Over a decade ago, there were 4.5 million cases reported on
this silent illness called depression. Due to its social stigma, no
one really wants to step up front and get diagnosed with it. As a
result, not enough study or monitoring is being done in the Philippines for the
moment.
It is estimated that for every 90 depressives, only
one-third is expected to seek help, one third will suffer silently while the
other one-third will bear the symptoms not knowing there's something wrong.
"Depression can hit anyone but not everyone knows what
to do or where to go for assistance. Some are afraid to talk about it for fear
of being labeled as insane or crazy. They need someone who can
understand their situation, give advice and support, and bring light to their
journey of suffering and pain with positive self-discovery and
well-being,” said Jean Goulbourn, president of Natasha Goulbourn Foundation (NGF), a non-profit organization which helps people be aware of how
one can prevent, recognize or treat this illness.
With this in mind, NGF and Globe Telecom earlier entered
into a partnership for the NGF Hopeline, a portal which makes it possible for
people in need to quickly connect on a person-to-person basis with qualified,
trained and certified responders who assist callers through established
protocols. It also directs the callers where to undergo diagnosis, treatment
and therapy.
“We want to help people in a truly meaningful
manner. Through the use of ICT, we are able to reach out to many
people confidentially without fear of being cast aside. This illness
is real and it affects our youth. Together with NGF we offer a
solution which can help those who are suffering find a happy place,” said
Fernando Esguerra, Head of Globe Corporate Social Responsibility.
Globe provides the information and communications technology
infrastructure for Hopeline. Both NGF and Globe encourage people who
are in emotional crisis and in need of immediate assistance as well as their
families and friends to contact the NGF Hopeline at (02) 804-HOPE (4673), 0917
558 HOPE (4673), and 2919 (toll-free number for all GLOBE and TM subscribers).
A number of factors may cause the illness such as chemical
imbalances in the brain or family history or stressful events such as the death
of a loved one, separation, or job loss. Certain medicines, overuse of drugs
and alcohol, and chronic diseases can also lead to depression. Common
symptoms may include the following:
1. Intense sadness
for prolonged period
2. Crippling guilt
for everything
3. Loss of appetite
or overeating
4. Disturbed or too
much sleep
5. Anger,
aggressiveness, restlessness, and irritability
6. Helplessness and
hopelessness that things will not get better
7. Trouble
concentrating and memory loss
8. Unexplained
physical pain
9. Lack of control
over negative thoughts
10. Reckless behavior, self-harm, and
suicidal tendencies
Not everyone will experience the same symptoms since it will
depend on several factors such as gender, genetics, coping mechanism, support
structure, relationship, and culture.
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