Mental Health- Speech - Grade: B PDF

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Mental Health- Speech...

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Topic: Mental Health Awareness

Specific Purpose: To encourage my audience to support having Mental Health Awareness events on campus for a week during Mental Health Month. Central Idea/Thesis: Mental health is a growing illness that has become more prevalent among college students. Unfortunately, many students don’t seek help when it comes to their mental wellness because of the stigma that it surrounds. It surrounds our emotions, thoughts, and psychological well being.

I. Introduction: Attention Getter: The first time I became aware of the importance of mental health awareness was after the death of one of my classmates in high school, Noah Marks. I remember coming back from winter break during sophomore year and hearing about how Noah committed suicide. I didn’t know him really well personally, but I was really shocked and sad. We all were shocked and sad because he seemed like a very happy person. He was in STAGE, which is a drama club in our school, and he was really involved in school activities; it was very confusing to all of us why he did it. We remembered him the next day by wearing a bow tie, which was his signature look. And then the following year, a national suicide prevention strategy, Sources of Strength , started in order to help prevent anymore suicide. Overview of Need, Satisfaction (including main points): First, I will talk about what mental health illness is and the stigma that it surrounds. Then, I will be talking about ways we can encourage awareness of the issue on campus.

Credibility: After doing some research on this topic, I believe that I have gained better understanding on the issue. Relatability: Whether its stress, anxiety, or depression, we have all been familiar with mental illness at some point in our life. This issue is more prevalent among college students, which affects us directly.

II. Body: A. Need: To break the stigma surrounding Mental Illness 1. Vocal  Citation 1: “An organization called NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness), defined mental illness as a condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling or mood. Such conditions may affect someone's ability to relate to others and function each day.” People who struggle with their mental health tend to not seek help because they feel that they will be viewed differently or negatively for it. Many don’t have the proper information nor resource to acquire the proper help that they need. 2. Visual Aid 1:

B. Satisfaction: 1. Main Point 1: When it comes to taking care of their mental health, many adults, 18 years and older, struggle with the cost of seeking help and knowing where to find it. a. Vocal Citation 2: “Peggy Christidis, a Senior Research Officer for the American Psychological Association, stated that in a 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, ‘Thirty-eight  percent of people who reported an unmet need said that they could not afford the cost of treatment, 28 percent said that they thought at the time that they could handle the problem without treatment, 21 percent said that they did not know where to go for services and 20 percent said that they did not have enough time for treatment.’” As college students, we have a pretty busy schedule with work, school, and family that when it comes to taking care of ourselves we just can't find the time. If community colleges held a mental awareness event on campus, students would be able to obtain information and resources about mental health as well as participate in activities for a few minutes or in between classes. b. Example 1: Some colleges like Syracuse University have successfully been able to create a Mental Health Awareness week on campus. Students for example, are able to participate in numerous activities like playing with “therapy dogs,” getting a yoga lesson, “Sending Silence Packing… to represent the number of college students lost to suicide each year,” and students would get the chance to learn more about Mental Health Awareness by obtaining information from a speaker “hosted by NAMI and Active Minds”.

2. Main Point 2: When we are physically sick, we tend to take better care of ourselves. We would: stay home, rest, ask someone to take care of us, and take medication. Unfortunately, when we are mentally sick, we resist seeking treatment and keep it to ourselves. a. Vocal Citation 3: “According to National Institute of Mental Health, it states, ‘physiological changes seen in depression may play a role in increasing the risk of physical illness.’” Mental illness affects the body, mind, emotions, and behavior. If the body is mentally stressed, many people can experience: skin irritations, infections, constricted breathing, headaches, and fatigue. Mental illness affects behavior by: insomnia, restlessness, loss of appetite, substance abuse, and loneliness. People, who are mentally disabled, suffer from thoughts like “Nothing good ever happens to me” and “My future looks bleak.” This causes people to feel overwhelmed, unhappy, irritable, frustrated, and lacking confidence. Just as physical illness can be debilitating, mental health problems can also keep us from going about our everyday routines. b. Vocal Citation 4: When it comes to helping students work through their mental health problems, universities provide students with more resources on and off campus compare to community colleges. For example, “Daniel Eisenberg, an Associate Professor of Health Management and Policy for University of Michigan, stated that 58% of four-year colleges and universities have on site psychiatric facilities for treating mental illness compared to just 8% of community colleges.” Although some community colleges do provide some resources for students struggling with their mental health, universities have been more successful with providing information and referrals for students to use outside and inside the campus.

C. Visualization

1. Visual Aid 2:

2. Example 2: Another example, of a college who organizes mental health awareness events on campus is Florida State University. FSU is known for organizing events like “Fresh Check Day, an event designed to bring the campus community together to ‘check in’ on the mental health and wellness of students.” Many students enjoy this event because it is a way for the college community to get together and educate themselves on mental health. The event provides the opportunity for students to be able to participate in games and festivities.

D. Action: 1. Vocal Citation 5: At Montgomery College, I hope to plan a mental health awareness workshop. The workshop would be held in a safe, and positive environment. In the

workshop, students will be able enhance their understanding of mental health. We would discuss how it is often overlooked and the unnoticed signs. The students will develop an action plan, which provides ways to maintain and improve their mental health and the people around them. By making personal connections, it may make other students more comfortable sharing their own problems. They will acquire the knowledge needed to improve and maintain their personal mental health. The goal of the workshop is to provide students with ways to take care of their mental health. The three points that would be discussed are: mental health 101, the importance of mental health and how to maintain your mental health, and the stigmas surrounding mental health. The workshop will not be limited to one learning style. There will be a variety of activities that appeal to visual and auditory learners as well. It will contain several small segments that will keep students engaged. At the end of the workshop, we would introduce the helpful resources. “According to Montgomery College Resources, it states, ‘The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800)273-8255… Montgomery College Counseling Offices-Rockville Campus (240)567-5063…’”

III. Conclusion:

Summarize Need, Satisfaction (including main points): To conclude, when it comes to taking care of our mental health, students don’t take the appropriate actions to take care of themselves because they are concern with the stigma that surrounds it. Some students who do want to take care of themselves don’t know how because they don’t have the right resources or information to do so. If community colleges were to organize events to help educate does who

need it, students would be able to obtain the proper information about mental health and gain some tips from professionals to help them with it. By informing students and starting a conversation about it, we can hopefully end the stigma surrounding mental health.

Re-state Visualization (if necessary): The National Alliance of Mental Illness defined mental illness as “a condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling or mood. Such conditions may affect someone's ability to relate to others and function each day.” Florida State University is known for organizing events like “Fresh Check Day, an event designed to bring the campus community together to ‘check in’ on the mental health and wellness of students.” Many students enjoy this event because it is a way for the college community to get together and educate themselves on mental health.

Re-state Action: I hope to plan a mental health awareness workshop. Students will be able enhance their understanding of mental health. By making personal connections, it may make other students more comfortable sharing their own problems. They will acquire the knowledge needed to improve and maintain their personal mental health. The goal of the workshop is to provide students with ways to take care of their mental health. It will contain several small segments that will keep students engaged. At the end of the workshop, we would introduce the helpful resources. “According to Montgomery College Resources, it states, ‘The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800)273-8255… Montgomery College Counseling Offices-Rockville Campus (240)567-5063…’”

Bibliography

Christidis, P., Lin, L., & Stamm, K. (2018, April). An unmet need for mental health services. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2018/04/datapoint Chronic Illness & Mental Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/chronic-illness-mental-health/index.shtml FSU 'checks up' on students during mental health awareness event. (2018, January 29). Retrieved fromhttps://news.fsu.edu/news/university-news/2018/01/29/fsu-checks-students-mental-h ealth-awareness-event/ My Parents' Support Shaped My Recovery. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions Office of Planning and Policy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/EDU/Department4sub1.aspx?id=6442...