Depression Informative Speech

Topics of mental health have always been plagued with a terrible stigma. Youth and adults alike are doubted and mental disorders are demonized and portrayed in an entirely negative light. The voice of the few who have mental disorders is effortlessly drowned out by the combined voices of the many. Celebrities have a much larger sphere of influence than the average person so when they speak out about mental illness, people listen.

Some say that “doctors are overdosing normal sadness to major depression” and that antidepressants actually make the situation worse or bring on depression that wasn’t there. For some people taking antidepressants may have effective results for a short time, but they actually increase the odds of chronical illness. Society is becoming more isolated and independent , where people live daily in irritation and aggressive lifestyles, which causes people to rebel. That everyday we all go through periods of hopelessness, which is true, but depression is where it's constant and tears you apart.” The most common explanations for the mental illness epidemic include recent overdiagnosis of psychiatric disorders, diagnostic expansionism, and psychiatry's pathologizing normal behavior”( ), or that it's easier to qualify or check the box for depression for a lot more people. Mental Illnesses put a lot of stress and disorder in the hostess life and isn’t just an over diagnostic or an act of rebellion.

2. Then we have psychotherapy or counseling, where you talk with a psychologist or psychiatrist about your problems. Usually you meet on an outpatient basis every week, however severe depression sometimes causes hospitalization where you have counseling sessions daily and also group peer sessions. My depression affected my daily task at work so I was mandated by my employer to attend counseling or I could choose to be fired. It’s difficult at first to open up about things but it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I felt a relief that someone understood my thought process and could give me suggestions and skills to use every day to help cope with the depression.

Depression is mental illnesses characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, despair and worthlessness that interfere with daily functioning and personal relationships. It is an illness caused by an imbalance of the chemicals in the brain. It affects about 19 million people and cost billions in any given year (Ford-Martin). Some of the symptoms of depression are having a hard time focusing, constant crying, and loss of interest or pleasure in ordinary everyday activities, sleep problems, problems with eating and weight (gain or loss). Depression strikes all age groups, and often goes unrecognized or inadequately treated.

Anxiety is one of the most common illnesses in America. Your palms can get sweaty, you get nervous and your blood pressure can increase. Some students can go through anxiety every day just by having to go to school or present in class like I am now. I am presenting a speech in front of a decent size class some of who I am familiar with and some of you who I barely know so that can be a bit scary and nerve racking.

The general public increasingly attributes mental disorders to biological causes such as a chemical imbalance or inherited genes (Schnittker, 2008; Schomerus et al., 2012).

My informative speech was on what factors influence access to mental health care facilities in the United States. I spoke on how government access, mental health stigma, and public awareness all affect how people can get proper treatment in mental health care facilities. I described how mental health care facilities include school, hospitals, as well as outpatient centers across the nation. I explained why physical and mental health should be treated equally; not with one type of health having more power over the other. My passion for this topic was driven by my desire to be a therapist in the future. I plan on going to graduate school to earn a master's degree so I can help make a difference in people’s lives as a counselor. In my speech,

1. The extent to which these factors cause schizophrenia is till widely debated and is a controversial topic till date.

The Star.com. (November 3, 2014). Student help line finds 50 callers a month considering suicide. Retrieved March 7, 2015, from http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2014/11/03/student_help_line_finds_50_callers_a_month_considering_suicide.html

other parts of the world have reported signs of depression by being sad for different reasons. Depression is a normal occurrence that follows the death of a loved one, challenges of life struggles, problems in social life and the feeling of low self-worth.

Attention Getter: Have you ever been down in the dumps? Always feeling helpless or worthless? No matter what you do you just can’t seem to be happy. Well if you have ever felt that way this could be a sign of depression.

Attention Getting Device: “All day, every day, life is like this. Fear. Apprehension. Avoidance. Pain. Anxiety about what you said. Fear that you said something wrong. Worry about others' disapproval. Afraid of rejection, of not fitting in. Anxious to enter a conversation, afraid you'll have nothing to talk about. Hiding what's wrong with you deep inside, putting up a defensive wall to protect your "secret". You are undergoing the daily, chronic trouble of living with this mental disorder we call social anxiety disorder.” How many of you know someone or have heard of mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, or personality disorders?

Is depression a subject that people typically tend to brush aside? Rather than facing away from a serious issue that people suffer from in their daily lives, we should discuss the methods to help people with their struggle from depression. A common method to treat depression is the use of antidepressants. But are they effective? Do they cause more harm and danger than aid? Are there other methods that can provide greater improvement rather than a pill? Instead​ ​of​ ​using​ ​antidepressants​ ​there​ ​are​ ​other​ ​alternatives such​ ​as​ ​placebos​ ​and​ ​types​ ​of​ ​therapy​ ​that​ ​can​ ​be​ ​just​ ​as,​ ​or​ ​more​ ​effective​ ​than​ ​the​ ​use​ ​of ​prescription​ antidepressants.

I chose this topic because I wanted to focus on a matter that is relevant to the audience in order for them to be interested. Also, I wanted the audience to learn something new that they could apply to their lives currently.

1. It does not clearly define the nature of the treatment plan or how to establish specific treatment goals. This means that it failed to keep pace with the changing nature of the provision of mental health services in the current day.