Outline for my Final Speech

So, this is important to me, so I will post it here. It is my speech outline for my final speech! Hope you like it. Tell me what you think.

Introduction
Picture this, you are suffering from an illness that is slowly, but surely killing you. Imagine you have an intense desire to get better, but that doesn’t mean a thing because the treatment necessary is way too much for you to pay for on your own. Your insurance company knows this, but they won’t cover the treatment, or they will, but for only one day. Worse than that, they refuse to admit you have an illness. This is what life is like for many people who have eating disorders. Eating disorders are diagnosable mental illnesses and if not treated, they can become life-threatening. First I’m going to talk about what makes eating disorders mental illnesses. Then I will discuss a bit about the treatment necessary for recovery. Then I will talk about what insurance companies aren’t doing for people with eating disorders. Finally I will discuss how we can fix this problem and help people with eating disorders get the treatment they desperately need.
(Transition: First, let’s talk about what makes eating disorders a mental illness.)
Body
I. People with eating disorders aren’t getting the treatment they need.
A. What makes eating disorders a mental illness?
1. As the International Journal for Eating Disorders states, “It is the position of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) that anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, along with their variants, are biologically based, serious mental illnesses (BBMI) that warrant the same level and breadth of health care coverage as conditions currently categorized in this way (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder).” (2009.)
a. Since there are no accepted definitions of biologically based, serious mental illnesses, it allows for insurance companies to pick and choose what psychiatric illnesses they wish to cover.
b. According to the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (2010.), eating disorders aren’t listed in the index of diseases, which means far less people know about the seriousness of these conditions.
2. As described in the DSM-V (2009.) eating disorders often go unrecognized in primary care.
B. What treatment is necessary for people with eating disorders.
1. There are many types of interventions used for treating eating disorders.
a. These interventions range from prevention intervention, which intercepts people before they develop an eating disorder, to a higher form of intervention for those who are posing a severe threat to their lives.
b. Even after an intervention, therapy is necessary for those with eating disorders.
2. There are many different types of therapy for treating eating disorders.
a. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: this uses motivational strategies to help the client, who is probably unwilling to change their cycle of self-deterioration, see what they are doing by bringing up their sense of self-worth.
1. Once this is done there can start to be a behavioral change.
2. The client must also keep a log of his/her food intake.
b. Interpersonal Therapy: this is an alternative for CBT for people who are struggling interpersonal concerns.
1. Some of these, as seen in the Journal of Mental Help Counseling (2009.), are difficulty with conflict, conflict between the needs for independence and for closeness, victimization history, conflicts in relationships with parents, concerns about meeting others’ expectations, and deficits in social problem solving.
2. In this therapy the client and mental health counselor work to identify the problem.
c. Dialect Behavioral Therapy: this deals with clients who are believed to be experiencing these symptoms due to suppressed strong emotions or big stressors.
d. Although all of these therapies work well on their own, some treatment facilities use a combination of two or all three of them.
C. The problem with getting treatment is that it costs so much and insurance companies are not very willing to help with coverage.
1. As Elina Needham states in her article, “A recent study has revealed that over 60% of people who are labeled as suffering from Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, meet criteria for hospitalization, and not all of them were medically covered.” (2010.)
2. Since insurance companies are able to pick and choose the mental illnesses in which they cover, most of them opt out of covering eating disorders.
D. There are many people affected by eating disorders, including people I know personally.
1. My cousin Mary was diagnosed with an eating disorder at the age of sixteen and when her insurance refused to cover treatment, she was able to get the help she needed from family, friends, and complete strangers. She has been recovered/recovering for nine years.
2. Since she was able to get help from others, she is now helping to get treatment for a girl named Sofia paid for.
a. Sofia has been struggling for a few years now and her insurance only covered one day of her treatment.
b. Mary has started a GiveForward page for Sofia where people can donate.
(Transition: Now that you know the problems people with eating disorders face, let’s discuss how to solve them.)
II. How we can help make treatment possible for those who need it.
A. As we have seen people with eating disorders aren’t always able to acknowledge the fact they have a problem and usually don’t want treatment if they need it.
1. With the help of therapy they will be able to identify the source of their illness and get the help they need.
2. If they aren’t able to afford the treatment they need, they might be lead to believe they don’t really need it.
B. Since the problem is with insurance companies, one way to solve it would be to get a bill passed to make insurance companies cover the cost of treatment.
1. According to the Treatment Centers’ website, “Some families of eating disorder patients are fighting back against insurers and filing suit in civil court.” (2010.)
2. The whole problem of going to court to sue insurance companies is that it costs money and you are never positive you will win.
C. While insurance doesn’t cover treatment, we can help those who need it by donating money towards their treatment.
1. Many people who can’t afford treatment have to ask for help from complete strangers for donations.
2. If everyone were to donate to people who need the help and are asking for it, more people will be able to get the help they need.
D. In Sofia’s case you can go to one of her two GiveForward pages.
1. The first she started on her own: http://www.giveforward.com/sofias-eating-disorder-treatment-fund
2. The second was started by my cousin Mary when the first temporarily expired: http://www.giveforward.com/keepsofia


Conclusion
As I have shown, eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that need to be treated before they result in the ending of a person’s life. There are many reasons why eating disorders are classified as mental illnesses and should be treated as such. There are many ways in which a person can be treated for eating disorders, but the costs for these treatments can be pricey. Insurance companies often opt out of covering treatment because they don’t find it to be a mental illness or they decide to cover a different mental illness instead. If a bill would be passed to make insurance companies cover treatment for those with eating disorders, more people would get the help they need and there would be a lower fatality rate for those who suffer. Until that is accomplished people should donate to organizations or to people reaching out for help, just like Sofia is doing right now. With our help, we can decrease the number of people dying in the world today from a mental illness some people don’t think exists.







References
Becker, A. E.; Eddy, K. T.; Perloe, A. Clarifying Criteria for Cognitive Signs and Symptoms for Eating Disorders in DSM-V (2009) Retrieved November 13, 2010 from International Journal of Eating Disorders 42:7 611-619
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2010) Retrieved November 20, 2010 from http://www.cdc.gov/az/e.html
Choate, L. H.; Schwitzer, A. M.; Mental Health Counseling Responses to Eating-Related Concerns in Young Adult Women: A Prevention and Treatment Continuum (2009) Retrieved November 14, 2010 from Journal of Mental Health Counseling Volume 31:2 164-183
Klump, K. L.; Bulik, C. M.; Kaye, W. H.; Treasure, J.; Tyson, E. Academy for Eating Disorders Position Paper: Eating Disorders Are Serious Mental Illnesses (2009) Retrieved November 14, 2010 from The International Journal of Eating Disorders 42:2 97-103
Maine, M. Securing Eating Disorders Treatment: Ammunition for Arguments with Third Parties. (2004) Retrieved November 13, 2010 from http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/SecrTxAm. Pdf
Needham, E. Insurance Coverage for Eating Disorders Should be Revised! (2010) Retrieved November 20, 2010 from http://topnews.us/content/216661-insurance-coverage- eating-disorders-should-be-revised
Sim, L. A.; McAlpine, D. E.; Grothe, K. B.; Himes, S. M.; Cockerill, R. G.; Clark, M. M. Identification and Treatment of Eating Disorders in the Primary Care Setting. (2010) Retrieved November 14, 2010 from http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/content/85/8/746
Treatment for Eating Disorders Largely Underfunded by U. S. Insurers (2010) Retrieved November 20, 2010 from http://www.treatmentcenters.net/advocacy-public- policy/treatment-for-eating-disorders-largely-underfunded-by-u-s-insurers/

Don't Cover Your Eyes

What do you see when you look at this picture? Do you see five young adults on the brink of growing up? Probably not, you probably see five people with their faces covered in a gray screen picture filter. Well, why don't you think of them on the brink of growing up, it will make the purpose of this post a little more visual.
I've been home almost all of this past week and the more time I spend here, the more I feel as if I don't fit somehow. I feel that I've already done this and there's somewhere else I should be right now. Is that what growing up is? Is it the realization of the existence of that other part of life that was childhood? I keep thinking yes, that's exactly what it is. It's the realization of personal ideals you didn't know you had. It's the opening up of those covered eyes to see you aren't playing a game anymore. The world in front of you is there, real, and scary as anything you ever thought. It almost makes you want to cover your eyes again. But you can't. You have to keep your eyes open because if you cover them again you will miss something. Whether it be something you want to remember or something you need to remember. So let's keep our eyes open together and find our new place in the world.

Big Day, Big Day

For those of you who remember me putting up this website: http://www.giveforward.com/sofias-eating-disorder-treatment-fund I am here to inform you that Sofia starts treatment today. The funds are at about 26% currently and she still needs the rest. I have gotten a peek into Sofia's life through my correspondence with her on her blog and I have come to find she is a very amazing and inspirational. I am wishing her the best of luck in her recovery and will keep all of you updated.

On the other hand, tonight I'm starting a weekend retreat at the Catholic Center at my university called Awakening. I don't know exactly what will be going on, but I do know it will be amazing and most likely life-changing. That being said, I won't be in contact with the outside world until Sunday afternoon. So if you want to talk to me, then would be the time.

Hope all of you are doing well!

Birthdays

So, I turned nineteen on Saturday and I went home to celebrate. I always feel really weird about birthdays because I know you're supposed to celebrate your life and everything, but the whole receiving gifts for being alive is odd to me. It's not that I don't appreciate everything I got this year, but I can never seem to come up with things that I want. I feel like I'm saying, "Yes, I'd like this because I've done something so simple as managing to live for another year." Am I the only one who feels this way? And why is it we celebrate the fact we are still alive only once a year if it is so very important? Shouldn't we just live our whole life in celebration that we are still here to celebrate it? I guess I'm just waxing existential today.