Mental Health Persuasive Speech Outline

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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!” Or: “She’s like … anorexic skinny!” Or: “The weather is so bipolar today!” In all honesty, using mental illnesses as adjectives is just completely wrong. Like physical illnesses, mental illnesses are not adjectives. It is like saying you have pneumonia because you coughed – it’s a huge exaggeration. The superficiality of these adjectives also creates false …show more content…

Often, people are unable to speak out because of the judgement and lack of support from their peers. According to Mental Health America, 1 in 5 adults have a mental health condition, and nearly 60% do not receive treatment. Lack of treatment can lead to more serious situations, like self-harm and death by suicide. Nobody should think that they have to keep their health struggles a secret in order to look better in society’s eyes. It is not weak, or a bother, to get help. As a matter of fact, it is an incredibly brave thing to do, and people don’t get enough credit for doing …show more content…

We should be open about mental health, so that people are able to speak up and get help, but not to the point that mental illnesses are normalized, romanticized, and trivialized. So, stop glorifying them. Stop acting like it’s a choice. Stop acting like they are entertainment. Stop using them as an adjective. To all of you fighting through your mental illness, I am here for you. I love you, I value you, I care about you, I am proud of you. You are so much more than your mental illness. You are a beautiful person, and you deserve to love

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