Rational | |
The Purpose is to inform the audience about the impact of anxiety disorders. I would like to help the audience understand and relate better to people with anxiety disorders. Audience: My ideal audience would include family, friends, colleagues and even physicians. The presentation would benefit a larger audience as well. The topic is appropriate for a general audience interested in mental health awareness. Significance: This topic is very significant to my audience because anxiety disorder is a growing issue in society and few understand what it is and how to deal with the issues those with anxiety face. Opening: Fingernails on chalk board. Imagine how it would feel to have that 24/7 at various levels of intensity Thesis: Research suggests people with anxiety disorders have difficulty with social integration due to lack of understanding of the disorder and knowledge of how to interact with those who have it.
Introducing the main points to the audience Be sure to write this as if you are saying it directly to the audience.
Transition to the first main point For starters we will look at what anxiety is and its pervasiveness and impact on individuals and society. First main point discussion What is anxiety and how prevalent is it? According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (2015) “those with anxiety disorders worry much more than normal about everyday things”. They also note that these work in conjunction with other symptoms, some of the most prevalent are; being on edge, issues with focus, tension and insomnia (American Academy of Family Physicians 2015). A recent study suggests that anxiety disorders are the largest mental health issue in the united states inflicting roughly 30% of the population and those with anxiety disorders have a reduced quality of life and social functioning (Weisberg, 2014, p. 443). To round it off, according to earlier research anxiety disorders are a disability equivalent to depression (Wittchen, 2002. P. 169). Transition to second main point: Now that I have discussed what anxiety disorder is and how pervasive it is. Next, I will discuss how pervasive the lack of understanding and knowledge of anxiety disorder is and the impacts of that lack of understanding. Second main point discussion As Zanon describes in an article in vibrant Life magazine, people are reluctant to discuss mental illness issues because of the stigma attached (as cited in Heffernan, 2015 p. 13). It is commonly understood that stigma comes from a lack of knowledge and understanding. Even doctors are not immune from this lack of understanding. According to research by Weisberg only 28% of anxiety patience reported receiving satisfactory anxiety treatment at intake (2014, p446). While these numbers improved over time, only 69% of participants received satisfactory anxiety treatment over the 5 year follow up period. Transition to conclusion As you can see, the combination of a lack of understanding and the lack of knowledge of anxiety disorders and how to interact with those who have it can lead to great difficulty for anxiety sufferers to integrate successfully into modern society. Summarizing the main points for the audience: First I discussed what anxiety is and its pervasiveness in society (This needs to be the first point in your thesis statement). Then I showed how it is misunderstood and some of the impacts from that misunderstanding. Visual aid: Flip chart with keywords, educate, listen, ask, adjust and be yourself listed (Heffernan, 2015 p. 14). Ending with an effective closing strategy In closing, the question is how do you help those that are dealing with anxiety disorders? I have some tips compiled by Carol Heffernan in a Vibrant Life magazine (2015), educate yourself, listen without judgement, ask how you can help, and adjust expectations. Then to round it off with one of my own, just be yourself. If somebody with anxiety has already let you into their lives, they most likely like you and would much rather you stay the same, predicable person you have always been, be more mindful, but most of all, they need you to be you.
2. How many people with anxiety disorders have multiple mental health issues?
References: Heffernan, C. (2015). HELP for the Hurting. Vibrant Life, 31(3), 12-15. Information from Your Family Doctor: Help for Anxiety and Panic Disorders. (2015). American Family Physician, 91624A. Weisberg, R. B., Beard, C., Moitra, E., Dyck, I., & Keller, M. B. (2014). Adequacy of treatment received by primary care patients with anxiety disorders. Depression And Anxiety, 31(5), 443-450. doi:10.1002/da.22209 Wittchen, H. (2002). Generalized anxiety disorder: prevalence, burden, and cost to society. Depression And Anxiety, 16(4), 162-171. |