Category: Uncategorized

I often hear girls saying na depressed daw sila. When I eavesdrop further (sorry), depressed daw sila because they can’t find anything to wear that day or depressed daw sila because hindi daw sila pinapansin ni churva eklaver.

Depressed agad? Hindi ba pwedeng, sad muna?

Ladies, depression is a mental illness. It is not an emotion. You will not want to be depressed, believe me. Isusumpa niyo yung feeling. Sadness is an emotion. It’s okay to be sad. It is not normal if you do not feel or have never felt sadness in your life. So malamang if you are still functioning very well physically, emotionally and mentally, malamang sad ka lang. You are not depressed. If you are depressed, you need to seek help immediately otherwise, it will worsen. It can take your life too, if not treated.

Here are some of the symptoms of depression from the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. I got it from this website.

1. feeling depressed throughout each day on most or all days
2. lack of interest and enjoyment in activities you used to find pleasurable
3. trouble sleeping, or sleeping too much
4. trouble eating, or eating too much, coupled with weight gain or weight loss
5. irritability, restlessness, or agitation
6. extreme fatigue
7. unwarranted or exaggerated feelings of guilt or worthlessness
8. inability to concentrate or make decisions
9. suicidal thoughts or actions, or thinking a lot about death and dying

Sa mga clueless until now, lemme repeat it, there are a lot of risk factors for depression. From the same website, I shall repost the list here:

• early childhood or teenage trauma
• inability to cope with a devastating life event, such as the death of a child or spouse, or any situation that causes extreme levels of pain
• low self-esteem
• family history of mental illness, including bipolar disorder or depression
• history of substance abuse, including drugs and alcohol
• lack of family or community acceptance for identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT).
• trouble adjusting to a medical condition, such as cancer, stroke, chronic pain, or heart disease
• trouble adjusting to body changes due to catastrophic injury, such as loss of limbs, or paralysis
• history of prior mental health disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or anxiety disorder
• lack of a support system, such as friends, family, or coworkers

Depression also may be a side effect of some medicines: meds that reduce your blood pressure (beta blockers), meds that provide relief from swelling, redness, itching, and allergic reactions (corticosteroids), hormonal meds and meds that treats high cholesterol (statins).

Minsan din, walang trigger. Like mine before. I was happy and I didn’t have any problems. Then BAM! Nagkadepression ako.

Malalaman mo if you should seek treatment already if you are feeling extreme sadness, or if you are feeling the 9 symptoms in the first list I showed you, for more than two weeks na. Ayan, hindi na talaga healthy yan. Best to see a specialist immediately. They will counsel you and give you suggestions on the changes you can do in your life that can help you overcome depression. One of the best suggestions out there is to simplify your life in the best way you can. Hindi kailangan maging complicated. Hindi kailangang sobrang busy. Hindi kailangang stressful. Manage your expectations. And then pray.

If you have a loved one or know someone who says they have depression, utang na loob, wag niyong sasabihan ng “Wala yan!” or “Lilipas din yan.” or worse, “Drama mo lang yan.”. Gusto kong suntukin yung mga taong ganyan, promise. I’ve said it a million times. Mental illnesses are very hard to explain to people who do not have it. Ang pangit naman sabihin na sana meron din kayo para ma-gets niyo yung may mga ganito, di ba? What you can do is to read more about it. Educate yourselves about it. Be there for your loved one.

If wala kayong time gawin yun, then shut the hell up. You might be able to save a life.

Bow.

References:
https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/depression-vs-sadness#takeaway
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201510/the-important-difference-between-sadness-and-depression

Sometimes, every now and then, napapatigil talaga ako with what I’m doing because I think about how fast Anika is growing. Ang bilis and she amazes us with her personality everyday.

One of the things that I always think about is alam kaya niya how much I love her. Alam kaya niya that despite being busy, she is always in my mind? Alam kaya niya that everything I’m doing now, lagi lagi may kinalaman sa kanya? And alam kaya niya that she has made me a better person since God gave her to us?

On our way to her dance class kanina, we were singing with gusto along with the songs in the Pitch Perfect soundtrack. Bigay na bigay kami. It was so much fun. If only I could freeze that scenario and video it, I would. I wanted to be reminded of these moments forever. Tuwang tuwa talaga kami mag-ina sa sarili namin kanina.

And then out of the blue, she asked me to play the song Better Place of Rachel Platten. One time kasi, in the car pa din, she heard the song. I told her that it’s one of my favorite songs. Nagustuhan siguro kaya she made me play it from my Spotify.

So I did.

She sang along and then said, “Nanay, this is making my cry.”. Ayun she was singing and the same time, tears were falling from her eyes.

ME: Is this song making you sad?

ANIKA: No, Nanay. It’s really nice. I love it.

She held my hand.

ANIKA: Can this be our song na lang? Not na the I Love You song of Barney because that’s for kids naman.

ME: Sure, sweetheart.

And then we sang along with the song. Naluha din ako. Naluluha ako ngayon just thinking about it. Here’s the lyrics of the song para makarelate kayo. The video’s at the bottom too. It’s a beautiful song and I am very touched Anika thought about me when she listened to it. I know that from now on, she will never forget me everytime she hears it <3

BETTER PLACE by Rachel Platten