Do you know someone who’s depressed? How can you determine that a person has depression? How do we deal with depression or with a depressed person?
These are just some of the many questions we may have already began thinking of and then let go due to answers that seem to be very difficult to understand. Or perhaps we stopped thinking about the moment we doubt if it’s even real. Well, it is real. It is happening everywhere.
Unfortunately, depression continues to be a leading cause of disability and death in many countries around the world. Many people think that depression is not an illness; it is widely dismissed as just a negative feeling that one eventually snaps out of. However, it is one of the leading causes of suicide. We must understand that it is simply because a depressed person is weak. Most of the time, what they show is just the tip of the iceberg. It is vital that we at least try to understand what’s underneath.
Did you know?
• More than 300 million people are currently undergoing depression, up by more than 18% from 2005 to 2015.
• In the Philippines, an estimated 3.3 million Filipinos are suffering from depression. Only 1 out of 3 who suffers from depression will seek the help of a specialist and one third will not even be aware of their condition.
Because of this, Globe Telecom created Hopeline 2919 in 2012, a 24/7 toll-free prevention hotline. In its first year alone, 14,000 calls have been received and most of the calls were related to issues on depression, suicidal thoughts, and relationship problems.
Personally, I believe that Hopeline 2919 is a stepping stone to our understanding of depression, and eventually battling it. Most people with this illness are afraid to talk about it because of the stigma that currently prevails in our society about it. As a result, they become more depressed and they tend to keep their true feelings to themselves. Worst, it becomes the end of living.
I see Hopeline 2919 as a string of hope that people who are suffering from depression can hold on to when they find no courage to talk to their friends or families. Although, I still believe that as friends and families, we must be very sensitive and sentient when we are faced with this. Moms and dads must spend time and truly listen to their children, and make them feel secured and loved. Friends should be very patient and must not judge.
At one point, I myself was depressed. I didn’t want to talk to anyone for quite some time. Now that I have a family of my own, I acknowledge when my kids feel down or if my husband seems to be going through something. We’ll never know until we try reach out. In the family, we make sure that we discuss our problems together to be emotionally healthy. There are no big or small issues – just issues. The key is to talk about it no matter what. As parents, we have a big responsibility and opportunity to ensure our children’s emotional state.
There’s no Hopeline back then. Thanks to Globe Telecom for continuously supporting the DOH in promoting mental health awareness in the Philippines.
We you think that there’s no hope and no one who will understand you, think again.
