Speech About Mental Health of Christopher Kyles In Movie 'American Sniper'

Mental Health In a Movie "American Sniper"

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the movie show, a show dedicated to speaking about contemporary issues that emerge from blockbuster movies. In today's installment of the movie show, we are looking at the outstanding film, American sniper. One issue in particular that stood out to me whilst watching this incredible biography of Christopher Kyles life who is portrayed by Bradley Cooper is that of mental health. American Sniper is a war drama biographical film in which follows the life of a united states navy seal sniper who served four tours in the Iraq war and was awarded several commendations for his success. Mental health is a prevalent issue both in today's society and in the movie, and it must be discussed more often.

So here is my first question for you. How many people in this audience have dealt with a mental illness or know of someone who has? I bet you almost everyone in this room knows of at least one person. Whether its depression, anxiety, attention disorders, dyslexia, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, PTSD or any other mental illnesses. With 1 in 2 Australians experiencing mental illnesses within their lifetime you would think that, we as a community would be talking about it a lot. Right? Wrong. Studies show that only 35% of young people seek out treatment for their mental health and women attribute most of this number more than men as there is a major stigma around men seeking out help as they see it as un-masculine or feminine.

Mental Health And Suicude

Very Rarely do we as a community talk about such common issues like these mental health problems and something must change as we cannot have so many people living with this on their own thinking it isn’t normal due to the fact that the media does not cover these issues. I bet that you never knew that almost 36% of deaths in young males is due to suicide. Suicide is the biggest killer within Australia, well above cancer or any other disease. Most young people and especially people with family members who have served in the war or who have served in the war themselves experience some kind of mental health issues. Many war veterans experience mental illnesses without even realizing it. The most common symptoms, include but are not limited to, poor sleep, problems with their sex life, problems in their personal relationships, a feeling of loneliness, feeling down, `feeling anxiousness, having reoccurring memories, feelings of grief, anger, excessive drug use, drinking and substance abuse in general, violence and gambling.

Some people may argue still after all the evidence that was provided that enough is being done to help our veterans, however, according to the Australian Institute of health and welfare, In the years from 2001 to 2016, there were 373 suicides in serving, ex-serving, and reserve Australian Defence Force personnel. In 2014 to 2016 ex-serving veterans was 2.2 times higher than men of the same age group who did not serve their country. Not only does this effect themselves, however, it also effects their families and those who are around them. Including those who were in the squadrons and batoons. After viewing these statistics, I believe that more must be done to help our war veterans with their mental health and help protect and prevent these deaths that accompany our soldiers.

After having spoken about the lack of coverage on mental health, suicide rates, and the effect that these have on veterans and the people around them More must be done one to help not only veterans but also everyone with any kind of mental illness. We as a community need to present more coverage to help these young men and women to feel more comfortable and stable when it comes to seeking help from professionals, family, and friends