Suicide is Preventable.

Part One:

“I think transitioning from single-use to reusable or compostable products is a helpful step to less landfill garbage. We make a lot of trash, and eventually, we will run out of space for it. So transitioning away from single-use products that are non-compostable will have a better impact on our environment in the long run.”  

“You don’t think you could ever really do anything about it, do you?”  

“Well, I can buy reusable or compostable options.”  

“Okay, but it’s not like you’re going to change much by doing that.”  

“Even though my buying reusable and compostable products might not make a big positive change, it makes me feel better about it. I’m sure there are other ways to make an impact, but honestly, I don’t have the time or energy to look into it.”  

“If you don’t have time or energy to do more, then what is the point of even trying?”  

“Anything is better than nothing.” 

“Yeah, I guess so.” 

By bothering myself, it can set off a domino effect of more people bothering with me. The more people bother, the more people want to bother as well because of crowd mentality. The more people put money into reusable products, the more the market for these products will grow. Every good change has started with people bothering about it. There are more ways than buying or voting to make an impact. Growing a garden positively impacts the environment, socialization, and health. In the future, being able to grow food might be useful. Practicing good habits now will help in the future as well. 

“Specialization” did lead to cheap energy, climate change, and more divided and reliant lives. In that sense, it is “the disease of the modern character.” But what about the specialization of the medical field? Saving people’s lives and lengthening them is not a “disease of the modern character" if anything, it is curing their disease. Making the choices to bother will help us become healthier as a society. Whether growing a garden, reducing meat consumption, etc., it will contribute to a healthy society. 

He starts by stating his stance, plays devil’s advocate against himself, and then leads the audience from opposing questions to supportive answers. Battling the big arguments against my stance and guiding the reader through will improve my essay. Also, I will clearly state my problem and detail my solution.  

Part Two: 

In addition to lessening the stigma around children’s mental health, free coping mechanisms must be advocated for, and treatment must be more accessible in Minnesota. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people (ages 15-24) in Minnesota, and about one in six U.S. youth (ages 6-17) experience a mental health disorder each year. Not only that, but NAMI reports that 59.3% of Minnesota’s youth (ages 12-17) who had depression did not receive any treatment in the last year. Many factors contribute to the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, such as substance abuse, childhood trauma, adversity, grief, exposure to violence, social isolation, access to lethal means, etc. Many parents feel that getting their children the mental health treatments they need means they are considered bad parents. Not only that, but there are significant race/ethnicity disparities in adolescent suicide in Minnesota. According to the Minnesotan Department of Health, American Indian youth’s suicide rates are nearly three times that of the youth of other races, and there is an increase in suicides among African American youth. This is due to historical trauma, poverty, lack of access to mental health services, and interpersonal violence. Although there is no “cure” for mental illness, effective treatments can prevent suicides and help patients recover and live long and healthy lives. In addition, the individual can help destigmatize and spread free coping mechanisms to help their loved ones. Supporting a loved one with a mental illness and preventing them from suicide is something we all want. Free resources are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 988 suicide & crisis lifeline, the state mobile crisis services, and the crisis text line. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy reduces the power of traumatic memories but can also help the individual think more clearly. I use part of EDMR, taught by my therapist, to handle emotional breakdowns. When in emotional distress, the brain increases the blood flow to the amygdala and lessens it in the frontal lobe. While closing my eyes, I move my eyes bilaterally from left to right. Doing this eye movement redirects blood flow from the amygdala to the frontal lobe and helps me think logically through my emotional distress. Coping mechanisms such as this should be widespread information. It could greatly help children who are denied mental health help.