Overcoming the stigma of mental illness

Enduring depression can be a traumatic experience. Anyone who has recovered from this mental illness knows how it can strip you of the will to live, how it can turn you away from all the things you used to enjoy, and how it can make you feel utterly meaningless. 

According to the Philippine Department of Health statistics, around 154 million Filipinos world wide are suffering from depression, and 877,000 commit suicide. Just like any medical illness, it is a serious concern that plagues the country today.

Yet despite how openly discussed mental illness is, many of our kababayans who suffer from this affliction choose to do so in silence. Why is that?

Does being sad and lonely automatically make you depressed? How long does it take before we can say we are depressed? What are the symptoms? Bantay OCW resident psychologist, Dr. Rommel Agbayani, shares just how serious this suffering from depression is.