{"id":97,"date":"2016-03-06T20:11:42","date_gmt":"2016-03-06T15:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jessicacurrall.com\/?p=97"},"modified":"2016-03-06T20:11:42","modified_gmt":"2016-03-06T15:11:42","slug":"03-06-16-talking-about-dying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jessicacurrall.com\/index.php\/2016\/03\/06\/03-06-16-talking-about-dying\/","title":{"rendered":"03.06.16 — Talking about dying."},"content":{"rendered":"

Since 2009, across a wide range of personal and professional circumstances, I have spent a significant amount of time thinking and feeling about dying.  It is important to clarify that I say this anchored in the personal belief that having these thoughts is entirely different than wanting<\/em> or moving intentionally in the direction of death.   I would extend that even fantasizing about dying may be a lot more about fatigue and craving liberation from suffering.  Recognizing these distinctions and supporting a person and his\/her loved ones to navigate these kinds of thoughts and feelings is ~not~ the domain of a speech-language pathologist.  I do believe that being able to ~communicate~ thoughts and feelings about dying, thereby reaching\/accessing those with the expertise to process that information appropriately, is.<\/p>\n

That can be tricky on it’s own.  Persons who need to hear this information include (but is not limited to):<\/p>\n

– loved ones and caregivers,<\/p>\n

– physicians and health care providers who need to enact medical directives for what constitutes a person’s wishes about what happens to her or his life,<\/p>\n

– legal counsel to prepare appropriate documentation in support of decisions,<\/p>\n

– persons with expertise navigating complex mental\/emotional landscapes (such as social workers, psychologists, and end-of-life doulas).<\/p>\n

– spiritual and\/or faith-based counsel.<\/p>\n

For persons who rely on means other than speech, all of this can be overwhelmingly challenging and emotional.   It may require going through someone that the person would otherwise not wish to be present for those conversations, or relying on someone else’s interpretation and commitment to follow through, or using a ‘voice’ which bears little resemblance to the personality and tone the person would consider their own.  It may be tedious and error-prone in spelling things out, literally, letter by letter.   For all of these reasons, a speech-language pathologist invested in palliative care and end-of-life conversations can have a critical role.<\/p>\n

Self-care as that speech-language pathologist<\/a> is equally vital.<\/p>\n

This is a combination of resources that have informed my own world view about these matters, but I do not mean to imply that I have the best or only view; and I absolutely believe that choosing to engage in the life of a person who is actively dying should be done very mindfully.<\/p>\n