We have arrived at our last ChapterDeath and Dying.There is a technical definition of death (see the text for details)Social DeathAs related in the text, social death occurs when others begin to dehumanize and withdraw from someone who is terminally ill or has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. There are different reasons that this occurs (e.g., people may not know what to say to the dying). Please read this section.Pay attention to the leading causes of death in the U.S. Read/Study the section entitled: Developmental Perceptions of Death and Death AnxietyTypes of Care--Curative, Palliative, and Hospice. Make sure that you know about each of these different forms.Legal IssuesThere are different documents which can be used to guide end of life care. See text for details.Euthanasia-The intentional ending of one's life (2 forms).Active-This involves an action that is intended to cause death (e.g., a physician-assisted suicide where a lethal drug is administered). Passive-This involves the withholding of necessary life-sustaining measures (e.g., food and water).GriefAs related in the text, Grief is the normal process of reacting to a loss. Those who are grieving may experience a multitude of emotions (e.g., guilt, sadness) and possibly illness as well. There are different types of grief (Complicated, Disenfranchised, and Anticipatory)a) Complicated Grief-This involves atypical grief reactions. The individual may not be able to stop thinking about the deceased and may not believe that it happened. The symptoms are similar to those of Major Depressive Disorder.b) Disenfranchised Grief-This involves grief that is not socially recognized. It is due to grief over issues (e.g., the loss of a pet) that may not result in the social support of others.c) Anticipatory Grief-In this form, the death of an individual is expected, which allows family members to prepare to some degree before the death occurs.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross conducted research on individuals who were given the news that they were dying. She found that people tend to experience 5 stages of reaction to this news. They are:a) Denial-This is a basic Freudian psychological defense mechanism. It involves the refusal to believe some truth. So, the individual will live and act as if they are not sick.b) Anger-This stage involves the experience of anger, either at those who are not sick or the medical personnel with whom the sick individual must interact.c) Bargaining-This stage involves trying to make a deal (e.g., with God) for more time. d) Depression-The experience of depression occurs as the individual realizes the reality of their situation.e) Acceptance-The individual comes to terms with the reality of their situation. More detailed descriptions of these stages are provided in the textmake sure that you read them.Read/study the section on mourning. Pay attention to the 4 tasks of mourning. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross conducted research on individuals who were given the news that they were dying. She found that people tend to experience 5 stages of reaction to this news. They are:a) Denial-This is a basic Freudian psychological defense mechanism. It involves the refusal to believe some truth. So, the individual will live and act as if they are not sick.b) Anger-This stage involves the experience of anger, either at those who are not sick or the medical personnel with whom the sick individual must interact.c) Bargaining-This stage involves trying to make a deal (e.g., with God) for more time. d) Depression-The experience of depression occurs as the individual realizes the reality of their situation.e) Acceptance-The individual comes to terms with the reality of their situation. More detailed descriptions of these stages are provided in the textmake sure that you read them.Read/study the section on mourning. Pay attention to the 4 tasks of mourning.

Make sure to read the section on physician-assisted dying. As noted in the text, this is a controversial issue. In 1-2 paragraphs discuss your opinion on this topic. Do you agree with this practice? Why or why not?