Advance Directive for VSED
VSED Directive: Advance Directive for Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking
Forms and Instructions -National
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:9a3c64e5-ef20-4c76-9940-7e5e2bb243d1
Forms and Instructions -National
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:9a3c64e5-ef20-4c76-9940-7e5e2bb243d1
Books about VSED
The VSED Handbook: A Practical Guide to Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking Paperback – March 15, 2022 Available on AmazonVoluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) is a widely available yet relatively unknown end-of-life choice utilized by terminally ill people throughout modern history. In this short but comprehensive guidebook, novelist Kate Christie details the steps her family took when her late mother Jane chose a peaceful death via VSED to escape the final brutal stages of Alzheimer's disease.
In clear, concise language, Christie—a former technical writer—offers an actionable plan for anyone considering hastening their own death. Through illustrative examples drawn from her family's experience, Christie emphasizes the importance of planning, palliative care (including medication to ease the dying process), and a broad support network. She also describes what to expect from each stage of the VSED process, and highlights the challenges and unexpected gifts of accompanying her dying mother on her final journey.
As Christie notes, a peaceful death free of suffering like the one her mother achieved is possible with VSED—but only with planning, perseverance, and the support of a trusted team.
by Kate Christie (Author)
Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking: A Compassionate, Widely Available Option for Hastening Death, Oxford University Press, 2021, edited by Timothy Quill et al., 283 pages.
Choosing To Die: A Personal Story: Elective Death By Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) in the Face of Degenerative Disease by Phyllis Shacter, On Amazon
In clear, concise language, Christie—a former technical writer—offers an actionable plan for anyone considering hastening their own death. Through illustrative examples drawn from her family's experience, Christie emphasizes the importance of planning, palliative care (including medication to ease the dying process), and a broad support network. She also describes what to expect from each stage of the VSED process, and highlights the challenges and unexpected gifts of accompanying her dying mother on her final journey.
As Christie notes, a peaceful death free of suffering like the one her mother achieved is possible with VSED—but only with planning, perseverance, and the support of a trusted team.
by Kate Christie (Author)
Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking: A Compassionate, Widely Available Option for Hastening Death, Oxford University Press, 2021, edited by Timothy Quill et al., 283 pages.
Choosing To Die: A Personal Story: Elective Death By Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) in the Face of Degenerative Disease by Phyllis Shacter, On Amazon
Films & Video
Dying Wish a VSED Documentary (Board Member Myriam Coppens Top Pick)
"Dying Wish" is a documentary film about a retired surgeon with end-stage cancer who chooses to end his life through Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) while under hospice care. The film explores his decision, the process of VSED, and the emotional journey of his family. It highlights the complexities of end-of-life choices and the potential for a peaceful, albeit accelerated, death. Click the link below to go to the producer's website for access information.
www.dyingwishmedia.com/
www.dyingwishmedia.com/
Video - Watch "My Wife Voluntarily Stopped Eating and Drinking (VSED) to End Her Suffering" on YouTube
Documentary - The Last Ecstatic Days - Available on Prime Video
In the film The Last Ecstatic Days, Ethan Sisser, living with terminal brain cancer, chooses to hasten his death by voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (known as VSED – voluntary stopping of eating and drinking) after leaving hospice care. He is supported in a home setting by a community and his physician, Dr. Aditi Sethi, and his final days are filmed as he wishes. The film also discusses the use of alternative modalities, including psychedelics, which Ethan experimented with, though it is not clarified whether they directly facilitated hastening death or were more about supporting meaning and comfort in his dying process. Ultimately, his primary method for hastening death is VSED in a supported, intentional, and community-focused environment.
VSED Support
Empowered Endings - Dr. Bob and Elizabeth Uslander (Southern California)
After partnering to support hundreds of patients and families in their holistic medical practice, and providing education throughout Southern California on their proven model of care, they launched the Empowered Endings Collective. Their vision is to fill the gaps in the traditional healthcare system and facilitate a social paradigm shift in Palliative, End of Life and Grief Care so a “soft landing” is the rule rather than the exception.
empoweredendings.com/voluntary-stopping-eating-and-drinking/
Empowered Endings - Dr. Bob and Elizabeth Uslander (Southern California)
After partnering to support hundreds of patients and families in their holistic medical practice, and providing education throughout Southern California on their proven model of care, they launched the Empowered Endings Collective. Their vision is to fill the gaps in the traditional healthcare system and facilitate a social paradigm shift in Palliative, End of Life and Grief Care so a “soft landing” is the rule rather than the exception.
empoweredendings.com/voluntary-stopping-eating-and-drinking/
Articles
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Choice and Dignity, Inc.
PO Box 86886, Tucson, AZ 85754
Phone: 800-811-4112
Email: [email protected]
Website: choiceanddignity.org
Disclaimer:
Choice and Dignity, Inc. provides educational programs and resources related to end-of-life concerns, including deliberate life completion and death with dignity. We do not encourage, promote, or endorse suicide. Our goal is to offer information protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Laws regarding aid in dying vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. It is not the intent of Choice and Dignity, Inc. to violate any applicable laws. We urge individuals to consult with qualified legal or medical professionals for specific advice.
Privacy Policy
© 2025 Choice and Dignity, Inc. All rights reserved. | 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
PO Box 86886, Tucson, AZ 85754
Phone: 800-811-4112
Email: [email protected]
Website: choiceanddignity.org
Disclaimer:
Choice and Dignity, Inc. provides educational programs and resources related to end-of-life concerns, including deliberate life completion and death with dignity. We do not encourage, promote, or endorse suicide. Our goal is to offer information protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Laws regarding aid in dying vary by jurisdiction and are subject to change. It is not the intent of Choice and Dignity, Inc. to violate any applicable laws. We urge individuals to consult with qualified legal or medical professionals for specific advice.
Privacy Policy
© 2025 Choice and Dignity, Inc. All rights reserved. | 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.