In my mind, better to kill them off than leave them struggling. Just chop the stalk and suppport the plant, or hang upside down. Many growers dry their plants whole, but i know of none who keep it alive and just slowly killing it.
I keep my plants in as big a chunks as possible. Some are too tall to dry with a 9 foot ceiling. Two complete plants are drying right now. Others are in three to five pieces. This slows the drying process, which is the key to a good cure. Slower is better. Rainy weather and good air circulation seems to work out best. Good luck!