The reality of experiencing depression has recently come to the forefront in Philippine media and reporter TJ Manatoc is just the latest public figure to shed light on the topic. In a video posted by Facebook page You Will Be Alright on Monday, Mantoc opened up about what depression felt like for him.
“Physically, I get sweaty palms. I get palpitations, my heart races fast. I just feel paranoid, I feel like a zombie sometimes and I really lack sleep and I’m going through [a] stretch of days that I’m having anxiety attacks and insomnia coupled with my depression,” he said in the video.
He also said that he started experiencing signs of depression in high school but did not know how to define it back then.
Manotoc also debunked the misconception that depression simply means being sad.
“It’s more than just a bad mood. Depression, apparently, is a serious mental health condition,” he said.
He explained how depression can be caused by a lot of things including genetic, biochemical, environmental, and psychological factors.
Usually a taboo topic in the Philippines, depression became a hot topic last year after veteran comedian and TV host Joey de Leon told a contestant in the noontime show Eat Bulaga, who was battling depression, that the condition was just “made up.”
But some good came out of this statement because De Leon’s co-host Maine Mendoza took it as an opportunity to spread awareness about mental health on national television.
“Depression is not a laughing matter. It’s not a joke. Because many people go through it, especially today’s youth. That if you’re going through it, give them the support,” Mendoza said in Filipino.
De Leon eventually apologized for his statement and called it a mistake. “If there’s something good that can come out of my mistake, it’s that hopefully, this will open the door to more conversations about this issue of depression,” he said in Filipino.
In November, the Philippine House of Representatives passed a mental health bill that aims to provide “the best available” mental health care to everyone. The senate also passed its version of the bill in May 2017 but it has not yet been signed into law.
According to the video’s caption written by Manotoc, the project took about a year to put together because he was worried about reliving his anxiety and the social stigma that comes with mental disorders. But he decided to open up about his experience publicly to help others who may be going through the same thing.
“Coming out and sharing my story and in a very visual and dramatic manner may seem a bit much for some, but I know in my heart my story can touch some lives,” Manotoc said.
“And if I save a life or two in the process, it will be all worth it. To sum it up, my message is clear, YOU WILL BE ALRIGHT.”
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