People are afraid of the unknown and it resulted to the creation of stigma in Mental Health. The lack of knowledge on the importance of this leads to discrimination and stereotypes towards it.

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Stigma in Mental Health involves discrimination. It is a societal disapproval who puts a shame on people who experiences distinguishing characteristic like mental illness. Having these stigmas on mental health is very common as people can easily points out a negative remark towards a person who’s just seeking for help because they are suffering from emotional distress, namely depression, anxiety and etc.

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Stigma can push people who is suffering from mental illness to hide and question themselves. In other words, these people were labeled as ‘dangerous’ and ‘crazy’ rather than being treated with respect and care because they needed medical assistance. Discrimination can change a person and it can have a huge impact in everyone’s life; especially, to vulnerable individuals who has emotional distress.  It may be unintentional or shallow, in a way that someone can avoid you because of the thinking that you are different than the rest, mainly because of your mental illness.

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Depressed people were called as ‘lazy’ and people with anxiety is ‘cowardly’ because of their actions that the so called ‘normal people’ cannot perceived, that is why they put names to those people, so that they can put it in their own understanding.

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These generalized beliefs of entire groups are often inaccurate and offensive. Those characterizations are not valid and all of them is the fruit of being misinformed which prevent the people with mental disorder to have action or get help.

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• Public stigma involves the negative or discriminatory attitudes that others have about mental illness.

• Self-stigma refers to the negative attitudes, including internalized shame, that people with mental illness have about their own condition.

• Institutional stigma, systematic and involve government and private organizations. It limits opportunities for people with mental disorder.

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On Reducing Stigma

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Everyone should keep in mind that it is essential to understand what someone with mental illness is going through. We are all equal. It is important to know that all of us has rights including them. Furthermore, when negative stereotypes come up, always remember to educate them about what you know. You can correct them and eliminate a myth and educate these individuals against fallacious stereotypes.

1. Anxiety Disorders:

Anxiety disorders is often related to depression. They include generalized anxiety disorders, social phobias, phobias such as agoraphobia and claustrophobia, and panic disorders. It is worth noting that not all anxiety is a disorder, experiencing anxiety and fear at times is completely normal and is helpful in dealing with human emotions to keep us out of danger. What makes anxiety as a disorder is when it is experienced in an excessive and irrational way that causes ongoing and abnormal mental/emotional distress.

Common symptoms of anxiety disorder include:

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• Fears and thoughts that are constant and distressing and that interfere with daily living.

• Panic or anxiety attacks or a fear of these attacks

• Physical anxiety reactions just like trembling, sweating, faintness, rapid heartbeat, difficulties breathing or nausea.

• Avoidance behavior, in which a person may go to extreme lengths to avoid a situation that they think could bring on anxiety or panic.

2. Bipolar Affective Disorder:

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Previously known as ‘manic depression’. Bipolar disorder includes episodes of mania and depression. A person affected by bipolar disorder may or may not experience psychotic symptoms.

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Common symptoms of bipolar disorder are cycles of extreme low and high mood:

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• Periods of low mood is called ‘depressive episodes’

• Periods of high mood is called ‘manic/hypomanic episodes’

 

3. Depression:

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Characterized by lowering of mood, loss of interest and enjoyment, and reduced energy. There are different types, levels/severity, and symptoms of depression. Depression may lead to increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviors if left untreated.

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Generally, depression does not result from a single event. A mix of events and factors is what causes depression.

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Common Symptoms of Depression:

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• Feeling sad, down or miserable most of the time for more than 2 weeks

• Lost of interest in their usual day-to-day activities

• Experiencing several of the signs and symptoms across at least three of the categories in the list:

• sad

• miserable

• unhappy

• irritable

• overwhelmed

• guilty

• frustrated

• lacking in confidence

• indecisive

• unable to concentrate

• disappointed

 

4. Dissociation and Dissociative Disorders:

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Dissociation is a mental process where a person disconnects from their thoughts, feelings, memories or sense of identity. This includes dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, depersonalization disorder and dissociative identity disorder.

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Most mental health professionals believe that the underlying cause of dissociative disorders is chronic trauma in childhood.

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Common Symptoms includes:

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• Feeling disconnected from yourself

• Problems with handling intense emotions

• Sudden and unexpected shifts in mood just like, feeling very sad for no reason

• Depression and/or anxiety problems

• Feeling as though the world is distorted or not real

• Memory problems that aren’t linked to physical injury or medical conditions

• Other cognitive (thought-related) problems such as concentration problems

• Significant memory lapses such as forgetting important personal information

• Feeling compelled to behave in a certain way

• Identity confusion just like, behaving in a way that the person would normally find offensive or abhorrent.

 

5. Eating disorders:

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Body dissatisfaction, dieting, and depression are common risk factors for the onset of an eating disorder. Common eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia nervosa and other binge eating disorders. Eating disorders can have serious psychological and physical consequences if left untreated.

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There is no single cause of eating disorders. Combined social, psychological and biological factors all play a part, in varying degrees, for different people.

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Common symptoms include:

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• weight loss, weight gain or weight fluctuation – usually due to dieting, but sometimes from an illness or stressful situation

• preoccupation with body appearance or weight

• sensitivity to cold

• faintness, dizziness, and fatigue

• increased mood changes and irritability

• social withdrawal

• anxiety or depression

• inability to think rationally or concentrate

• increased interest in preparing food for others

• obsessive rituals, such as only drinking out of a certain cup

• eating in secret

 

6. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

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Obsessive compulsive disorder (aka OCD) is an anxiety disorder. OCDs are characterized by recurrent thoughts, images or impulses that are intrusive and unwanted. Compulsions are time-consuming and distressing repetitive rituals that may negatively affect a person’s life by replacing the daily activities and routines with compulsion.

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These are theories about the causes of OCD: (because it is still uncertain what causes OCD)

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• Compulsions are learned behaviors, which become repetitive and habitual when they are associated with relief from anxiety.

• OCD is due to genetic and hereditary factors.

• Chemical, structural and functional abnormalities in the brain are the cause.

• Distorted beliefs reinforce and maintain symptoms associated with OCD.

• The main symptom of OCD are compulsions.

 

Compulsions are usually performed to try and prevent an obsessive fear from happening, to reduce the anxiety and obsessive thoughts which creates a false sense of relief.

 

Common compulsions include:

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• excessive hand washing, showering and tooth brushing

• excessive cleaning and washing of house, household items, food, car and other areas

• excessive checking of locks, electrical and gas appliances, and other things associated with safety

• repeating routine activities and actions such as reading, writing, walking, picking up something or opening a door

• applying rigid rules and patterns to the placement of objects, furniture, books, clothes and other items

• touching, tapping or moving in a particular way or a certain number of times

• needing to constantly ask questions or confess to seek reassurance

• mentally repeating words or numbers a certain number of times, or concentrating on ‘good’ or ‘safe’ numbers

• replacing a ‘bad thought’ with a ‘good thought’.

 

7. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is developed as a response to people who have experienced any traumatic event that threatens their life or safety, or that of others around them. It is common for people to have some of the symptoms of PTSD in the first few days after the traumatic event.

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Common symptoms include:

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• Re-living the traumatic event through unwanted and recurring memories, flashbacks or vivid nightmares.

• Avoiding reminders of the event, such as thoughts, feelings, people, places, activities or situations that bring back memories of the event.

• Negative changes in feelings and thoughts, such as feeling angry, afraid, guilty, flat or numb.

• Being overly alert or ‘wound up’ indicated by sleeping difficulties, irritability, lack of concentration, becoming easily startled and constantly being on the lookout for signs of danger.

These are the list of mental health facilities that can help people who endure the struggles of having mental instability.

• Bridges of Hope Drug and Rehabilitation Center (Paranaque brand)

• Bridgehall Community Foundation Inc. (Cavite)

• Ateneo De Manila Bulatao Center (Quezon City)

• Anxiety and Depression Support Philippines (Metro Manila)

• Anti-Drug and Substance Abuse Council (Makati City)

• Ang Dalangan, Negros Occidental Drug Rehabilitation Foundation Inc. (Negros Occidental)

• Academy of Hope, One Algon Place Foundation Inc. (Laguna City)

Around 6 million of Filipinos are estimated to live with depression and anxiety, which made the Philippines as the third highest rate of mental health problems in the West Pacific Region. Despite the needs for psychological help, Filipinos does not prioritize mental health assistance as they are still ignorant to the significance of good mental condition. In addition, the dissemination of information about mental health awareness is yet to reach every corner of the world, therefore details regarding the matter are still few and that is one of the challenges of having Mental disorder in the Philippines. Furthermore, the negative attitude of Filipinos made an impact to the normality of having mental stability. And because of that Psychiatric hospitals in the country is also affected by this discrimination, causing it to fall low on the priority list. Help is far away to individuals who needed it and even if they wanted to get help, they are afraid of the labels that they are called.

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In conclusion, the challenges of people with mental disorder in the Philippines is alarming because Filipinos are misguided by the stereotypes in mental health which leads to the growth of mental health problems in the country. These challenges are an eye opener for everyone that mental illness should be a number one precedence and the government should give enough fund for mental health services. Continues education about mental health awareness helps to change the way of thinking of people, in order to break the stigma in mental health and break through with the challenges it bears.

The Growing Number of Cases From 2019 – 2020 Who Suffer or Experience Mental Health Problems 

        

Some people say that the current generation are weaklings since they are prone to anxiety and depression. This kind of mindset is usually applied by older generations because youths are starting to reveal the truth behind their smiles. Social media is one of the most used platforms where you can see fighters sharing their story of coping up and even their story when they think that they cannot do it anymore. There are people who gives compassion and there are also people who will question everything out then will say that they are just acting up for attention. You will clearly see the discrimination from others that became a barrier for a lot of people to be vocal about their mental health issues.

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According to the article published by Department of Health on their website doh.gov.ph, at least 3.6 million Filipinos suffer from one kind of mental, neurological, and substance use disorder based on the research conducted by Philippine WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health in the early part of 2020. The percentage of people who suffers in year 2020 went up as our country faced a worldwide pandemic due to Covid-19 and it is still going up without rest. Isolation is the best practice that we can do to maintain the safety of our health but it is also one of the main factors that can trigger mental issues. Generation Z are prone to this mental health problems as some percentage of them are currently battling with the “new normal” education system which is commonly known as Online Classes.

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Due to lack of knowledge and lack of facts from people, mental awareness is still hard to reach. Multiple campaigns and propagandas are being done to give voice to those who cannot speak and to give chance to those who cannot be heard. The number of people who are suffering secretly are raising nonstop and not all the people in the community is aware of it. It is like one of the forgotten issues but the most impactful one. Just like what we always say, it is okay not to be okay. Due to discrimination being given to those who are vulnerable, they chose to fight this battle secretly. A lot of them won and also, a lot of them lose.

Managing Mental Illness and Taking Care of Mental Health: 

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Living with many problems every day has a major impact on one's mental health, and sadly many people simply ignore or make it their least priority since until now, one can receive discrimination and insults from other people if it is revealed to them. As a result, one's mental health deteriorates, leading to serious mental illness and, in the worst-case scenario, death. The best method to deal with it is to consult with your doctor and undergo psychotherapy. It is also a great help if you know how to prevent, minimize or lessen it so that it doesn't get any worse.

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There are many self-care techniques you can find everywhere but it takes time and effort to find the right coping mechanism for you. However, discovering these may have a huge impact on how you feel. If you haven't had satisfaction with previous ways or want to broaden your knowledge with it, here are ten (10) coping techniques that are recommended by mental health professionals that perhaps you should consider. Most of these are from an article by the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), a grassroots advocacy group established in the United States that was created by family members of those diagnosed with mental illness and the others are from the related sites for mental health.

 

1.      Accept Radically

 

The creator of dialectal behavioral therapy, Marsha Linehan, states that radical acceptance is totally and completely accepting something from the depths of your heart and mind. These words reflect the notion that a situation can't change no matter what. Consider the following scenario: a tornado is heading your way. Undoubtedly, there is nothing you can do to halt the tornado. You're going to be in a lot of trouble when it strikes.

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The same would go for mental illness. Since you can't change the fact that you have a mental illness, wasting time trying to "get rid of it" or pretend it's not happening is a great disadvantage, only sapping your strength. Treating it starts with you. Accept yourself as you are, your condition itself. Then decide how best to look after yourself.

 

2.      Breathe Deeply

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You may often hear about breathing when it comes to handling your panicking self in certain situations. It is said to be the most effective way to relieve anxiety. When struggling with anxiety or uneasiness, you can do the “5 3 7” breathing technique:

 

Breathe in for 5 seconds

Hold the breath for 3 seconds

Breathe out for 7 seconds

 

The brain receives a message from this soothing repetition that everything is fine (or it will happen eventually). Your heartbeat will gradually slow down, and you will start to relax and feel better without even realizing it.

 

3.      Think Opposite to Emotion

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You behave in the reverse way of what your emotions are telling you to do. Let's assume you're upset and want to isolate yourself. This way of thinking advises you to get out and socialize, which is the polar opposite of solitude. When you're feeling agitated, find something to help you calm down. When you're feeling worried or anxious try doing something relaxing such as yoga. This is perhaps one of the most difficult methods to practice, but the outcomes are fantastic if you succeed.

 

4.      Explore the Five Senses

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An approach known as "The 5 Senses" is another efficient strategy to use your physical space to calm you down during a crisis. Rather than concentrating on a particular object, "The 5 Senses" allows you to explore what each of your senses is perceiving at the time.

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Think what would happen if you have a Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) flashback occurred in the middle of class. What are supposed to do then? Panic? Stop! Take a look around you. Watch the hands of a clock move. Feel the seat beneath you. Pay attention to the tone of your teacher's voice. Smell the chalkboard's mild scent. Take a piece of gum and chew it.

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It will only take a little time to run through your senses, and it will help you remain aware and focused on what is true, on what is currently happening.

 

5.      Reframe Mentally

 

Mental reframing is the process of thinking about an emotion or stress factor in a novel manner. Consider the experience of being stuck in traffic. Certainly, you will be annoyed and be able to remember negativities to yourself like how terrible your life is. Because of the traffic, you are running late. Why does this happen to you so frequently?

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You may even reframe the thought to something like the traffic is horrible, but you will still make it to your destination. You can't do anything about it, so you’ll just listen to music or listen to an audiobook to kill time. In difficult situations, mastering this method can practically shift your viewpoint. However, as you might expect, gaining control of this skill requires time and effort.

 

6.      Be Aware of Your Emotions

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It will take much longer to deal with your emotions if you ignore the truth of them since once we acknowledge what we're feeling, we can cope with it or whatever the root of this problem. So, if you're anxious, allow yourself to be anxious for a few moments before relaxing. Allow yourself to be angry for a while, then listen to some soothing music. Make efforts to be aware of your feelings. Admit that you are experiencing negative emotions, allow yourself to feel them, and then take steps to relieve them.

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You have no control over whether or not you have a mental illness, but you do have power over how you react to your symptoms. Learning, practicing, and mastering coping mechanisms can help improve mood emotionally, spiritually, and physically (as with everything else with mental illness).

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To recover from mental illness—to keep fighting discomfort in the hopes of feeling good takes courage and determination. Even if you feel helpless or useless in the face of the daily fights, you are tremendously powerful for persevering. Simple and practical approaches can aid you in your struggle. If you use these tactics, you will notice a significant difference in the outcome.

 

7.      Surround Yourself with Good People

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People who have a good social or familial network are often healthier than those who do not. Make arrangements with encouraging family and friends, or look for activities that will allow you to make new friends, such as joining an organization, class, or support group.

 

8.      Avoid Alcohol and Other Drugs

 

Limit your consumption of alcohol and stay away from other drugs. Alcohol and other substances are sometimes used to "self-medicate," to calm down, and to forget problems, but in reality, that would greatly affect your mental health. What you can and should do is to prevent, decrease, or completely eliminate alcohol and other drugs in your life as much as possible.

 

9.      Do Something You're Good At

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What are your favorite pastimes? What activities allow you to lose track of time? What used to be your favorite hobby? Stress can be reduced by having fun. Doing something you enjoy signifies you're probably good at it, and accomplishing anything enhances your self-esteem. Concentrating on a passion such as landscaping or the Rubik's cube can help you feel better, forget your troubles and shift your mood for a bit.

 

10.    Keep Active

 

Experts believe that exercise causes your brain to release hormones that make you feel good. Regular exercise can improve your self-esteem while also assisting you in focusing, sleeping, and feeling better. It is also beneficial to the brain and other essential organs. Exercising entails more than just playing sports or working out in the gym. You can stay active by going for walks in the park, planting, or doing chores. Most people should exercise for 30 minutes at least five days a week, according to experts. Make enjoyable physical activity a part of your daily routine.