Mental Health To The Heart

The experiences we had in the past weeks can be likened to a movie that portrays the lives of those who pushed for the unconventional and unpopular. I have already an idea how difficult those pursuits were, but the difficulties experienced firsthand are truly an uphill climb. Unlike in movies, success stories can be expected in two hours or so, approaching to its end, but ours can most likely take a lifetime. The start, laying the foundation of the advocacy, awareness-raising of its rationale and necessity, is grueling. Out of the hundreds we have talked to, we have won some. They sustained our optimism and enthusiasm to keep on going.

Mental health is important. However, over the past years, the need to address it has not been that urgent compared to the premium we give to the other aspects of health. It is not independent. That is why our ardent desire is to integrate it into Primary Health Care. There is no doubt that in some cases, the physical complaints of people are not the primary reason why they seek medical attention; those are but manifestations of the stress and anxieties they are facing. They do not necessarily need medicine rather they need to unload and reconcile whatever they bear through other means, one of which is Psychotherapy that is realized through a series of sessions with a Mental Health Specialist or an able practitioner who handles such.

In every traumatic event, there sure are people who will bear various traumas in their lifetime. Each person has a certain threshold over something. With overwhelming destruction to properties or loss of loved ones brought by natural/man-made calamities or armed conflicts, some can transcend the situation while others cannot. It basically depends on how strong the person who faces it and supplementary to that is the quality of support system he/she has. Resilience is true to all, but we exhibit it in different extents. We bounce back from a traumatic event at our own choice, at our own pace.

Why then intervene? The simple answer to that is the question – “Don’t we all dread the worst?” When these simple, abnormal manifestations of common mental disorders are neglected and taken for granted, they will eventually develop to severe ones. And once they are classified as Severe Mental Disorders, it will already be difficult to bring it back to its normal state, worse is – “normal” will forever be just a fancy.

We do not settle in getting a cure or healing only for the patients, alongside with it is our yearning for a PsychoEducation to their families and their communities. Mental health is a concern of everyone, no exemptions. The mainstream can either make or break those that are a part of it. It is for that reason that we want it to be a part in the healing rather than a cause to the destruction of life.

If Mental Health is a product, it’s likened to a newly-launched one; people are at the stage of trying to appreciate its essentiality. Unlike many products out in the market that appear to be mere whims but have overwhelmingly drawn attention, Mental Health is not something that popped to stir a necessity in us. This has been a long-time need to which we have just put a blind eye to.

Many have been victims of our neglect on its importance. Some have committed suicide, while some put themselves in isolation, and others wander on streets without direction. Some inflict pain on themselves and worse is, other’s outrage has caused the loss of some innocent lives. There will be more cases of this sort if we do not act now. Issues on this matter should not be delayed; this should be dealt with once and for all.

Yes, we can only do so much, but I hope we exhaust all the means we can do to concretely advocate and live out its importance. Though I must warn you, advocating and acting on this do not give an immediate result. One has to understand that we are dealing with life that observes process. Your consolation is that - your investment on Mental health is an investment to life itself.

A man who lost his mother and youngest brother during Typhoon Sendong. Until now, their bodies are not yet found. Blessed is he who has a positive disposition despite everything that happened, how about the others who have similar stories? Yes, they are at risk.

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Pangkat Sulo

A circle that has influenced me much. Wherever everyone is right now, there is no doubt that the torch each is holding is vibrantly burning and is lovingly shared to humanity :) *I so miss PANGKAT SULO*

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A Sister's Though

Dear Bea,

You are way too young to know much about what ills can other people inflict to their fellowmen. I tell you, there are many of their sorts in this world. Do not be disheartened; instead be hopeful that such will come to pass, though it may not be as soon as you hoped it to be.

Some, too bad to say this, but are too young and yet are already too corrupt.
Some people may not use their mouth to talk because they feel that it’s easier to use their money to speak on their behalf.

At times, others can stomach bypassing some people’s rights in order to protect their personal gains and interests. You can only assume that they are miserable, but you can never really tell. You are not like them; you do not really have that thorough idea on why they do such and what for.

By now, you have realized that you cannot outright conclude that a person is intelligent because he has gotten himself a Latin honor when he graduated, for what matters is how he applies those theories in the arena of life where he deals with people, real people with real problems to handle. It’s saddening to note that one can just have the gall to treat others with a trial and error method. It’s as if people are like specimens in a laboratory. Whoever they are, pray for them. Bless their souls.

Some have been best of friends with their egos for the longest time. It seems that their egos are even bigger than their brains and hearts. When you ask them to be at least humane, they rattle. Do they let go of their precious egos? Shall they prick it with their act of kindness or admittance that they committed a mistake? Is that all easy to swallow one’s ego? I bet you have witnessed affront the answer to these questions. Yes, it’s No. Know that it’s possible that in the passing of time and with a certain extent of maturity, their dreaded egos will eventually subside.

By now, you can attest that manners do not go along with wealth. No one can buy manners, however those are free for everyone to embrace and live out. If others do not act the way you have expected them to, do not be dismayed. Know that you are not in control of them. They have their own set of thinking. The consequences of their actions are not for you to bear in the future, it’s theirs. Even how loony, self-centered and inconsiderate they can get at times, still pray for them.

In your pursuit of your purpose in life, you will realize that the world is more than just about you. In your future battles, fight not just for yourself but for others as well. I know your principles are way too important than any amount of money you can get, and that’s why you are admirable.

Be a slave of your principles and your rights, but never of money. Do not attach yourself to worldly things for they are very transitory. Know that your possessions do not and will never define who you are; your worth as a person is more than any fancy and expensive things you can acquire.

Lastly I ask you to remain firm. Stand up for your rights, even if others put a blind eye to it. Speak up even if it will fall on deaf ears. For after twenty years or so, it’s better to look back on your courage to stand up for what is right than to sulk for keeping within yourself what you ought to be asserting.

What matters now is not whether you were heard or not; what really matters is whether you have spoken. You gave your share of the story. It’s basically up to them what to do. After all, it’s very evident that your values are way different with them; you see situations in different perspectives.

With all these things you have experienced recently, never give up on the capacity of other’s to do good. Be kinder to those who hurt you, you just do not know how wrecked they may be as persons. We love you and for always, we will be here. We might not be that expressive most of the time, but know that we care :*

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Earthquake

What can be more important to life, but life itself?

The sincerity, intensity and impact of a message in a cliché are most of the time taken for granted. People have heard such a message countless of times already that to some, it does not make sense anymore. There are two dominant possibilities in sharing a cliché, either the ones who hear it believe and live it, or they hear and disregard it.

How about if the cliché pertains to life?
What if it goes like, “Life is short, live it to the fullest.”
“Any good you can do now, do it. Do not delay.”
Will it ever find its way to your hearts? I mean, how many people out there will take that call seriously and heed a life mindful of its fleeting and transitory nature?

Devastations, destructions, hostilities, calamities, accidents and many others of that sort are actually not new to me. I hear them from news, read it in dailies, overhear from others or even witness it happen right in front of me. And because it has been so casual, as often as you can imagine, those too, even how emotionally piercing, have lost its impact on me at some point.

Not until yesterday.

I have never consciously felt afraid on matters of death until I experienced the earthquake yesterday. It may seemingly be any one of those not-so-strong-earthquakes there is, as its just magnitude 6.3, but to tell you the truth, that was already the strongest and longest quake I have experienced since birth. I was rattling within as much as the way I have reflected it through my actions.



When it happened, I was with the other churchgoers who were hearing mass in the chapel. I did not know what to do, though I am certain that I wanted to go someplace safe. Anxieties and fears were very well evident on people’s faces. I heard cries. Some knelt down and the one closest to me prayed: “Forgive our sins Lord. Please cover us with your mantle of protection.”

Tears gushed on my face. No words. I knelt down crying.
I then asked, what can be worse than what I have seen in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan? I cannot reconcile such a thought. I prayed, prayed harder this time.

Shortly after, classes and work have been called off. In a short span of time, the wary crowd subsided. Cracks on few buildings came to existence after. It was announced that a number of aftershocks can be expected in the next hours and there we felt them indeed. When I reached home, I was still a little dizzy. And when I was about to take a nap early in the evening, there is another shake that prompted me to go out of the house. Another one came during dinner.

Fear enveloped us. The thought of the strong tsunami that hit Japan and the powerful current of water coupled with a massive number of logs during Typhoon Sendong that wiped out areas in CDO and Iligan last year, those scared the hell out of me. But the thought that God is there to protect, these fears died down.

Awareness of what kind of devastations can possibly happen is something that can kill us before the real thing happens. To be firm in faith and believing that everything will be well will truly help us rise above the situation. But still, we are no masters of these calamities. Most of the time, our instincts will lead us on what we ought to do at the moment.

May we be spared from all calamities.

Please, let us continuously pray for each other.

No one from us will live forever, let’s make our lives meaningful.

If you have been too selfish all along, we better think of others as much as we think of ourselves now, for who knows, later on it might be too late to extend that help we are capable of giving.

God Bless you all! :)






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#freeflowing

The breeze caressed me; a touch so familiar yet so rare I encounter.
The light basked until the deepest in me, no darkness was left loafing.
The spectrum of bliss brought out the best within,
I will bless the world for always.

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