The art of medicine: Advance decisions, chronic mental illness, and everyday care

Significant concern has, for instance, been expressed in the context of suicidal behaviour in which the person, for example who takes a dangerous overdose of drugs, also makes clear through an advance decision (perhaps leftas a "suicide note") that he does not want resuscitation to be attempted. [...] advance decisions have value because they ensure that what happens to a person is what is best for him. [...] advance decisions provide a way for patients' choices to be respected when patients can no longer express autonomous wishes.