Death doula Alua Arthur says life is better if you 'get real' about the end

https://www.npr.org/2024/04/17/1245264129/death-doula-alua-arthur-briefly-perfectly-human

I think one of the great failures of Western Society is the apparent taboo about talking or thinking of death. We pretend that the next pill or potion will help us live forever, fueling our consumer society.

I feel that death is a passage as birth is a passage, and that we should acknowledge and plan for it. Life and death are intimately intertwined and one cannot exist without the other.

@gemswinc when I worked in dialysis, as a social worker, I had discussions about end of life care with my patients. Some didn't want to discuss it at all, while others welcomed the opportunity to talk about what they wanted and didn't want and to implement their wishes in writing. The ones who refused to discuss it, I always followed up, because sometimes planting the seeds helped to open the door for further discussions.

@Spagesgallo1 Ah, you have been on the front lines, I'm glad you follow up w/ those who might discuss it. My husband, nevertheless, refused.

@gemswinc I'm sorry that your husband refused to talk about it. For some, it is just way too uncomfortable for them to discuss. Fear is also a big factor for people avoiding the topic. Even healthcare workers struggle with it. I have also worked with a doctor who was anti end of life care. People on dialysis, vents and in a vegetative state. He believed in keeping them alive at any cost! 🤦‍♀️

@Spagesgallo1 @gemswinc
So sad to hear! Because you know he passed that one to patients. I am for euthanasia if people choose. There are definitely worse things than death.