00:37.2
Hi everyone, I'm Ralph.
00:38.8
I'm 27 years old.
00:40.4
I am a part-time graduate student
00:42.2
and a full-time NGO worker.
00:45.2
Hi, I'm R-Dee Diones.
00:46.9
Currently working on a corporate setting
00:49.2
but my passion for mental health is still here.
00:53.9
So I'm 33, I do digital marketing
00:55.8
and on the side...On the side? Full-time.
00:58.4
I'm a full-time mom.
01:01.9
I'm 29 years old and currently I'm a lawyer in a law firm.
01:05.9
Hi, my name is Destiny.
01:07.3
Totoong pangalan ko yun.
01:08.2
I work in multiple organizations focused on mental health.
01:14.6
People with conditions are the only ones who care for mental health.
01:20.9
The reality is every one of us have mental health issues naman.
01:27.4
We all have physical health, we have all mental health.
01:30.4
When you say that only those who have conditions na may diagnosis,
01:36.8
I don't really agree to that statement
01:38.9
because every one of us struggles every day in terms of getting stressed.
01:44.2
It just so happens that the people who get diagnosed
01:47.1
experience this on an extreme level
01:49.8
na parang when episodes happen for them,
01:53.2
they really need to do something to manage those symptoms.
01:58.1
And that's the only difference.
01:59.7
I think one of our biggest flaws as human beings is
02:04.3
we only try to understand when it happens to us or someone we love.
02:08.2
So I've been doing this mental health advocacy since 2012.
02:11.7
I've had people roll their eyes at me, make fun of me, tell me that's not true.
02:17.1
And then years later when it happened to someone they loved or to themselves,
02:22.4
suddenly they're interested.
02:24.6
I guess we're humans, that's our flaw
02:27.6
but I hope you don't have to wait for it to happen to you
02:31.0
before you start to empathize, right?
02:33.1
Yeah, I think very individualized din kasi yung pagtingin natin doon sa mental health.
02:38.3
But the reality is there should be more push for us to look at mental health
02:43.4
as not just an individual thing, it's a community thing,
02:47.4
it's something that could be managed nang magkakasama tayo.
02:51.8
May I add na sinabi ni Ralph, tayo kasi mga Pilipino ay collectivist.
02:55.7
Very collectivist ng culture natin, diba?
02:57.8
Parang bayanihan doon.
02:59.5
Parang yun yung gusto ko sana ma-empower natin lahat, yung bayanihan.
03:04.0
Yung access ng mental health ay very centralized lang sa NCR actually.
03:08.2
Hindi siya spread dito sa Luzon, sa Visayas, sa Mindanao.
03:11.7
Eh paano na yung iba, diba?
03:13.5
Marami pa tayo mga Pilipino na ang kailangan ng tulong.
03:24.5
Self-care or self-help can really be helpful talaga.
03:28.2
Kasi kapag you prioritize yourself and you know what your needs talaga,
03:32.6
how to help yourself, especially mentally.
03:35.4
Alam mo na kung paano masasa-satisfy yung sarili mo,
03:37.2
alam mo na kung paano ka makakabalik after you got burned out.
03:41.2
But at the same time, I want to emphasize din na parang self-care
03:44.7
shouldn't be so individualized din.
03:47.4
Kasi katulad ng iba na self-care, bibili ako ice cream pa sa sarili ko.
03:51.4
Itong mga products na ito, kailangan ko ito para masatisfy ko sa sarili ko.
03:55.5
But at the end of the day, when you buy those things,
03:58.3
parang there will be a time na kung saan babalik ang babalik yung nararamdaman mo masama.
04:02.3
Doon na pumupunta yung mga kaibigan natin,
04:04.7
yung mga closest friends natin, kung saan kaya natin maging safe space kasama sila.
04:08.7
And that is self-care pa din naman.
04:10.6
I think the easiest self-care is self-check.
04:14.7
It's like, we're too busy checking on others.
04:17.7
Kamusta ka, sis? Kamusta ka, brother?
04:21.1
But have we asked ourselves, kamusta kaya ako?
04:23.6
Feel ko yun yung thing na hindi ginagawa ng mga tao.
04:27.8
Hindi nila alam na processing emotions and actually talking to yourself,
04:31.2
kinakamusta yung sarili nyo,
04:32.5
it's actually self-care in itself.
04:34.6
Apart from yung the usual na inom.
04:40.0
My mindset back then was, give all until you die.
04:45.0
So I was depressed.
04:47.4
I'm diagnosed with major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder.
04:51.2
So I had both of that.
04:52.5
I was grieving a loss and parang I was too focused on the others.
04:58.7
I was counseling people, pero in reality, I was dying inside.
05:02.1
I was in my darkest moment, but I was giving a speech on stage.
05:06.0
Pero they didn't know that I was the one that needed help.
05:08.3
So when I reached rock bottom, I realized, wait, parang mali.
05:12.7
If a lifeguard is drowning and they try to rescue someone else who's drowning,
05:17.9
both of them will drown.
05:19.0
So I finally admitted to myself, I was drowning.
05:23.2
And then when I was in a better headspace, I realized,
05:26.4
oh, it's so much better when you're okay.
05:29.8
I think sa akin, kasi when you're a lawyer,
05:32.5
sometimes media kasi portrays lawyers as toughest.
05:35.5
Pag nakikita niyo yung movies ng "Bar Boys",
05:37.8
parang may expected mental fortitude from lawyers.
05:41.1
That's the problem din for me, for the legal profession,
05:44.7
since they're not really open in discussing mental health.
05:47.5
When the lawyers try to take care of themselves, it's taken against them.
05:52.9
I realized that in order for me to actually fulfill my duty as a lawyer,
05:57.0
pag hindi ko na talaga kaya, I need to stop.
05:59.8
Kasi diba pag obsessive-compulsive disorder,
06:01.8
kapag nag-focus ka sa isa, hindi ka makakatigil hanggang di mo siya matapos.
06:06.3
So kina-cut ko siya, ayun yung best efforts ko na ika-cut ko siya,
06:10.1
kasi kapag tinuloy-tuloy ko, magbibreak ako talaga.
06:12.5
So imbis na naging illness siya, it's actually a form of wellness for me.
06:24.0
Social media in itself, it's a very hot topic, not just with mental health.
06:28.1
You're talking about information accessibility.
06:30.8
So social media in itself bridges gaps among communities
06:35.6
and also makes communication easier.
06:38.7
Pero at the same time, because of the age of disinformation,
06:41.0
it tends to also disintegrate discourse.
06:44.1
Although marami siyang banes, yung social media,
06:46.3
marami din siyang good things na kinontribute.
06:48.9
Kasi now, we can actually give discussions online na credible.
06:53.8
Like for example, what we're doing right now,
06:55.8
especially here in the Philippines, na hindi siya pinag-uusapan.
06:59.8
Although may magko-comment, halimbawa may magpo-post,
07:02.9
may kita kayong comments, parang,
07:05.0
"magdasal lang kayo."
07:06.8
"Kailangan niyo lang si Lord."
07:08.8
Although yung ganung discussion, I personally welcome it.
07:13.4
At least na pag-uusapan, at least may discourse,
07:15.8
at least pwede mong sagutin, at least matatandaan nila na
07:18.5
hindi lang pala si Lord yung pwede kong kapitan.
07:21.3
Ako, I think, I'm working or dealing with social media for the past 10 years.
07:25.4
Naabutan ko pa yung MySpace or what.
07:28.0
Yes, MySpace, Friendster!
07:31.0
So one thing I've learned to actually help myself,
07:34.1
kasi diagnose ako with GAD, General Anxiety Disorder.
07:37.3
It helped me to create a "finsta".
07:39.6
I'm sure you're aware of what a "finsta" is.
07:42.5
For those who do not, could you...?
07:44.5
Yes, a "finsta" is a fake instagram account, you know.
07:47.2
Nag tinginan kami, sabi namin.,,
07:48.2
No may tinginan eh so I was like... Ahhhh.
07:50.0
We need to explain.
07:51.4
So, I did that account just to follow mental health advocates.
07:55.9
Parang pag matutulog na ako, titignan ko lang siya,
07:57.9
okay, ganito, okay, makikinig ako ng sounds ng waves,
08:02.4
na humahampas sa dalampasigan, something like that.
08:05.0
So, I think you should have a separate account for your wellness.
08:08.6
Siguro, last part of the dangers about the social media naman,
08:13.9
is napapansin natin na people are actually declaring their,
08:19.2
these mental illnesses for clout, for sympathy.
08:25.6
And, you know, it's really unfair to those people who actually have it.
08:28.7
Perhaps this will be a call for people na stop doing that
08:33.7
if you don't really understand or have that kind of disorder.
08:38.7
Hindi dapat natin siya ginagamit for our own personal benefits.
08:45.1
Although valid yung feelings mo of anxiety, of depression.
08:48.3
Yes, those feelings are valid.
08:49.6
Wag mong gawing excuse.
08:50.9
Saka ginagawa nilang escape, na pag sinabi ko kasing mental health,
08:55.3
wala na silang question.
08:56.4
They need to respect this.
08:57.8
At the end of the day, we are the one responsible for our behaviors.
09:02.2
Siguro, one way that we could actually parang use social media din,
09:06.9
is to maximize yung community aspect of social media.
09:10.3
I was diagnosed with ADHD recently, like last year lang.
09:13.8
And what helped me make peace with that is a community group sa Facebook.
09:18.4
It makes you feel less alone.
09:20.3
And then, part of that community group is,
09:22.7
meron kang listahan ng mga pwede mong puntahan.
09:25.1
Maki-feel mo na dun sa proseso na yun, hindi ka mag-isa.
09:28.0
So, I think the question is, how do we regulate our social media use?
09:32.1
Like, how do we know, okay, sobra na ba?
09:34.5
Am I on the wrong algorithm?
09:37.5
So, I think social media is a good place to start,
09:40.0
but that shouldn't be your only source.
09:47.0
Actually, some countries, ina-acknowledge na nila ito, no,
09:50.5
yung mental health as a basis for, to file a leave, no,
09:54.3
or they have a lot of mental health policies for their employees.
09:57.3
But, I think, on the Philippine setting, we have a long way to go.
10:01.9
And one of the primary problem na nakikita namin is,
10:06.1
malingering or faking it.
10:09.5
Kasi, syempre, yung mentality ng, ewan ko,
10:13.2
i-feel ko sa Philippine setting and even outside,
10:15.2
sobrang colonialist, capitalist.
10:17.4
So, parang anything that may deter yung workforce,
10:21.3
they will think badly of it.
10:22.9
Actually, if we will go down on the definition,
10:25.6
when we say disorder,
10:27.7
it's accompanied by dysfunction, diba?
10:30.5
If you have challenges with your mental health,
10:32.4
how can you function, diba, in the office?
10:35.6
I agree na dapat meron talagang mental health days.
10:38.9
Kasi leave yun eh, leave mo yan eh.
10:40.5
Nakalagay yun sa kontrata mo na vacation leave or sick leave.
10:43.5
So, dapat nga tanggapin nila yung reason.
10:45.8
Dapat hindi sila ganun ka-strict.
10:47.0
Basta maka-deliver ka, diba?
10:49.2
I hope lang, and I wish,
10:51.0
na parang apart from dun sa mental health leaves,
10:54.2
magkaroon din siguro ng training sa corporate settings
10:58.6
and sa workplaces,
11:00.3
para mas ma-enlighten and mas ma-enamour
11:02.5
yung mga employers and employers.
11:04.3
Mag-implement ka ng policy about mental health,
11:07.9
but their people don't know about it, diba?
11:09.9
So, paano nila yun i-aacknowledge?
11:12.4
Teach them first.
11:13.4
Teach them first.
11:20.0
I would like to take this.
11:23.1
As I told you guys earlier,
11:25.0
I've been a mental health advocate since 2012
11:27.5
and I have been hearing that statement.
11:30.3
Depression na sakit mayaman, diba?
11:32.6
We hear this all the time
11:34.0
because it is expensive.
11:36.1
As Filipinos in general,
11:38.0
it's so hard to put food on the table, diba?
11:40.5
Low-cost therapy is 500 to 1,000 per session.
11:43.3
Mid-range is 1,500.
11:45.1
My therapy costs 3,000 per hour.
11:48.1
And baka this year, 3,500 na.
11:50.4
So, it's expensive.
11:51.9
So, I know why people think that that's a stereotype.
11:55.3
Pero that also prevents people from getting help
11:57.2
or admitting that they need help
11:58.4
because they don't want to add to the budget.
12:01.1
I would say I'm kinda lucky.
12:03.9
I'm kinda in a privileged position
12:05.9
to be able to get diagnosed.
12:08.7
Hindi siya neurodivergent-friendly.
12:11.0
Yung buong process pa lang.
12:12.9
Tapos you add pa yung poly-econ aspect na
12:16.0
na wala kang pera.
12:17.8
And yung everything na gagawin mo moving forward
12:21.5
hindi lang naman siya isang proseso.
12:23.1
It takes sessions to get diagnosed.
12:26.2
Yung mga support na yun pa na binibigay
12:28.4
para makatipid ka,
12:31.5
people question why you are included.
12:35.3
That's another topic.
12:36.7
Yeah, eh na benefit na yun, na parang...
12:38.6
Alam mo yun, may mga support
12:40.1
na binibigay naman.
12:42.1
Pero parang iisipin mo kung ia-avail ko ba?
12:46.2
Kasi parang may judgment e.
12:47.9
Parang ayaw niyo namang gamitin ko.
12:50.2
Imagine, I'm in a privileged position
12:52.2
and I feel that way.
13:59.2
So what do you guys think about this?
14:05.2
Hearing insurance companies
14:07.0
make it inclusive
14:08.6
for those who have mental health conditions
14:10.8
is a very good step.
14:12.2
I would have to look at the details.
14:17.1
by all these brands and companies
14:19.1
whenever we tried to do events.
14:20.9
It was a different time.
14:22.0
So when I hear of things like this,
14:23.9
it reminds me of how far we've grown.
14:27.2
I know we've discussed all the ups and downs,
14:29.8
but this is a huge change and improvement.
14:34.8
We can use the cliche line,
14:37.4
"Malayo pa, pero malayo na."
14:53.7
Kasi it's similar to cancers, to leukemias.
14:57.6
It's an actual disease.
14:59.6
It's a chemical imbalance.
15:01.4
Kailangan lang talaga natin i-educate,
15:03.3
especially our families.
15:05.0
It's important for the families
15:07.2
to have at least a user manual
15:08.7
on how to handle us.
15:10.0
Kasi us, we are the ones
15:11.8
who are knowledgeable with our diagnosis.
15:14.6
It's our responsibility
15:16.1
to actually tell them
15:17.2
paano tayo handle.
15:19.8
pag nagagalit na ba tayo,
15:21.6
"Oh ma, wag ka munang kukuda."
15:23.1
"Just give me space."
15:25.1
I think yun yung pinaka-important for us
15:26.9
as mental health advocates
15:28.5
and as patients as well
15:30.4
to actually include the community
15:32.7
in terms of how to deal with us
15:35.5
or love us, support us, or care for us.
15:38.8
Yung parang crucial kasi dyan is
15:41.0
people have to understand na
15:43.2
people are actually dying
15:44.6
because of mental health issues.
15:46.9
Yeah, it's much more straightforward
15:48.5
when you look at yung mga
15:49.7
other comorbidities na parang high blood
15:51.6
kasi may physical manifestations.
15:53.2
So you get maintenance for these diseases
15:56.2
parang mabilis siyang intindihin.
15:58.8
Pero bakit when there's
16:00.4
a chemical imbalance in your brain,
16:02.7
why are you struggling
16:03.7
to get the help that you need?
16:05.6
Alam nyo ba na yung mental illness
16:08.0
is the third comorbidity
16:09.2
dito sa Pilipinas?
16:10.9
It's a really struggle talaga sa atin
16:13.3
comorbidity na nga rin na mental illness
16:14.9
pangatlo pa siya,
16:15.9
yun yung pinakamarami na meron tayo.
16:18.0
So parang mula palang doon sa data na yun,
16:21.6
sana palang nagkakaroon na lang movement eh.
16:23.8
Ang pinaka-emphasis talaga
16:25.3
when it comes to mental illness
16:28.0
Napakakailangan na nagtutulong-tulungan tayo
16:30.1
from us to the workplace na meron tayo
16:33.2
to the friends that we have
16:34.7
and even doon sa mga higher-ups
16:36.2
which is yun na nga,
16:40.2
bigger funds for mental health.
16:43.0
Kasi kaya naman eh.
16:44.9
Kaya naman eh na tulungan tayo.
16:46.8
Kaya naman na tulungan yung mga bawat Pilipino eh.
16:49.5
To empower din siguro those
16:51.2
especially who have mental health conditions.
16:54.1
Kasi there's always that sense of shame
16:55.6
surrounding the stigma.
16:57.8
They have to understand,
16:58.9
although they were built like that,
17:01.1
they are not defined by it.
17:04.2
Kasi I have friends,
17:05.4
my contemporaries,
17:06.8
yung tropang neurodivergent eh.
17:09.0
Kasi yung friends ko may ADHD,
17:11.8
yung isa nagkastart ng firm,
17:13.2
yung isa scholar sa Edinburgh.
17:15.8
we're not defined by our condition.
17:20.6
who contribute positively to society.
17:22.4
So sana ma-empower sila to actually...
17:26.4
being as important as physical health.
17:28.7
Sana, for example,
17:30.1
di ba pag lalagnatin tayo
17:32.9
or may mga nararamdaman tayo,
17:34.5
tayo na mismo yung,
17:35.4
ay, parang kailangan ko magpa-check up.
17:37.6
Sana ganun din natin
17:38.3
itreat yung mental health natin
17:40.1
na we have this help-seeking behaviour
17:42.9
na when we think na,
17:47.9
parang kailangan ko na
17:49.5
bigyan to ng importance,
17:51.0
kailangan ko na humingi ng tulong.
17:52.7
Sana ma-develop natin
17:53.9
yung ganung thinking as a person.
17:57.5
I think a closing statement for this one is
17:59.8
aside from looking at external factors
18:02.2
on, like, the government
18:03.7
giving mental health support,
18:06.3
we should celebrate our small wins.
18:08.3
It's as simple as waking up in the mornings,
18:11.1
the smell of coffee,
18:12.9
na nakapag-shower tayo.
18:14.0
Small wins, baby steps,
18:15.4
because, you know,
18:16.5
if you'll do it consistently,
18:18.5
it's actually wellness.
18:20.1
So, yun yung minsan nalilimutan natin
18:22.4
as mental health patients
18:24.0
or as someone who struggles with mental health
18:26.1
is the small things actually
18:28.0
pag-combine siya,
18:30.4
it makes us better.
