Not All Smiles
An online news website once reported that the Philippines has the most incidences of depression in Southeast Asia. At least once every year, a story of suicide rings in the news, and typically the article or series of articles about it end with speculations on the cause(s) of the incident.
“It is a sin to take one's own life...Suffering is only temporary; yours will eventually pass because every problem has a solution,” these lines summarize how Filipinos react to news about suicide. In a nation praised worldwide for exhibiting resilience during dire times, depression is an anomaly in the social fabric, and disturbed realities are quickly welcomed with persecution.
An online news website once reported that the Philippines has the most incidences of depression in Southeast Asia. At least once every year, a story of suicide rings in the news, and typically the article or series of articles about it end with speculations on the cause(s) of the incident.
“It is a sin to take one's own life...Suffering is only temporary; yours will eventually pass because every problem has a solution,” these lines summarize how Filipinos react to news about suicide. In a nation praised worldwide for exhibiting resilience during dire times, depression is an anomaly in the social fabric, and disturbed realities are quickly welcomed with persecution.
Once, there was an instance where a person committed suicide at a place frequented by commuters, and this happened during the morning rush hour. Later that day, netizens commented on news articles about the incident, saying that that person should have committed suicide in a less busy place or at a place where that person won't cause trouble to anyone. Alas! The hassles of everyday commute, crime, inefficient government services, and high cost of living has made the typical Juan callous to the sensitivities of human nature.
The typical Juan is no longer in touch with the complexities of his humanity. For him, earning money for buying food, and settling bills are all that matters. How many Juans have critically asked themselves, Who am I? Why am I here or Why am I alive? What's the purpose of my life? What am I useful for? Where am I going in life? Perhaps it is dangerous to seriously think about those as it might lead to an existential crisis, which can lead to depression.
But what is depression? World Health Organization defines it as a 'mental disorder characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness and poor concentration.'
Common speculations point to the person's last circumstance prior to his or her suicide as the cause of depression, but according to WHO, depression results from the complex interplay of social, psychological, and biological factors. Social factors include life events about one or a combination of: work, school, family, peer or community. It also includes society's expectations like how our culture expects an individual to finish school at twenty or twenty-one, and land a good-paying job immediately, and get married between twenty-five and thirty. Psychological factors include personality, and stress. Biological factors include genetic predisposition, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Other mental disorders such as schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder share the same factors as causes.
A Silent Struggle
Popular literature paints people with depression as individuals who almost never leave their house, drown themselves with alcohol, and cut their relationships with everyone. There are those who suddenly fell out of love from their passion or vocation for no logical reason.
In reality, there exist depressed individuals who look happy on the surface most of the time. They wear happy masks at school or work, with family and friends, because they have accepted that no one can empathize with them or they would rather carry their burdens alone. The mask only comes off when they're alone. With no one looking, they loose their chains and despair in solitude—to some this gives them a few moments of solace. For others, loosing their chains mean amassing items, wealth or achievements.
Pop a Pill
Relief does not come quick and easy for those who have mental illness. Not all families accept the circumstance of their loved ones with mental illness, and are willing to have them treated. We have all seen, read or heard a story of someone out in the streets, asking for donations for the chemotherapy or dialysis of their loved one, but have we seen someone ask for donations for the treatment of their loved one who has depression, Asperger's Syndrome or schizophrenia?
Emotional well being is not a thing for Filipinos. The idea of seeking psychiatric help is ridiculous. The idea of seeking psychological counsel: a waste of money.
There may be clinics or hospitals that offer free or low consultation fees, but the cost of medicine is high. A generic antidepressant costs P48 per tablet. A generic antipsychotic costs P48-P60 per tablet.
Some people argue that psychotropic drugs only harm the body and they should not be prescribed. News about a popular brand of antidepressant causing suicide had reinforced this. Psychotherapy is already enough as treatment, some say.
My first doctor told me, my mental illness, Bipolar Disorder, can be cured; but several Google searches made me believe otherwise. Search results said the illness can only be managed; that's the same thing as having asthma or diabetes. This means that there will be points in time where the symptoms of the illness get triggered so often, and one has no choice but to rely heavily on medications in order to live life normally. Over time, the frequency of drug reliance wanes until one only needs to take medicine occasionally.
I have always known the heaviness of depression, but it was only during medication that I discovered what it was like to have a neutral mood. I never knew my excitement during bursts of high productivity was hypomania. All along I thought my hypomania only revolved around having rapid cycling thoughts and irritability.
I'm sure regular outpatients from the clinics I've been to would have discontinued taking medicines if they experienced no positive effect from them.
Those mentally ill who want to get well, but lack money, face the challenge of finding, and keeping jobs. Some companies declare that they do not discriminate their employees' disabilities, but what kind of disabilities do they not discriminate? Job seekers with mental illness have to be careful during interviews for the mere mention of a history of depression is a ticket to rejection. Those with jobs occasionally fret about their supervisors or colleagues noticing something odd about their behavior.
How will you react if you found out that your best buddy at work, subordinate, or supervisor has a mental illness? Will your future interactions with them remain as is when you did not know their illness? Did you laugh when you read the first question? Do you think mentally ill people can't accomplish what normal people can, like achieving at work? Don't you know that Abraham Lincoln struggled with depression before, and throughout his presidential career? Don't you know that Bram Cohen of BitTorrent has Asperger's syndrome?
Keeping Afloat
With all the problems in the country, it might take more than a couple of decades before the government makes mental health services accessible, and affordable, but I hope the stigma will eventually erode in fifteen years.
The typical Juan is no longer in touch with the complexities of his humanity. For him, earning money for buying food, and settling bills are all that matters. How many Juans have critically asked themselves, Who am I? Why am I here or Why am I alive? What's the purpose of my life? What am I useful for? Where am I going in life? Perhaps it is dangerous to seriously think about those as it might lead to an existential crisis, which can lead to depression.
But what is depression? World Health Organization defines it as a 'mental disorder characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness and poor concentration.'
Common speculations point to the person's last circumstance prior to his or her suicide as the cause of depression, but according to WHO, depression results from the complex interplay of social, psychological, and biological factors. Social factors include life events about one or a combination of: work, school, family, peer or community. It also includes society's expectations like how our culture expects an individual to finish school at twenty or twenty-one, and land a good-paying job immediately, and get married between twenty-five and thirty. Psychological factors include personality, and stress. Biological factors include genetic predisposition, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Other mental disorders such as schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder share the same factors as causes.
A Silent Struggle
Popular literature paints people with depression as individuals who almost never leave their house, drown themselves with alcohol, and cut their relationships with everyone. There are those who suddenly fell out of love from their passion or vocation for no logical reason.
In reality, there exist depressed individuals who look happy on the surface most of the time. They wear happy masks at school or work, with family and friends, because they have accepted that no one can empathize with them or they would rather carry their burdens alone. The mask only comes off when they're alone. With no one looking, they loose their chains and despair in solitude—to some this gives them a few moments of solace. For others, loosing their chains mean amassing items, wealth or achievements.
Pop a Pill
Relief does not come quick and easy for those who have mental illness. Not all families accept the circumstance of their loved ones with mental illness, and are willing to have them treated. We have all seen, read or heard a story of someone out in the streets, asking for donations for the chemotherapy or dialysis of their loved one, but have we seen someone ask for donations for the treatment of their loved one who has depression, Asperger's Syndrome or schizophrenia?
Emotional well being is not a thing for Filipinos. The idea of seeking psychiatric help is ridiculous. The idea of seeking psychological counsel: a waste of money.
There may be clinics or hospitals that offer free or low consultation fees, but the cost of medicine is high. A generic antidepressant costs P48 per tablet. A generic antipsychotic costs P48-P60 per tablet.
Some people argue that psychotropic drugs only harm the body and they should not be prescribed. News about a popular brand of antidepressant causing suicide had reinforced this. Psychotherapy is already enough as treatment, some say.
My first doctor told me, my mental illness, Bipolar Disorder, can be cured; but several Google searches made me believe otherwise. Search results said the illness can only be managed; that's the same thing as having asthma or diabetes. This means that there will be points in time where the symptoms of the illness get triggered so often, and one has no choice but to rely heavily on medications in order to live life normally. Over time, the frequency of drug reliance wanes until one only needs to take medicine occasionally.
I have always known the heaviness of depression, but it was only during medication that I discovered what it was like to have a neutral mood. I never knew my excitement during bursts of high productivity was hypomania. All along I thought my hypomania only revolved around having rapid cycling thoughts and irritability.
I'm sure regular outpatients from the clinics I've been to would have discontinued taking medicines if they experienced no positive effect from them.
Those mentally ill who want to get well, but lack money, face the challenge of finding, and keeping jobs. Some companies declare that they do not discriminate their employees' disabilities, but what kind of disabilities do they not discriminate? Job seekers with mental illness have to be careful during interviews for the mere mention of a history of depression is a ticket to rejection. Those with jobs occasionally fret about their supervisors or colleagues noticing something odd about their behavior.
How will you react if you found out that your best buddy at work, subordinate, or supervisor has a mental illness? Will your future interactions with them remain as is when you did not know their illness? Did you laugh when you read the first question? Do you think mentally ill people can't accomplish what normal people can, like achieving at work? Don't you know that Abraham Lincoln struggled with depression before, and throughout his presidential career? Don't you know that Bram Cohen of BitTorrent has Asperger's syndrome?
Keeping Afloat
With all the problems in the country, it might take more than a couple of decades before the government makes mental health services accessible, and affordable, but I hope the stigma will eventually erode in fifteen years.