The voices in my head

The Ted video I have chosen for our health related blogpost is called "The voices in my head" by Eleanor Longden. It was filmed in February 2013 and is about 15 minutes long. As a student Eleanor suddenly started hearing voices in her head. When a friend told her that something was wrong with her and that she needed medical help, schizophrenia was diagnosed. She spent many years in the psychiatric system but still managed to earn a Bachelor's and Master's degree in psychology. Today she is cured and wants to help other people suffering from that mental disease by giving lectures and publishing articles. 

Summary

In the video Eleanor Longden tells her very own story about the sickness schizophrenia. She starts at the very beginning when she first heard voices in her head, talks about how she managed to get cured and finishes with the situation today - how she wants to help other people suffering from schizophrenia. 

Vocab work

medical record: detailed record of all the background of a person or group under study or treatment

Synonyms - anamnesis, medical history

"Now it's down on my medical records that Eleanor has delusions that she's a television news broadcaster"

schizophrenia:any severe disorder in which contact with reality is lost or highly distorted

"I'm now very proud to be a part of Intervoice, the organizational body of the International Hearing Voices Movement, an initiative inspired by the work of Professor Marius Romme and Dr. Sandra Escher, which locates voice hearing as a survival strategy, a sane reaction to insane circumstances, not as an aberrant symptom of schizophrenia to be endured, but a complex, significant and meaningful experience to be explored."

hospital admission: the act when a patient is admitted to hospital

" A hospital admission followed, the first of many, a diagnosis of schizophrenia came next, and then, worst of all, a toxic, tormenting sense of hopelessness, humiliation and despair about myself and my prospects."

Personal reaction

When I read the title "The voices in my head" my attention was immediately drawn at this video. It is a very emotional and touching video because Eleanor talks about her own experiences, her own feelings. For me the video is even more poignant because the daughters of my mom's friend have this disease and I often hear stories about them. She tells us about things you can't even imagine. People suffering from schizophrenia live in their very own world and no one from the outside can understand what they are going through. 

But this video also shows us that if you're strong enough and accept your fate you can be cured. It's a very hard process, but Eleanor shows us that there's help. For me the takeaway message is that you should never give up and that it is very important to have encouraging people around you to help. 

Presentation technique 

When it comes to the presentation I think Eleanor did a really good job. She uses her hands very much while explaining things to emphasise what she's saying. It also makes the presentation more lively and seems like she is very self confident. I also like that she uses short sentences for better understanding. Through quotes she gives the presentation a personal touch and makes it very moving and touching for listeners.