He cited a 1989 Swedish study showing that when chronically ill patients attempted suicide, their overburdened families often did not want them resuscitated. What this clearly suggests is that people do not want to end their lives, they want to end their pain. If physicians do not prescribe adequate pain medication, and do not treat the depression, the patients may end their lives or begs for mercy. The fear, then, is that mercy only appears as suicide, rather than as pain management and support. All too often the patient asks his physician to help him die when what they really are asking for is to help them live without pain.
Physicians can control the pain symptoms by prescribing barbiturates and narcotics.
The Federal Controlled Substance Act regulates the use of these medications. There are many ways to deal with physical pain, such as acupuncture, massage, drugs, corrective surgery, spinal cord stimulation, exercise, support groups and physical therapy. After reviewing the literature, one can see that the assistance can come in forms of compassionate care and education rather then suicide. Some studies have used questionnaires, using small samples with low response rates, and opinion polls, telephone interviews using large sampling. Participants in the studies are made aware of the differences between euthanasia, suicide, and physician assisted suicide.