The Things to do when you're about to die... thread brought back to mind an old question of mine, so I'd like to share it and hear your views about the matter.

In the past I've occasionally wondered how different religious beliefs / world views might affect one's attitude toward The End and how long one hangs on (my hypothesis was that if you are looking for some kind of afterlife you might be willing to give up - and pass on - more easily than those who view this life as their one time chance), but now I'd like to hear how one should cope with the issue.

So, let's say a person has been diagnosed with a terminal illness - one that all the available doctors say will lead to their death sooner rather than later. Is there a point in battling such thing when one should simply accept the reality that one is dying and stop trying to find a cure and resort to only the medicine necessary to make the end a peaceful one (like pain medication etc.)? Or should we fight with all available resources till the last moment?

Because the human mind can have a tremendous effect on the body the will to live can be a deciding factor in how well one recovers (or copes with) a serious illness or accident, so the attitude towards the end might mean days or weeks or maybe even years in the lifetime of an individual.

Personally I find it difficult to imagine a situation when I wouldn't want to experience life a moment longer (or as long as humanly possible :lol, but my views could be changed if extending life would mean painful or extremely unpleasant medical treatment for the rest of it.