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Actor Paulo Avelino admitted in an Instagram post yesterday that he faced mental health crises in the past and had even entertained “suicidal thoughts.”
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The 31-year-old actor — who usually keeps mum about his private life — wrote, “RARELY do I share personal stuff on my social media accounts but I think its time I talked about this dark period in my life because I know that someone out there is going through the same thing.”
The Goyo: The Boy General star then went on to describe his own struggles with depression before urging fans to seek help if they were going through something similar. He posted the comments alongside a slideshow featuring a blank slide, then a trigger warning for people who suffer from depression and mental illness, and then an image of what appears to be a stitched slit wrist (Avelino doesn’t explicitly mention whether it’s his).
The final slide includes a poster containing the numbers of Hope Line, a suicide prevention non-profit organization.
“I want you to know that everybody has issues and sometimes you seeing other people have them will help you cope with your own,” Avelino says in the post.
“Years back I found myself in a place where I only saw one way out. I went through a spiralling journey of Depression and suicidal thoughts. Where everything seemed like nothing matters anymore.”
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The depression, he continues, led him to turn down several jobs and shut himself off from friends and family.
A self-described introvert, Avelino says he didn’t know how to express his thoughts and feelings and mostly keeps to himself, but wanted to show his fans that successful people also go through tough times.
“So here I am sharing with you guys that even the people who appear to be okay or who seem to ‘have it all’ might be going through their own struggles, fighting their own demons.”
He closed by urging his followers — almost 700,000 on Instagram and 2.3 million on Twitter (where he re-shared the Instagram post) — to reach out to friends, family, and loved ones.
“Don’t be scared to voice out what you feel no matter how hard it is. Never lose HOPE,” Avelino said.
On Twitter, netizens have lauded Avelino’s post for being “brave,” with several Twitter users thanking him for his honesty and offering their support.
So, how have you been lately? Any of Avelino’s thoughts seem useful to you? Leave us a comment below or tweet us @CoconutsManila.
