I was thinking of talking about mental health as my paradigm shift discussion point. In the 1700s, those with mental disabilities were thrown into “hospitals” that were nothing more than prisons and insane asylums. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed, attempting to give people with impaired mental and physical health could still gain a chance at getting the job of their dreams. Slurs and words meant to degrade people with mental disabilities (such as “retard” ) are more widely rejected now, and commercials portraying a happy family on TV are even known to have a disabled child, showing the overall shift in how Americans view those with disabilities.

As I said before, this argument on the progress of mental health brings up a lot of interesting points about history and the past, but it also brings up the more recent issue that we have seen about mental health care, especially as it has related to gun violence in schools, and personal image. This makes the topic relevant and important to our discussion of America’s new ideals and foundations. Discussing the direction that mental health awareness might go addresses where we want to see our country five, ten, twenty years down the road.

In terms of mental disabilities and the future, the issue of minor disabilities also comes up, in direct correlation to the conversation that was just had about mental health care. I am talking about disabilities such as depression, ADHD, chronic migraines, anxiety, and OCD. As a person that struggles with, well, all of these, actually, I have a unique perspective on the matter and have some of my own personal experience to share that could provide fact and proof in my argument that these are indeed real disabilities that can impair someone’s abilities, and need to be taken seriously.