The Ethics of the Mental Pursuit of Perfection Essay -- Exploratory Es

Introduction    The number of individuals diagnosed for one or more mental disorders and consequently treated with a corresponding drug has significantly increased the past several years. The following statistics displaying this are shocking: * 8.5 million people are prescribed Effexor, an anti-depressant every year (Harris, 2004). * More than 1 million children and teenagers are taking drugs for some form of mental disorder (Elias, 2004). * There are close to 2 million cases each year of drug complications that result in 180,000 deaths or life-threatening illnesses in the eldery (Langreth, 2004). These alarming figures call us to question the causes behind this influx of diagnosed mental disorders as well as the consequential drug prescription as a solution. When asked to discuss the ethics of the mental pursuit of perfection, there are several different aspects to consider. The main ethical issues raised lie in the prescription of drugs to children and the over prescription of drugs. In addition, I will discuss who and what are responsible for our culture’s desire to â€Å"quick fix† every definable problem with some type of drug, be it prescribed, non-prescribed, or self-prescribed.       Mental Disorders in Children When one thinks about mental disorders in respect to children, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) immediately comes to mind. Defined now as â€Å"children who are excessively active, are unable to sustain their attention, and are deficient in their impulse control to a degree that is deviant for their developmental level† (Loewenton, 2002), ADHD now affects up to 5% of schoolchildren and continues in roughly 60% of those youths as they age (Henderson, 2004). There are many different opinions re... ...ago Press, 2002.    Langreth, Robert. â€Å"Just Say No!† Forbes. 29 November, 2004. pgs. 103-112    Loewenton, Ed. â€Å"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.† Turner toys. 4 October 2004. .    Merrow, John. â€Å"Attention Deficit Disorder-A Dubious Diagnosis?† The Merrow Report. 4 October..    Moore, Thomas. â€Å"No prescription for happiness.† Boston Globe 17 October 1999. .    USA Today. â€Å"FDA cites possible suicide link between children, Paxil.† USA Today. 19 June, 2003. .    Zernike, Kate and Melody Petersen. â€Å"Schools’ Backing of Behavior Drugs Comes Under Fire.† New York Times: 18 August 2004. .