Ninoscha-Speech

A speech for the manufactured hearts

This speech is for the manufactured hearts, to those who immensely spend their time yearning for a medical degree to diagnose themselves ‘depressed.’ This speech is for the manufactured hearts, who book an appointment with the therapist ‘@relatablesadquotes’ on Instagram. This speech is for the manufactured hearts, to those who continuously mold their beings to fit the criteria social media, movies, society made-- with the idea of needing to have a mental illness to be loved.

The Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition classifies clinical depression as a mood disorder, while a bundle of young people believes that it is a key to be mentally ill because of stories of people emerging from a nobody into a somebody. Demi Lovato, a well-known celebrity who suffered from bulimia and bipolar depression at the age of 11, was turned into a woman with a lucrative and successful career in pop music, tirelessly working on the mental health of herself and others. With the battle to fame and success appearing so... simple, who wouldn’t want to “fake it till you make it”?

Because these days, it’s so easy to disregard-- according to the Central Disease Control and Prevention-- the 113 Americans that die by suicide daily, the 10th leading death cause in every age group. To downgrade their souls and beings with the way we look at mental illnesses. To tranquilize the truth behind mental illnesses and trap the reality into our own. To abuse the term ''mental diseases” by turning it to the world’s best-selling album.

As a member of ‘Eye to Eye’, I believe that mental illnesses are more than just a status, more than just an idea, more than just a topic. But no matter the amount of attention social media brings to mental illnesses, the importance people have embedded behind mental diseases, the awareness social media finally brings to mental illnesses, it’s still more than that. However, even when someone who uses a social networking site is 1.63 times more likely to avoid severe psychological distress, according to Michigan State University, the negativity still outweighs the positivity behind the attention social networking sites give to mental diseases. In fact, teens who spend 5 hours or more online are 71% more likely to develop at least one risk factor that can lead to severe mental diseases, and even suicide.

Mental illnesses shouldn’t be showcased in social media, nor should it be a strategy to increase sales. In a world filled with young people who are determined to make significant changes, we should start by empathizing and understanding each other, not mocking and objectifying each other.

After all, we should see each other; we should look at each other-- eye to eye.