The episode “Merry Little Christmas” of the well-known TV show House M.D. perfectly summarizes the struggle that the main character’s colleagues go through due to their dilemma. It can be argued that part of the House’s appeal as a character is his self-esteem. Additionally, he is a brilliant doctor, which was demonstrated by many of his cases.
Thus, he should be aware of how to apply the medication in his state to ensure no pain is present while avoiding the dosage that would cause addiction. However, the episode begins with a detective and House’s best friend confronting him about the recipes for medication. The scene is an indicator of a severe problem that he has encountered.
In nursing, cases of drug addiction are common among patients; thus, it is easy to understand the struggle that the doctor is going through in the episodes. Both Dr. Caddy and Dr. Wilson, in this case, have the best intentions as they try to help their friend go to rehab. However, they understand that if he does not comply, House will have to go to prison, which means losing a friend and a brilliant doctor.
Thus, the primary issue here is balancing care for a person who has problems and the medical benefit that he is bringing by diagnosing difficult cases. The episode represents the dilemma ideally, as in the middle of it, House does not take any pain medication, which results in him being unable to function as before.
His colleagues have to solve a case on their own, which they are unable to do; thus, the question of the benefit for patients remains in place. Overall, the episode and the show itself demonstrate an ethical problem that House’s friends and colleagues face throughout the seasons, as they see his addiction. However, it is something that helps him to be a good doctor.
