ill person become familiar with the signs of depression, and have a plan for dealing with it. I would also recommend that the person see a qualified pain management person. I myself go to a pain management doctor. All the medical and psychological strategies for pain we use manages to take the edge off, even though it doesn't remove the pain entirely.

I would remind the Muslim that "with every hardship comes ease" even if it's in another area, not necessarily the health area.

I would remind the person that every pain expiates sin. It also evevates the Muslim in ranks, and purifies his heart.

The Sahabah (ra) were well aware of the benefits and rewards of illness, so much that some of them wished for illness. The Prophet (saw) had to warn them against asking for illness!

So I would in the end implore Allah swt to allow me to care for myself the best I can so I do not emotionally progress to the point where I may think or suicide, or cause my body to be a trial for my family and friends.

But at the end of the day, although I don't agree, I can undersand how a person could be in so much pain that they would wish for death.

I'm just glad that I'm Muslim, Alhamdulillah, and as in all major areas of my life, I have Qur'an and Sunnah in my life for guidance in all of my affairs.