11: What to do after going through the LLQ

(This section is the same as that in the Full Version.)

If you have responded to all or most of the questions in this questionnaire, you have covered a lot of ground. You have visited your past, and considered a lot of questions about yourself and about leaving life that most people never do.

But you are not quite finished. In this section you will find that there are a few more things you can do to build on what you have done and to benefit others. And then, in the last section, 12: Moving away from D&D: Returning to life as usual, you will learn some ways to put the topics you have covered out of your mind.

Here are a few things you might do. (You can use the To Do section in the Notepad to write these down.):

·   Work to change the ideas or feelings that might be keeping you from acting in a way that is best for you, your survivors, and society as a whole.

For example, you might want relieve your own or someone else’s suffering by leaving life or helping someone else to do so. You could begin by asking: “Why do I feel or think this way?”, “What are the assumptions on which my idea or feeling is based?”, “How would someone who thinks or feels differently express his point of view?”, “How strong are my instinctual fear of leaving and fear of disapproval?”.    

·   Do something to reduce the suffering of the world in general. Of course, there are many ways to do this. The LLQ focuses on whether offering everybody a painless exit from life that is socially approved would on balance reduce suffering.

·   Do what you can to ensure that you or those you care about do not suffer during Very Old Age or at the end of life, including such things as helping them to make plans for these life stages and making sure that both physical and emotional pain are aggressively treated – if the person wants them to be.   

Another thing you can do is to visit the LLQ more than once. The topics covered and the images that are evoked take time to get used to.   

As time passes, your ideas and feelings about D&D will evolve. The way society and the medical community treat leaving life will surely change. If current trends continue, there will be more choices. This will open up positive possibilities, along with burdens of anxiety, confusion and responsibility. All these will change the way you personally deal with D&D.

So, consider:

• Putting this or similar sites on your Favorites list.

• Saving some or all of the sections of the LLQ to your hard drive or printing them out so that you can either look at them again yourself or give them to someone else.

Here are some ways you can help others, based on your work on the LLQ:

• You can be willing to listen to others talk about leaving life when they bring it up. You now have a better understanding of how they feel. You know lots of questions to ask.

• You could give a blank version of the LLQ  to others to look over or fill out – that is, if you believe the benefits of doing so outweigh the anxiety and other costs, of which you are now aware.

• You can keep your ears open for reports on new approaches to end-of-life issues. Having explored your own ideas and feelings, you are in a much better position to evaluate how changes will affect you and others you care about, and society.

Also, consider contributing ideas or experiences that you think might be of interest or use to others to the LLQ Discussion Group.

Here are some ways to keep up with developments in the area:

Here are some organization websites to try:  The starred entries support increasing end-of-life choices. Almost all have resource lists of their own.

 Try these search key words using  Google or another search engine: “death and dying”, “euthanasia”, “hospice care”, “pain medication”, “suffering” or “quality of life”. To refine your search, you can add “new developments (in)”.

• You can keep exploring the ideas introduced in the LLQ by reading more about them in books.  Search the Amazon.com site using any of the above key words, 

A way you can contribute that I would especially appreciate is to let me know what it was like for you to respond to the LLQ and to make suggestions for changes by filling in Your Reactions to the LLQ.  You can also email me with ideas or suggestions.