Resources
Death is something most of us would rather not think about — until we have to. In this moving TED Talk, palliative care physician BJ Miller invites us to do something radical: approach the end of life with intention, creativity, and even beauty. Drawing on his own experience surviving a life-altering accident and years of caring for dying patients, Miller gently challenges the way our systems — and our hearts — handle death. Whether you’re exploring your own mortality, supporting a loved one, or simply curious about living more fully, this talk offers a grounded and deeply human perspective that may shift the way you see both dying and living
This article by Dr. Rebecca Gagne-Henderson provides crucial physiological insight into what actually happens in the body during the natural dying process — specifically around the withholding of Artificial Nutrition and Hydration (ANH). Contrary to the common and deeply emotional belief that withdrawing food and water causes suffering, the science tells a profoundly different story. During starvation, the body naturally produces dynorphins — endogenous opiates 6–10 times more potent than morphine — which provide pain relief, drowsiness, and a sense of satiation. During dehydration, the body releases a cascade of endorphins, oxytocin (the “love hormone”), and vasopressin, ultimately creating analgesia and even euphoria as the body shuts down. Rather than a painful death, the physiology points toward a peaceful one. This is essential reading because it equips both clinicians and families with evidence-based understanding, replacing fear and guilt with informed clarity — which directly supports the case for informed consent, honest end-of-life conversations, and allowing the body’s own natural mechanisms to guide compassionate care in the final stage of life.
Starvation, Dehydration & the Physiology of Death - The Palliative Provocateur
Based on Dr. Sunita Puri’s New Yorker article, informed consent around CPR is critical because the public’s perception of the procedure — shaped by images of medical heroism — vastly differs from reality. Nearly 85% of patients who receive CPR in a hospital die, their final moments marked by pain and chaos. The procedure can shatter ribs, puncture lungs, burn flesh, and cause brain damage in 40% of survivors. Yet doctors are rarely trained to have honest end-of-life conversations, leading CPR to become a reflexive default rather than a considered choice. True informed consent would ensure that patients and families understand these realities, empowering them to make decisions that genuinely reflect their own values — rather than consenting to a procedure they may never have agreed to had they known the full truth.
The Hidden Harms of CPR The brutal procedure can save lives, but only in particular cases. Why has it become a default treatment?
Websites You Should Check Out
Compassion & Choices | End-of-Life Resources: https://compassionandchoices.org/
VSED Resources Northwest: https://vsedresources.com/
The story of dying in the 21st century is a story of paradox.While many people are overtreated in hospitals with families and communities relegated to the margins, still more remain undertreated, dying of preventable conditions and without access to basic pain relief. The unbalanced and contradictory picture of death and dying is the basis for this Commission.