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Before being able to address the medical relationship to death, we must first examine at where average death rates are . 

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In order to understand how medical healthcare plays into societal perspectives on death, it is important to understand the average lifespan. The average lifespan in the (1)United States is about 77 years old, which is relatively lower than in other first-world countries. There are many contributing factors to what can extend one’s lifespan. Our diet environment and pre-genetic dispositions can lead to various lifespans seen around the world, and each culture has its own unique set of challenges with regard to lifelong levity. While countries have very different approaches to dealing with death, it is no secret that the rise of diseases, such as cancer and heart failure, has been on the rise for the last two decades. This increase in untreatable diseases has left many people trying to grieve in a society that views death as interactional. When it comes to the treatment of death, the Western world has not carved out a place to treat the emotional aspects of grief. This can exacerbate the grieving process, and the stress that can come from the medical care system can leave many people lost during a time that is already unbelievably emotionally straining. The culture and history of each country deeply play into the cultural view around death and affect the medical care that is used to treat illness.

1.)  https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/u-s-life-expectancy-compare-countries/#:~:text=Life%20expectancy%20at%20birth%2C%20in%20years%2C%201980%2D2022&text=In%202022%2C%20the%20CDC%20estimates,before%20the%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic.

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Hospice Care is something that the Western and Eastern world take very different approaches on. 

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Hospice care in the United States does not differ deeply from any other primary industry surrounding death. There is a very transactional and basic necessity for hospice care, which is not guaranteed to be covered by insurance. Obviously, there is a great need for hospice workers; however, they are less dealing with the emotional symptoms and only dealing with the physical symptoms of death. This plays into the US's cultural stance on death, which can be very lonely and isolating. There is no emotional training given for tackling the emotional battle of coming to terms with illness. However, many people in different cultures believe death is the beginning of a new life, such as those practicing Buddhism worldwide. End-of-life care under Buddhism is treated with an attitude of accepting a terminal diagnosis because there is a belief that death is a part of rebirth, and that is something to be grateful for. It has often been noted that those practicing (1) Buddhism can typically not take pain medication to be mindful of the illness that exists within their body. Buddhists believe that the beginning care given to the recipient is the mental state to relieve any spiritual suffering—this approach patrons without fear or anxiety about crossing over into death. Death has been embedded in the culture to be accepted. The presence of death in the Buddhist culture allows for emotional care to be previously embedded by the time that the necessity for hospice care comes around.

1.) https://www.crossroadshospice.com/hospice-palliative-care-blog/2016/february/16/the-culture-connection-buddhist-end-of-life-practices/

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Another way to examine death its relation to medicine by examine the treatment for an overly common disease such as cancer, in a country like the United States versus Sweden.  

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With the growing rates of cancer seen worldwide, it is crucial to think about how this disease is treated in different places in the world. Chemotherapy has been the most predominant form of treatment in the United States. However, another holistic approach originated in Sweden and is widely used all around Europe, and it is called mistletoe therapy. Chemotherapy has been known to cause permanent damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys, even if the cancer has been pronounced benign. (1) however, mistletoe therapy has been more effective than chemotherapy and lots of cases; even a study at John Hopkins proved its viability. While there are side effects such as fatigue, nausea, and chills, there were no long-term or adverse effects of using this type of therapy. Mistletoe extract appears to cause direct death to cancerous cells, help our immune system become more stimulated, and create a natural response (2). This has been used in Europe for several decades as medical treatment for cancer; it is not currently FDA-approved and can be very difficult and expensive to find within the United States. Due to the United States healthcare system becoming monopolized, it’s making death more of a parent factor in individuals' lives, but the culture has not shifted. By incorporating other methods that have been tried in different cultures, we can see more of an alleviation to our medical approach and extend the lifelong jevity of patience.

1. https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/how-cancer-treated/chemotherapy/side-effects-chemotherapy#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20some%20types%20of,second%20cancers%20later%20in%20life.

2. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2023/02/us-study-of-intravenous-mistletoe-extract-to-treat-advanced-cancer

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Emotional Care for End of Life Treatment

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Emotional Care for End of Life Treatment

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While there is no current system in place for end-of-life treatment in our Western healthcare system, we have a lot to learn about Indigenous perspectives on death and dying. To use this example, I will discuss the Ojibway tribe in Canada to understand their end-of-life treatment further. Ceremonies are created to represent the legacy of the ancestors from the beginning of time to the present day, which helps others connect with the peace that can come from ending the circle of life. Prayers are given to guide his or her spirit from the current present world to the spirit world, and there is typically a spiritual leader who is consistently close to the dying person. Both herbal and spiritual healing are used in unison to help make the transition from life to death seamless. There is a significant emphasis on connecting to Mother Earth and offering spiritual leaders guidance to appear during the ceremonies. There are many specific examples of rituals, such as the pipe ceremony, which summons ancestors to help the spirit on the journey that it is about to embark on. This unique approach to death helps human beings become intertwined further with nature. It takes the individualistic nature of death out of the picture and allows a person to seamlessly pass into the great mystery of the unknown without fear. I believe that there is so much to learn from indigenous communities and how they have historically treated death, and this would allow for much less anxiety and fear around the topic as a whole.

https://www.cpd.utoronto.ca/endoflife/Modules/Indigenous%20Perspectives%20on%20Death%20and%20Dying.pdf

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Psychedelic treatment for treating end of life patience has had unbelievable success since research began in the 1960s however, post-war on drugs has lead to most of it being destroyed. However we are seeing a rebirth in this ancient medicine for treating emotional anguish towards death.  

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The research that was seen following the 1960s boom and psychedelics was an unprecedented success for any treatment. However, the research has since had to start from the ground up again, and the beginning of psychedelic treatment for end-of-life care is looking very hopeful. Psychedelics can offer the patient and experience that will take down attitudes towards death and force the user to confront their mortality. While this sounds frightening, it allows patience to be present at their final point in life. Psilocybin was used to treat patients and provide end-of-life care or hospice care, and it has been overwhelmingly redeemed safe and highly effective for fulfilling the needs of end-of-life care (1). Psychedelic treatment could be the future of dealing with death because of its effect of taking away preconceived notions and comprehensively addressing the emotional state of the patient. If the patient is with a well-trained professional who can guide them through their trip and help them deal with their death, you could see much alleviation in the anxiety and fear surrounding death.

1.) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10106897/

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What are the next steps we can take to improve our medical approach towards death?

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While the United States does not have any built-in system for dealing with the emotional burden of death, many different steps could be taken, which could result in levels of stress. In my opinion, the healthcare system should, at the very least, offer solutions for those feeling overwhelmed to help create community and peace surrounding the topic. I believe that the most effective method for treatment in the United States would be psychedelic therapy. Given that psychedelics are species that have lived on this earth much longer than us, there is no other treatment with higher effectiveness when it comes to being at peace with death. The only guarantee that we are given is that we are going to die someday, and it feels like something that we don’t have to address until we get there. However, this attitude has created lots of isolation and anxiety surrounding the topic. If we are willing to be open to new experiences and pull ideas from different cultures, we can change the healthcare system that should exist to serve the mental well-being of patients above all.