Mental Illness And Its Effects On The Quality Of Life

As medicine has advanced, so too has the quality of life. Although correlation does not imply causation and other factors are also responsible for the increase in the quality of life, there is no doubt that we have become better than ever at diagnosing and treating many ailments. Ethically, though, there may be problems with the process of diagnosing many diseases, particularly those that have psychological roots. The predicament arises because there are otherwise no notable physical signs (e.g. fever, rash, aches and pains) for many mental illnesses, as is the case for many pathological diseases. A specific illness fitting the criteria of no physical signs is depression. The statistics behind the disease are horrifying. As a mental health†¦show more content†¦This paper attempts to argue that the latter statement is reasonable, and the ethics involved with over diagnosis lead to negative consequences. In my opinion, due to the loose definition of the disease, financial involvement of pharmaceutical companies and the relationship between access to drugs due to the ailment and drug addiction, the increase in diagnosis impacts the credibility of those who suffer from the debilitating disease and decreases the vote of confidence amongst those responsible for diagnosis. Traditional wisdom suggests that it’s always better safe than sorry when it comes to treating diseases. This technique is often practiced so long as the different treatment options do no interfere with each other. For example, when the body is under attack of a bacterial infection, a regimen of antibiotics treat for any number of bacteria that may be attacking the body. Or in the case of cancers, it is always better to take part in a screening, even if the outcome is malignant. There is an obvious advantageous outcome from this procedure that leads to either peace of mind or proactive measures. When dealing with the complex and conscious organ of the brain, though, treatments are often harmful to the patient. Antidepressants are the most common form of treatment for depression. The method of action of these medicines involves