On June 2, 2016, Jennifer Westacott of the Mental Illness Australia organization spoke to Parliament about mental illness reform, community and innovation. She spoke about how we need to better the mental health community as it is an epidemic in Australia at the moment. She needed to keep their attention and persuade them to not sit back and to actually do something and help the cause. She tried to do so by using several literary devices to subconsciously appeal to the representatives. Westacott is mostly trying to appeal to the Representative’s emotions as many argue that that is the best way to do so. The figures that Westacott used include many uses of repetition such as anaphora and polysyndeton. The other figures that she used include personification, metaphor, and imagery. …show more content…
Generally, anaphora is used to draw the audience in so that what they say next will be heard by everybody and so that they understand the importance.
The most evident of the general effect being utilized is in lines 49-50 when Westacott says “Australians living with a mental illness find it harder to get a job, harder to find a place to live and harder to live the kind of life their fellow citizens take for granted.” Because of the repetition of the phrase “harder to”, after each time Westacott says it feels like the burden on the mentally ill is getting deeper with each instance. Repetition also emphasizes on whatever is being said, in the previous quote it was used to understand how much of a burden people with mental illness have. In lines 51-54 that is built upon by saying how the mentally ill community is being a disservice in the Australian society. In lines 73-77, Westacott is repeating the phrase “we have failed”is trying to make Parliament feel guilty for not doing what they need to do in order to help a great portion of their citizens. Just as anaphora is a type of repetition that is based on structure, polysyndeton is also found in the
speech. Polysyndeton is only used in importance in one instance in the speech, but it is still quite powerful. In lines 77-79 the repetition of “and” is used to, of course, create emphasis, But this emphasis, however, is not to tell how badly the mentally ill community has it in the Australian society. It is emphasizing how much we should and need to help the mentally ill community. Because there are so many things that need to be focused on, the Representatives are realizing that this is a big issue. There are also multiple different types of figurative language used that are not dealing with repetition, one of them being personification. Personification is usually used to make the description of a certain subject livelier. This example is no different. In lines 106-108, Westacott used personification to let the audience know that nobody is safe from mental illness and how it can strike anybody at any time. This causes an emotional appeal and a sense of helplessness because now they realize that they can be stricken with mental illness. And if nothing is done to help the community then it would be their own fault that they do not have the help they need. Just as a personification is comparing an inanimate object to a person by giving it human traits, metaphor just compares two objects to each other. The purpose for metaphor is to give the reader something to relate to. It also makes the descriptions livelier, which can pull in the reader’s attention. In lines 94-95 Westacott used a metaphor to compare the efforts that people with mental health make to improve their lives to that of a hero. To compare it to that means there is a problem with the amount of work the mentally ill need to do. Heroes do an insurmountable amount of work, and to think many people go through that on a daily basis is mind boggling.
E: In the line “I am, you are, we are Australian” (stanza 4,8,9 & 10) repetition is used to create a metaphor which highlights the song’s central message - no matter your background, all Australians work together to make Australia great. This can be seen as an expression of cultural inclusion. E: “The rivers when they run” (stanza 7) is an excellent example of personification and alliteration. The poet used this clever image to describe areas of Australia that are usually in drought, but in flood times they flow wildly and dangerously.
However, local and national news also produces negativity towards mental illness by “portraying people with mental illness as threats to themselves and to others” (Anaya 4). In the past two years, the news features stories such as a man who has schizophrenia, running on a shooting spree then killing himself; or a mother with depression who murders her children, then kills herself (Anaya 4). Anaya explains that television programs use mental illness as a headline to grab the attention of views and ultimately implies to respond with fear (5). Highlighting that mental illnesses are the reason for the evil in society, hurting those who suffer with mental illnesses. Therefore, the population begin to believe mental illness is bad, so do the people who suffer with mental
Disabilities of mental health are common, but not many people are talking about them. As strong stigma is attached to them, and mishandled representation only furthers the stigma. Lori Schiller pushed through the silence to present a narrative that shows the complex ways in which a mental illness can affect someone and those around
The discussion of mental health is slowly being brought to the social surface to create a more inclusive society for those dealing with a mental illness. However, those with a mental illness are continuously being affected by stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination by those who simply don’t comprehend the complexity of the human brain (Glaser, G.2017). As more people become mental health activist, they are exposing the plethora of issues surrounding the overall mental and physical stability of those who are negatively affected by the social construct of what it means to be normal.
Throughout her presentation, she explains how public stigmas, once again, cause label avoidance pushing many who need help away from treatment. She then goes on to explain how these stereotyped behaviors cause discrimination towards people with a mental illness from employment to housing which only leads to the creation of more stigmas. Finally, she states how the impact of stigmas is associated with the reduction of self-esteem, overall poor health, and problems with interpersonal relationships (Willits). By using this presentation I am able to connect what we have learned about mental health stigmas to my article. First off, for example, Morris explains how psychiatric units invoke people to imagine a frightening place where insane patients are strapped down and poked and prodded for care (Morris). This stereotypical idea relates to how Willits described general stereotypes associated with mental illness such as crazy and dangerous (Willits). On top of that, Willits explained how these stigmas have negative consequences for patients (Willits). This relates to Morris’s explanation on how the stigma around institutions has caused these units to shut down forcing many people to be homeless or live in jail
There are so many types of mental illnesses that affect people every day. When some people think of mental illnesses they think of the ones that would cause people to have physical symptoms as well, but that’s untrue, there are many more that you would never know anyone has if you were to see them on the street. As defined by the 2008 encyclopedia “a mental illness is any disease of the mind or brain that seriously affects a person’s ability or behavior. Symptoms of a mental illness may include extreme moods, such as excessive sadness or anxiety, or a decreased ability to think clearly or remember well.” A mentally ill person has severe symptoms that damage the person’s ability to function in everyday activities and situations. Every nation and every economic level can be affected by a mental illness. In the United States alone about 3% of the population has severe mental illness and to add to that number about 40% of people will experience a type of mental illness at least once in their lives. Some cases of mental illnesses can go away on their own, but some cases are so severe that they require professional treatment. There is so much more available to help people recover from their symptoms than in the past.
Health is a complex concept, and when we talk about health we refer to body health and to the health of the mind, the health of relationships between us and those around us, the spiritual health. Looking online on one of the additional resources recommended, www.nimh.nih.gov, I have noticed that one of the symptoms of most diseases that affect a person's mental health is lack of sleep. Lack of sleep not only worsens man's mental health, but also causes serious imbalances in metabolism, immunity, general mood, and last but not least, affects the ability of learning and memorizing among students. The sleep fulfills a number of vital functions for both our mind and body. We spend about a third of our lives sleeping, which is a valuable and useful
Bibliography: The National Institute of Mental Health. " Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. " The National Institute of National Health.
The emotional health and wellbeing for our children should be the greatest importance to a parent. Four million children and adolescents in the United States live with serious mental disorders (Hamburg, 2006). Some conditions include depression, anxiety disorders, which are the most frequent that may later on lead to drug abuse. Some develop eating disorders that include bulimia and anorexia, others develop attention deficits, become hyperactive or antisocial behavioral responses that may limit the ability to think and learn and form social attachments or communicate with others. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health disorders are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Three of the ten leading causes of disability in people between the ages of 15 and 44 are mental disorders and the other cases are often associated with mental disorders and research has shown that most mental disorders begin in childhood and in adolescence (2009). Poor mental health can have an effect on wider health and development of adolescents in associations with social outcomes such as higher alcohol, tobacco and illicit substances, pregnancy, school dropout and even the act of wrong behaviors of a child.
The mental health assessment is a crucial part in everyday nursing care as it evaluates an individual’s mental condition to assess for risk factors of mental illnesses and provide optimal care and treatment. Mental health is described as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” (CDC) If the patient not mentally healthy, they can develop mentally illnesses, which can affect treatment and the disease process of physical ailments because without mental health a person cannot be completely healthy. “Suicide Risk Assessment in High Risk Adolescents” is a nursing article that outlines suicide risk factors and prevention strategies for assist nurses in performing mental health assessments. Suicide, the act of
Most people gather what they know about mental illnesses from television and film. Unfortunately these media portrayals are inaccurate and create stigma. They depict people suffering from mental illnesses as different, dangerous and laughable. Characters are often addicted to drugs or alcohol, are violent, dangerous, or out of control. Horror film characters like Norman Bates in Psycho, Jack Torrance in the Shining, or Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs associate the typical 'psycho- killer' with people who suffer from a mental illness. But dramas and horror films are not the only film genres that create stigma. Comedies like What About Bob and many others not only stigmatize, they also make fun of mental illnesses and the people who suffer from them. This paper will discuss how the film Me, Myself & Irene is an inaccurate, offensive and stigmatizing portrayal of an individual suffering from schizophrenia. It also discusses what can be done to counteract the stigma created by these types of films.
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), it defines mental illness as Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in thinking, emotion or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities. (What Is Mental Illness? (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness). Mental Disorders are a wide range of mental conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behavior. There are a lot of different psychological disorders here is a list of the major psychological disorders and their definitions:
I feel like the last two weeks have personally been physically and mentally draining. However, some of the techniques we have been practicing in class have become part of my coping methods. Besides midterms, papers and other school related projects, I have been struggling with my health. I was in and out of the hospital a few times—including impromptu emergency room visits—and fights with family members. I have been less focused on my activism and social justice work and my mindfulness, or attempts at being mindful, have been targeted at my personal life instead. Although we discuss mindfulness in context of our work in social justice, everything we discuss applies to our daily interactions.
Mental health refers to the state of individuals psychologically, emotionally and socially. Mental health affects a person’s emotions, feelings, thoughts, and sections when exposed to different situations. Furthermore, mental health is responsible for a person’s reaction to stress and other social conditions. Generally, mental health affects how a person relates to others and their ability to understand and interact with them. Therefore, problems that affect a person’s mental health affect the abilities to socialize, their feelings, moods, reaction to situations. The person experiencing mental health problem may portray different behaviors when confronted with different issues. Mental health issues have several
Mental wellbeing is a key component of complete health and wellness that is usually overlooked by individuals of all ages. The WHO defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’ From the definition, to achieve a state of perfect health, mental wellbeing has to be put into consideration.