Essay 1

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Albert Castanon
Professor Olivas
English 201
22 June, 2017
The Negative Stigma Surrounding Mental Health Issues
A persons view regarding mental health is often linked to their direct experiences with
these issues and their level of exposure. Most people are not often exposed to the types of issues
that being mentally unhealthy present. The differing perspectives that these individuals carry
lead to the negative stigma that has surrounded mental health issues since the inception of the
concept of mental health. This is pointed out by Dr. Guy Winch in one of his opening statements:
Oh, a Psychologist. So not a real doctor. This is basically invalidating his studies due to it
being something that not many people take seriously. People need to understand that mental
health is just as important as their physical health, whether it be changing bad habits or merely
understanding why it is so important. The information regarding mental health needs to be
discussed at a young age so that it can lay a foundation to be built upon. If people never change
their perceptions of mental health then it will be impossible to break free from the negative
stigma that surrounds it. Winch uses rhetorical devices to strengthen his points during the TED
talk. He shows a strong usage of ethos and logos and plays strongly on examples of pathos to
help guide the viewers in the direction he wants to lead them.
There are several reasons that Dr. Winch would like people to be aware of mental health
issues and how to overcome them. Mainly because of how detrimental they can be to a persons
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overall health. Winch points out the difference between a persons understanding of physical and
mental health and how one is seen as more important by most people. Both mental health and
physical health are important to a persons overall well-being but only one of them is stressed
throughout a persons lifetime. This leads most people to be very hesitant to seek information
regarding mental health compared to physical. It is made to seem as if one is going to be
criticized for wanting to ensure their mental health is stable. Not everyone is aware of the issues
that stem from poor mental health and most dont know how to handle them.
Winch presents examples that appeal to a more logical side; he gives information
regarding statistics and his own life experiences. He mentions how many people do not take
mental health issues seriously. How it is not something that people prioritize when taking their
general health into account. Winch also mentions that mental health is not an issue that is
stressed early on in life whereas physical health is. During the talk it is stressed that mental
health is not something to be taken lightly and that even things such as loneliness can have huge
impacts on a persons well-being. Winch presents some facts regarding chronic loneliness and
explains how poor mental health can also change a person physical health. Chronic loneliness
itself can prove harmful to a persons health and in some cases lead to a shorter lifespan. Winch
states chronic loneliness increases your likelihood of an early death by as much as 14 percent.
As well as also causing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and, even suppressing the immune
system. These claims are backed with studies by scientists that have concluded that chronic
loneliness on its own is as bad for your health as smoking cigarettes is.
Dr. Winch uses his own experiences to demonstrate how even mental health
professionals can be susceptible to the issues that he is discussing. He presents examples that
many everyday people can relate to; a relative having a life-threatening illness, the fear and
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feelings of being rejected, the fear of being left behind or feeling for someone while they do not
feel for you. All of these examples resonate with the audience in some way or another and give
way to an emotional opening for them to realize that they deal with these issues as well. The
examples presented appeal to most everyone due to the fact that these are all common
occurrences in a persons lifetime. Winch comes back to mention a time where he was expecting
a phone call from his brother on a special occasion, but he never received it. He talked about how
it felt to him and how it was the worst thing ever, how he didnt have an answer for it. He goes
on a tangent afterwards to explain that the reason he felt demotivated and upset was due to
loneliness and how it removed his positive emotions and replaced them with negative emotions.
I didnt have an answer then, but I do today: Loneliness.
It isnt very hard to understand that Winch knows his subject in depth and his
presentation enables people to step in and view it from a different perspective. Although Winch
gives examples on how to battle mental health issues one of the underlying factors for it being
such an issue is the stigma that surrounds it. Poor mental health has always been seen as
something that people shouldnt talk about to others and just keep to themselves for fear of
criticism. Parallels to physical health are drawn and it is compared to mental health in the respect
that most people can understand one but not the other. In actuality, mental and physical health
should both be treated equally as neither is more important than the other. Winch asks Are you
aware of how your mind reacts to failure? People are taught to care for their bodies as soon as
they are old enough to understand languages. However the same is not true for the mind.
Teaching and reinforcing the ideals that preserving a person mental health is important should be
started early in order to provide a firm grasp on the topic. It should not be seen as something that
is negative, not something to be judged for, but instead something that should be cared for.
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Works cited
Winch, Guy. Why We All Need To Practice Emotional First Aid. Ted.Nov.2014.Lecture.
Source: https://www.ted.com/talks/guy_winch_the_case_for_emotional_hygiene

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Castanon 1

The Negative Stigma Surrounding Mental Health Issues

understanding why it is so important. The information regarding mental health needs to be

help guide the viewers in the direction he wants to lead them.

regarding mental health compared to physical. It is made to seem as if one is going to be

I didnt have an answer then, but I do today: Loneliness.

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