.....::Essay 1: They're not seeking attention; They need it ~ Treating Depression
My first essay that I did in English class and of Junior year. We had the freedom to choose our topic, so I chose to write on the topic of depression and treating depression. This is because I personally know people who suffer from depression and I wanted to educate myself a little more about the disease if I could help them.
Before writing our essays, we had to research about our topics. Fortunately, Pam provided us with a great source called CQ researcher. We wrote three research responses, in which we would analyze a source. Then we would evaluate the source's author to see if they are eligible and trustworthy sources of information to put in our essays.
After writing our first drafts, we did many workshops to revise the essay to bring it as close to perfection as we could before the final deadline. We worked with students who were proficient in subjects we were less than adequate in, so that we got the optimum amount of useful feedback.
After turning in our final drafts, we were returned our essays with Pam's suggestions for revision. The things I revised were my wordiness and repetition, my clarity and explanations, and some of my organization.
Before writing our essays, we had to research about our topics. Fortunately, Pam provided us with a great source called CQ researcher. We wrote three research responses, in which we would analyze a source. Then we would evaluate the source's author to see if they are eligible and trustworthy sources of information to put in our essays.
After writing our first drafts, we did many workshops to revise the essay to bring it as close to perfection as we could before the final deadline. We worked with students who were proficient in subjects we were less than adequate in, so that we got the optimum amount of useful feedback.
After turning in our final drafts, we were returned our essays with Pam's suggestions for revision. The things I revised were my wordiness and repetition, my clarity and explanations, and some of my organization.
They're not seeking
attention; They need it.
Imagine -- perhaps you don’t have to -- that somebody close to you suffers from depression. People around them say that it isn’t a big deal and a little bit of medicine may help, but they don’t pay that much attention to it. Eventually, that depression evolves into other illnesses, whether it be medical illnesses or other mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Conversely, people with various medical diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, or heart disease are prone to develop depression (Organic Roots). It becomes harder for them to recover from the illnesses, as the symptoms affected with depression become more severe and the medical costs become higher (NIMH). Statistics show that 85 percent of patients with mental illnesses drop out of school before graduating, and between 15 and 25 percent of them will be unemployed (Clemmitt 576). Can you fathom the idea of having to watch somebody close to you suffer because they were not able to get treatment for their depression? Clearly there is a link between depression, or any other mental disease, and many medical diseases. Thus this raises the question, why are medical and mental illnesses not given the same amount of treatment?
Depression is a prevailing illness in today’s society among children, teenagers, and adults. 4.7 percent of the population of adolescents alone suffer from depression (Tracy). Depression is more prominent in younger people than older people, as shown by a survey of military veterans after the Iraq war. It can be a genetic disorder, or caused by stress. It becomes quite prevalent when the economy falls as well, such as in the 2008 economic recession, which resulted in many murder-suicide cases. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell depression from “normal sadness;” however, there are some clear signs that make it easier to tell the two apart (Clemmitt 576). For example, depression is more often a constant and longer-lasting sadness without any particular reason, as opposed to having feelings of contempt as a result of some sort of event. If a person were to suffer from a medical illness due to or while having depression, there can be severe consequences. Even so, depression alone can lead a person to commit suicide. If the consequences of mental illness are as dire as those of medical illness, it would make sense that both types of illness get the same amount of attention. However, the Columbia University health professor Glied says, “you can’t just [treat] mental health as if it is entirely like everything else” (Clemmitt 591).While this is true, this does not mean that mental health should be any less attended to. Mental health should be paid as much attention as medical health, and have the same amount of treatment.
There is a solid connection between mental and physical health. Both kinds of disease can cause an equal amount of pain. According to Dennis S. Charney, who is the Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s professor of psychiatry, depression ranks among the top three most painful diseases because of its ability to make people suffer. He also says, “When you see people with the clinical disease, they tell you it’s as painful as any other medical disease” (Clemmitt 576). This fact makes it no less different than a medical and physical condition. If people find it just as painful as any other medical disease, then it makes it incredibly unfair that treatment for something of the sort is not readily available. While pain is a matter of subjectivity, it always does get worse with time; this is regardless of if it affects someone’s head or if it affects someone’s body. This is why it’s important to treat the pain early. Depression has been the cause of many different diseases and is caused by other diseases. Depression is the most common co-occurring illness, which means that most diseases go hand-in-hand with the mental illness (Clemmitt 576). Even though depression can make other medical diseases more severe, that does not stop it from being physically hindering on its own. People with depression most often die approximately 25 years earlier than a person who does not suffer from the disease. If depression have such an impact on someone normally, it could have a terribly harsh impact when it is combined with another equally harsh disease. Obviously, depression is not only mentally hindering in its effects to unmotivate a person, but it is physically deteriorating. There is an obvious connection between mental and medical health.
In order to bring more attention to mental health, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was signed into law in 2008. It was created for the sole purpose of giving mental health the same amount of attention as medical health gets. Of course there were disputes about the benefits and consequences of the law being passed. Many people would argue about how it would raise health care costs by a fortune for no reason, and it was only going to lead to a terrible economic downfall. John C. Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis says that laws should not be able to dictate insurance companies, and force people to pay for the same amount of coverage. He also says that mental health does not have exact conditions and diagnoses because “the illness is often experienced subjectively” (Clemmitt 589). Regardless of subjectivity, mental health is still a very real and ultimately treatable issue, if doctors would pay more attention to it. Thanks to the parity law being passed, mental health now does get more attention. The benefits of it could easily evolve into a large scale positive effect on the country. Hypothetically, if mental illnesses are prevented early, it could prevent any further and deadlier diseases that sprout and coincide with depression and illnesses like it. Because of this, people would not have to pay for the more expensive treatments that come with physical symptoms. According to Clemmitt, medication for depression is far cheaper than procedures, for it costs about $1,500 on average for complete treatment, including therapy and drugs (577). If people have more money, there's bound to be less debt in paying medical bills, which in turn leads to a better economy and a better flow of currency. Of course, that's a rather extreme idea, but it does not mean it is not possible. Since 2008, the recession has gotten better, which goes to prove that the economy has improved. James E. Purcell, CEO of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, claims that it also cost-effective. “Yes, it adds some up-front costs, but it provides better care to people who desperately need it,” he says (Clemmitt 589). It would also be better than paying more money later on. This makes the passing of the parity law completely justified and the right thing to do.
However, even with or without the parity law, depression and mental illness treatment does not need to rely on medical insurance. “It’s hard to get people to understand that mental health is a prevention issue,” says Boeronio of Mental Health America (Clemmitt 592). What she means is that family and friends of those suffering from depression can easily get it cured if paid attention to very early. Symptoms of depression can be seen in teenagers and adolescents, and there can even be signs of the illness in children. If we were able to know and recognize the symptoms, then it could be prevented. It's worth it and very logical to prevent the problem earlier before it develops into something much worse. If so, a person will not have to pay a large medical bill for a physical ailment that developed from the mental disease. However, it seems as if recognizing the symptoms of mental illness aren’t nearly as promoted in today’s society as recognizing symptoms of those who have medical diseases. Of course there are groups locally that promote these ideas, like Up2SD.com, but mental illness is still not paid as much attention to as medical illness. If we could stop a person’s depression from developing further, then it could stop many future problems, such as if they resorted to substance abuse in order to function normally. It’s proven that mental illnesses alone do not cause a person to be violent but it does if it were to be combined with substance abuse (Clemmitt 579). Most people rely on drugs to lift up their depressed state of mind, which could result in crime and illegal drug dealing. The violence sprouts from the depression. Thus, if these illnesses can be prevented early, there would be less violence in society. This is why mental illness should be paid more attention like medical illness is, if not even more.
Imagine that somebody close to you suffers from depression. Imagine that we would know better to treat it early than to just ignore it until it develops into a physical inhibitor that could be seen with the naked eye. Imagine helping them get through their treatment, because the law makes it so that their mental illness would get as much attention as any other disease. Imagine that. This is why mental health should have the same amount of treatment as medical health gets. There is a clear connection between medical and mental health. With the help of the parity law, mental health is now receiving the attention it deserves. Although, it does not have to rely just on the law, because preventing mental health problems can be up to you. Imagine a whole world in which mental health problems are fixed, which helps fix many other diseases. Of course, that world may be far away, but we will be well on our way there if we just pay a little more attention and take these small steps to fix the issue of mental health.
Works Cited
Clemmitt, Marcia. “Treating Depression.” CQ Researcher. 26 June 2009. 16 April 2013.
CQ Researcher Blog. 1 February 2008. 17 April 2013. <http://cqresearcherblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/cq-researcher-authors.html>.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). 30 April 2013. <http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/complete-index.shtml>.
Organic Roots. 30 April 2013. <http://www.sproutsnaturalmarket.net/ns/DisplayMonograph.asp?storeID=X95XDEPXKAS92JS100AKHMCCQJK613V8&DocID=
depression>.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 16 January 2013. 1 May 2013. <http://www.samhsa.gov/healthreform/parity/>.
Tracy, Natasha. “Teenage Depression-Signs, Symptoms, Antidepressants.” HealthyPlace. 26 March 2013. 23 April 2013. < http://www.healthyplace.com
/depression/children/teenage-depression-signs-symptoms-antidepressants/>
Depression is a prevailing illness in today’s society among children, teenagers, and adults. 4.7 percent of the population of adolescents alone suffer from depression (Tracy). Depression is more prominent in younger people than older people, as shown by a survey of military veterans after the Iraq war. It can be a genetic disorder, or caused by stress. It becomes quite prevalent when the economy falls as well, such as in the 2008 economic recession, which resulted in many murder-suicide cases. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell depression from “normal sadness;” however, there are some clear signs that make it easier to tell the two apart (Clemmitt 576). For example, depression is more often a constant and longer-lasting sadness without any particular reason, as opposed to having feelings of contempt as a result of some sort of event. If a person were to suffer from a medical illness due to or while having depression, there can be severe consequences. Even so, depression alone can lead a person to commit suicide. If the consequences of mental illness are as dire as those of medical illness, it would make sense that both types of illness get the same amount of attention. However, the Columbia University health professor Glied says, “you can’t just [treat] mental health as if it is entirely like everything else” (Clemmitt 591).While this is true, this does not mean that mental health should be any less attended to. Mental health should be paid as much attention as medical health, and have the same amount of treatment.
There is a solid connection between mental and physical health. Both kinds of disease can cause an equal amount of pain. According to Dennis S. Charney, who is the Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s professor of psychiatry, depression ranks among the top three most painful diseases because of its ability to make people suffer. He also says, “When you see people with the clinical disease, they tell you it’s as painful as any other medical disease” (Clemmitt 576). This fact makes it no less different than a medical and physical condition. If people find it just as painful as any other medical disease, then it makes it incredibly unfair that treatment for something of the sort is not readily available. While pain is a matter of subjectivity, it always does get worse with time; this is regardless of if it affects someone’s head or if it affects someone’s body. This is why it’s important to treat the pain early. Depression has been the cause of many different diseases and is caused by other diseases. Depression is the most common co-occurring illness, which means that most diseases go hand-in-hand with the mental illness (Clemmitt 576). Even though depression can make other medical diseases more severe, that does not stop it from being physically hindering on its own. People with depression most often die approximately 25 years earlier than a person who does not suffer from the disease. If depression have such an impact on someone normally, it could have a terribly harsh impact when it is combined with another equally harsh disease. Obviously, depression is not only mentally hindering in its effects to unmotivate a person, but it is physically deteriorating. There is an obvious connection between mental and medical health.
In order to bring more attention to mental health, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was signed into law in 2008. It was created for the sole purpose of giving mental health the same amount of attention as medical health gets. Of course there were disputes about the benefits and consequences of the law being passed. Many people would argue about how it would raise health care costs by a fortune for no reason, and it was only going to lead to a terrible economic downfall. John C. Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis says that laws should not be able to dictate insurance companies, and force people to pay for the same amount of coverage. He also says that mental health does not have exact conditions and diagnoses because “the illness is often experienced subjectively” (Clemmitt 589). Regardless of subjectivity, mental health is still a very real and ultimately treatable issue, if doctors would pay more attention to it. Thanks to the parity law being passed, mental health now does get more attention. The benefits of it could easily evolve into a large scale positive effect on the country. Hypothetically, if mental illnesses are prevented early, it could prevent any further and deadlier diseases that sprout and coincide with depression and illnesses like it. Because of this, people would not have to pay for the more expensive treatments that come with physical symptoms. According to Clemmitt, medication for depression is far cheaper than procedures, for it costs about $1,500 on average for complete treatment, including therapy and drugs (577). If people have more money, there's bound to be less debt in paying medical bills, which in turn leads to a better economy and a better flow of currency. Of course, that's a rather extreme idea, but it does not mean it is not possible. Since 2008, the recession has gotten better, which goes to prove that the economy has improved. James E. Purcell, CEO of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, claims that it also cost-effective. “Yes, it adds some up-front costs, but it provides better care to people who desperately need it,” he says (Clemmitt 589). It would also be better than paying more money later on. This makes the passing of the parity law completely justified and the right thing to do.
However, even with or without the parity law, depression and mental illness treatment does not need to rely on medical insurance. “It’s hard to get people to understand that mental health is a prevention issue,” says Boeronio of Mental Health America (Clemmitt 592). What she means is that family and friends of those suffering from depression can easily get it cured if paid attention to very early. Symptoms of depression can be seen in teenagers and adolescents, and there can even be signs of the illness in children. If we were able to know and recognize the symptoms, then it could be prevented. It's worth it and very logical to prevent the problem earlier before it develops into something much worse. If so, a person will not have to pay a large medical bill for a physical ailment that developed from the mental disease. However, it seems as if recognizing the symptoms of mental illness aren’t nearly as promoted in today’s society as recognizing symptoms of those who have medical diseases. Of course there are groups locally that promote these ideas, like Up2SD.com, but mental illness is still not paid as much attention to as medical illness. If we could stop a person’s depression from developing further, then it could stop many future problems, such as if they resorted to substance abuse in order to function normally. It’s proven that mental illnesses alone do not cause a person to be violent but it does if it were to be combined with substance abuse (Clemmitt 579). Most people rely on drugs to lift up their depressed state of mind, which could result in crime and illegal drug dealing. The violence sprouts from the depression. Thus, if these illnesses can be prevented early, there would be less violence in society. This is why mental illness should be paid more attention like medical illness is, if not even more.
Imagine that somebody close to you suffers from depression. Imagine that we would know better to treat it early than to just ignore it until it develops into a physical inhibitor that could be seen with the naked eye. Imagine helping them get through their treatment, because the law makes it so that their mental illness would get as much attention as any other disease. Imagine that. This is why mental health should have the same amount of treatment as medical health gets. There is a clear connection between medical and mental health. With the help of the parity law, mental health is now receiving the attention it deserves. Although, it does not have to rely just on the law, because preventing mental health problems can be up to you. Imagine a whole world in which mental health problems are fixed, which helps fix many other diseases. Of course, that world may be far away, but we will be well on our way there if we just pay a little more attention and take these small steps to fix the issue of mental health.
Works Cited
Clemmitt, Marcia. “Treating Depression.” CQ Researcher. 26 June 2009. 16 April 2013.
CQ Researcher Blog. 1 February 2008. 17 April 2013. <http://cqresearcherblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/cq-researcher-authors.html>.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). 30 April 2013. <http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/complete-index.shtml>.
Organic Roots. 30 April 2013. <http://www.sproutsnaturalmarket.net/ns/DisplayMonograph.asp?storeID=X95XDEPXKAS92JS100AKHMCCQJK613V8&DocID=
depression>.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 16 January 2013. 1 May 2013. <http://www.samhsa.gov/healthreform/parity/>.
Tracy, Natasha. “Teenage Depression-Signs, Symptoms, Antidepressants.” HealthyPlace. 26 March 2013. 23 April 2013. < http://www.healthyplace.com
/depression/children/teenage-depression-signs-symptoms-antidepressants/>