Monday, May 27, 2019

5 Theses on Mental Illnesses and Suicide

Although the occurrence of suicide is no secret, the mental illnesses surrounding the decision to take one's own life are often topics that are avoided. Mental illnesses still have quite a few stigmas around them that I've talked about in previous blog posts (linked here and here), but it's important that we talk more about mental health and suicide prevention so that fewer people feel like suicide is their only option. It's also important that we come up with new and improved ways to treat mental illnesses so that those who have not experienced improvement through traditional methods, like therapy, can still get better.

Issues surrounding mental health and suicide can be discussed with five different rhetorical claims:

"Teen Depression" by Robert Cartier, via deviantart.com
  1. (Policy Claim) Although suicide can be a difficult topic to discuss, middle and high schools should include suicide awareness in their curriculum so that students can be aware of symptoms in themselves and in their friends.
  2. (Definition Claim) While many who live with mental health conditions are embarrassed of them and try to hide them, mental illnesses are nothing to be ashamed about and are not the entirety of a person's identity.
  3. (Comparison Claim) Mental illness is often seen as a defect in a person by the people surrounding them, but mental illnesses are just like any other medical condition.
  4. (Evaluation Claim) Although traditional therapy and medication may be all that one patient needs for improvement, for others, this method can be inadequate and may worsen their condition.
  5. (Casual Claim) Some may be skeptical as to nature's influence on mental health, but research has shown that being out in nature for at least an hour every week may lead to improved symptoms in those who live with mental illnesses.

As I was writing these different types of claims, I realized that I have used all of these at one point or another in my life and just didn't realize it. Comparison claims, though, are the claims that stand out and make me think the most. I like to be able to make connections to other things that I've learned. Do you like to do that as well, or do you like to learn about things by themselves?
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4 comments:

  1. Kelsey SampsonMay 28, 2019 at 12:05 AM

    To me, the evaluation claim you made is especially interesting. I'd be very interested to know in which situations therapy and medicine are less likely to be adequate and what other methods (such as nature, brought up in your last claim) have often been successful in addressing mental illness. But, I think all of your claims were incredibly clear; really good job!

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  2. Nate KloepferMay 28, 2019 at 1:03 AM

    I also like the evaluation claim, primarily because it addresses the reality that mental illness varies from person to person, and the treatments therefore vary as well. It would be a good discussion about how therapy or medication is not always the best. From my past experience (for example), therapy didn't help me out very much.

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  3. Josh ParmleyMay 28, 2019 at 8:57 AM

    I actually really like your casual claim. I like the optimistic view (that maybe hope for people in those situations is closer and simpler than we realize). Of course, you'd have to be really clear with specifics, like what you mean by "improved symptoms" but I'm sure you could easily expand on that.

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  4. Pualani HaveaMay 28, 2019 at 9:27 AM

    I really like your comparison thesis! If you broke your leg, you wouldn't dare not go to the hospital for it to heal. But if your mind is sick people can tend to have this "suck it up" or "get over it" mentality instead of encouraging others to seek proper help.

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