Persuasive Speech: Mental Illness Generally when people think if the word illness they think of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, hemophilia, etc. These are all physical illnesses. Not many people realize that mental illnesses are also just as impactful on lives. One in four people suffer from mental disorder today, however few receive help; only 50% of the ill receive proper treatment. One in four people is a pretty large ratio. These people could be your family or friends, and the fact that many of them are not able to receive the proper treatment that they require should be alarming. Mental illness affects more lives than one would expect and this epidemic could be easily solved if mental healthcare were to be more accessible. Currently, The United States spends as little $113 billion on mental health treatment. That works out to about 5.6 percent of the national health-care spending, according to a 2011 …show more content…
Much of the criminal activity that takes place today is heavily related to the lack of treatment for mental illness. According to the US National Library of Medicine, approximately 60% of shooter in mass shootings that took place in the United States after 1970 displayed symptoms of acute paranoia, delusions, and depression before committing their inhumane acts. I am sure that most of you are aware of the Sandy Hook shooting that took place on December 12, 2012. The perpetrator, Adam Lanza took the innocent lives of 20 students as well as the lives of 6 staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Lanza had displayed key signs of mental illness as young as the age of three. His parents mildly attempted to find treatment, but they were not as serious about the topic as they should have been. This lack of seriousness is heavily related to the lack of awareness of the severity of these types of
For the last six years, I have been working in the substance abuse industry in both inpatient and outpatient settings. It would be fair to say that most people that are in need of substance abuse treatment have a co-occurring disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety. These people are diagnosed by a psychiatrist or medical doctor and are typically given medication to help the patient. However, the problem can be that if a person sees a psychiatrist and is not honest about their substance abuse history the mental diagnosis can be deceiving.
Due to their hazardous nature, guns must always be kept in the hands of responsible users; therefore, people diagnosed with severe mental illnesses should not be allowed to possess or carry firearms. Our society has partially realized this notion, as indicated by the Gun Control Act passed by Congress in 1968, forbidding people who “had been involuntarily committed to a mental hospital” from purchasing guns (Webster 35). However, it must be stressed that the control implemented by this act is not enough, as mentally-disabled people are still misusing firearms and creating massacres across this
Many people say that the real weapon used is rage. Guns are not bad things or good things. They are things, inanimate objects, chunks of metal with no will of their own (Medred 2). Why do we as a society not address mental illness more? The majority of all “school shooters” are misfits.
Mental illness significantly affects many around the world. In fact, about four-hundred and fifty million people worldwide suffer from one or more of the different known mental illnesses. That is one in every four people. Severe mental health issues such as severe anxiety disorder, antisocial personality disorder, schizophrenia, or sensory perception disorder are illnesses which are common among the people responsible for the numerous mass shootings in America. Many believe the possession of firearms in the hands of the mentally ill are the real cause of mass shootings.
Mental health issues are on the rise, especially among the youth, 6 out of 10 young people do not receive mental health treatment for major depression. Currently over 40 million Americans are currently dealing with a mental health issue and 56 percent are not receiving proper treatment. (Mental Health America). The health care reform has reduced insurance premiums for adults who have a mental health condition, however premiums and copayments are still not affordable for everyone. With the rise of mental health issues, the funding for mental illness should also increase to meet the need.
Most people that commit violent gun crimes are mentally ill, for example the last school shooting that occured on february 14 2018 at Marjory stoneman douglas high school in parkland florida, the gunman Nikolas Cruz was mentally ill. He walked into the school with his guns and shot and killed 17 students and a teacher. He had issues with learning, and controlling his emotions and stuff. (source)
Imagine receiving a task of writing simple alphabets with your toes, and being expected to complete it without any help rendered. Does it not seem like an impossible feat? This is exactly how it feels like for people who suffer from mental disabilities to write out letters A to Z using their hands. Just thinking about it, I can already imagine the frustration. Looking at the bigger picture, imagine the anxiety and anger that they face everyday, having to wake up daily to try and complete a series of tasks that society expects of you, although it is much harder for you to.
Losing a loved one is very difficult to handle throughout your life. Have you ever felt like giving up on life as well because your other behalf or your loved one passed away due to suicide and not being able to see them again until the afterlife? Suicide is the act of ending your own death at your own hand to escape the pain or suffering from the world. It should be meant to enjoy life like everyone else and not taking your own life just by the opinion of others or by the disaster of the world or by any body failure you might be experiencing. Accordingly, to the organization of the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, suicide becomes the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.
One in ten children and adolescents will experience a period of major depression (“Mental Health Myths and Facts”). Many avoid the topic of mental health like the plague. In truth, people should be able to talk about mental illness and its repercussions on society and the individual. A minority of those affected with mental illnesses get help. Therefore, it is important to discuss possible solutions to helping those who suffer get treatment.
Speech 1.12.17 Why is it so hard to say “I am fighting depression,” and so easy to say “my show got cancelled, I’m so depressed”? The first is looked down upon, and the second is seen as more acceptable. Many people misuse mental illnesses and use them as adjectives, whether on purpose or not. For example, people say, “the way you organize the books on your desk is so neat! You’re so OCD!”
It is not just everyday people on the street who overlook mental illness. Doctors are guilty of doing it too. Health Affairs Journal claims doctors do not take mental health as seriously as physical injuries. The 2016 study from Health Affairs Journal concluded that medical professionals are less likely to help or follow up with patients with depression than they are with a chronic physical illness, like diabetes or congestive heart failure. This creates a negative bias in the medical field, which is where the mentally ill need help from the most.
Considering mental health issues are so prominent in our day to day lives, why is it that they’re so vastly misapprehended? Mental disorders are commonly misconceived as Wyatt Fisher, a Colorado-based licensed psychologist implied in an interview with The Cheat Sheet; “People tend to view mental illness as a sign of weakness that people should just be able to ‘get over’, and many view it as a title given to those who are just ‘crazy’”. At one point mental health was a
Youth depression Depression. What is depression to you? To me, depression is the constant feeling of being numb. Being numb to emotions, being numb to life, and being numb to your senses.
While the topic of mental health awareness has recently been introduced, the roots of mental illnesses run deep into history. Mental illnesses, also called mental disorders, are a wide range of conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behavior. Many people with mental illnesses are now fighting to increase awareness of disorders like depression and anxiety, and some argue that the best way to educate about mental illnesses is to teach about it in school. By educating about mental illnesses in schools, activists are hoping to increase understanding about the topic and prevent teenagers who have mental illnesses from feeling alone.
No matter what kind of depression you have, the pain is the same-caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain. No matter what you 're depressed about, or even if you don 't know why you 're depressed, there are some simple things you can do to reduce your pain and anxiety, and get yourself feeling better. Simple cognitive behavior techniques and exercises can lessen pain and stimulate more productive thinking. Low-key physical and mental activity can also speed recovery.