"Because of their responsibilities and expectations from others, people with high-functioning depression tend to show a front that they’re okay. This is especially common in the Filipino community."
Ayon sa psychotherapist at counsellor na si Manna Maniago. habang hindi madaling mahalata ang mga sintomas ng high-functioning depression, ang paghihirap na idinudulot nito ay maaring kasing sakit ng depression na nagbubuhat ng pagwawalang-kilos.
Psychotherapist and counsellor Manna Maniago Source: Manna Maniago
Paano malalaman kung apektado ka
Kwento ni Sydneysider na si Manna, ninais niyang maging bahagi ng "helping industry" dahil nakita niya ang paghihirap na idinudulot ng depression at anxiety.
"I saw the need. There are people who suffer in silence. They don't reach out. My line of thinking especially is to help our fellow Filipinos - [to be there for them,] instead of telling them to brush it off or that it's a passing thing."
Ayon sa kanya, habang maaring mahirapang magtrabaho o magpanatili ng mga relasyon ang mga may debilitating depression, mahirap minsang mapansin ang mga sinyales ng high-functioning depression.
Manna at work and with colleagues Source: Manna Maniago
"Even if high-functioning depressives are successful on the outside and everything [in life] seems great, they have low self-worth, low moods and, they experience days when they feel on top of the world but all of a sudden, bad days creep in and they feel hopeless."
Ang pakiramdam na ito ay nagdudulot ng kapaguran, ngunit kahirapang makatulog.
High-functioning depressives can be successful and seem to have everything together. Source: Free-Photos from Pixabay
"They tend to always feel tired and have a change in appetite. With high-functioning depressives, they can't sleep at night and just browse on social media, You'll see people active on social media for like 24 hours; but during the day, they can mask it."
Ang pagtatagong ito ay nagdudulot din ng bigat sa may depression, ngunit dahil hindi halata ang paghihirap na ito, iniisip ng iba na hindi ito kailangang tuunan ng pansin.
"[The ability to function] makes it so that others feel like nothing needs to be done to help them. Those suffering look happy on the outside. They're happy and smiling. They're functioning. They have a good job and a good family, From the outside they've got everything sorted out," she shares, adding, "But inside, there's a feeling of struggle, of pain that needs to be addressed."
"[The ability to function] makes it so that others feel like nothing needs to be done to help them." Source: StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay
Ngunit kapag mapagbantay ang ibang tao, mahahalata ang mga subtle na simtomas ng high-functioning depression.
"High-functioning depressives are tough on themselves. They always want to be perfect, like they're trying to compensate for their feeling of lack of self-esteem. They're always wanting to make sure that they are at 120% in everything they do."
"They're always wanting to make sure that they are at 120% in everything they do." Source: geralt of Pixabay
Ang mga grupo na high-risk
Ang ilan sa mga grupong high-risk para sa high-functioning depression ay ang mga international students at mga nanay.
"They're the ones who are at high-risk for high-functioning depression because they tend to push aside their feelings because of their responsibilities. Part of my pro-bono work in Sydney is I see Filipino international students. Some of them come here to study because it can be a pathway to permanent residency and a better life in Australia."
Ayon kay Manna, ang pangako ng mas magandang buhay sa Australya ang siya ring nagdudulot ng depression.
Part of Manna's pro-bono psychotherapy work is helping Filipino international students. Source: Kobe Michael from Pexels
"Some students had to sell everything they had in the Philippines to be able to afford tuition; so there are huge expectations for them to be successful and gain employment straight way...those become a burden. They keep quiet because they don't want to be seen as weak. And on top of that, they're here by themselves, with no support. All they have are people they just met. It's hard to build new relationships."
Habang kinakailangan ng mga international students na bumuo ng ma panibagong relasyon, kinakailangang mapanatili ng mga ina ang mga relasyon nila sa kanilang mga asawa't anak.
Ayon kay Manna, "Mothers have to be strong for their families. They wear different hats, but also tend to be more critical of themselves even if they do a lot for their families. Even if they tick all the boxes of what good mums do, they think they're not good enough. In our Filipino culture, especially, mums are always met with criticisms - on what they should or should not do. That adds to the pressure."
Manna says that mums, whether they're mums of newborns or high school children, are a high-risk group for high-functioning depression. Source: samuel Lee from Pixabay
Saad niya na mas bumibigat pa ang pakiramdam ng mga may high-functioning depression kasi hindi nila kayang mag-set ng boundaries.
"Us as Filipinos, we tend to say 'yes' all the time because we don't want to hurt or offend other people. Sometimes it gets to be too much for us, but we still have to attend to someone else's needs. When you feel like you're drowning inside and you feel so overwhelmed that you want to scream, seek help. Remember that in order to take care of others, your tank also has to be full."
Learn how to say no and to set boundaries. Source: Foundry Co from Pixabay
Mahalagang makakuha rin ng suporta ang mga high-functioning depressives sa iba.
"When someone says they’re depressed, seriously consider it. People who hear this from those who suffer tend to keep quiet because they don't know what to say; so they need to be educated when it comes to how to react," aniya.
"When someone says they’re depressed, seriously consider it." Source: Tan Danh from Pexels
Ayon sa kanya, pantay lang dapat ang pagpansin sa mental at physical health.
"When someone has the flu, for example, signs are more obvious. They're told to take medicine and see the doctor. With mental health, it's harder to notice and it's harder to give advice; but it you sense someone is going through something, reach out. Sometimes, when you show genuine empathy and concern, they start opening up."
BASAHIN / PAKINGGAN DIN
