TRIGGER WARNING: Pagbanggit sa depression, anxiety, at panic attacks
Namaalam na ang comedian at theater actor na si Pepe Herrera bilang isa sa celebrity contestants ng “Your Face Sounds Familiar” ng ABS-CBN matapos amining muli siyang dumaraan sa maselan at matagal nang laban kontra depresyon at anxiety attacks.
Sa isang tapat na pahayag, na ibinahagi sa opisyal na Facebook page ng programa, sinabi ni Pepe na dekada na siyang hindi maayos ang pakiramdam, at nitong mga nakaraang araw lamang niya tunay na naunawaan ang lalim ng kaniyang pinagdaraanan matapos ang isang session niya sa psychotherapist.
Dito raw niya napagtanto na hanggang ngayon, patuloy pa rin ang kaniyang pakikipagbuno sa depression at anxiety, kondisyon na unang lumitaw noong siya ay 13 taong gulang pa lamang.
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Ibinahagi rin ng aktor na naka-survive siya sa loob ng maraming taon dahil nakabuo siya ng iba’t ibang “escape mechanisms” tulad ng pagiging masiyahin at pagpapatawa ng mga tao. Ngunit kalaunan, napagtanto niyang ang patuloy na pagtakbo mula sa sariling emosyon ay may masamang epekto na sa kaniyang katawan.
Kuwento pa ni Pepe, madalas siyang atakihin ng matinding panic tuwing gabi, dahilan para hindi siya makatulog. Dahil naman sa paulit-ulit na puyat at tensyon, nakararanas na rin siya ng paninikip ng dibdib, na nagdulot ng higit pang pag-aalala at pakiramdam ng pananakit sa bandang dibdib.
Sa kabila ng biglaan at mabigat na desisyon, nagpaabot si Pepe ng taos-pusong pasasalamat at paghingi ng tawad sa mga TV host, mentors, at kapwa contestants ng programa. Aniya, hindi niya intensyong makaabala, ngunit kailangan niyang unahin ang kainyang mental health, at pati na ang physical health na apektado na rin.
Bago magtapos, emosyunal na nakiusap si Pepe sa ABS-CBN na i-flash sa screen ang mga numerong puwedeng tawagan ng mga kagaya niyang nagnanais na humingi ng tulong kaugnay sa kanilang mental health issues.
Noong Nobyembre 3, nauna nang inamin ni Pepe ang kaniyang pinagdaraanan sa kaniyang mental health.
"Hello everyone. Recently, I have been taking a break from posting anything (except for collaboration posts) and scrolling to enjoy the nourishing effects of social media detox," mababasa sa post ni Pepe.
"I am posting my current life story now because it might help someone who is experiencing the same thing."
"I have been feeling anxious regularly since 2023. Recently, the attacks happen at night preventing me from sleeping. Lack of sleep is making the anxiety attacks harder to manage. One of my therapist said I’m also experiencing a type of PTSD. Apparently, it’s connected to the amount of abuse I have experienced and witnessed since my early years."
Ibinahagi rin niya ang mga natutuhan niya sa sessions na kaniyang dinaluhan sa kaniyang psychotherapists.
"A mental breakdown a few weeks ago made me finally decide to seek professional help. I would like to honor these people who extended a helping hand - @elleaddalane, @libnifortuna, and my therapist from @mindnation. Let me share what I’m learning from my sessions with them."
"1. Asking for help can be a sign of strength. Asking help from the right people can be a sign of wisdom."
"2. When I am getting overwhelmed by a narrative my mind is creating (which is mostly exaggerated), I can always go back to my body."
"3. Listen to what my body is telling. It’s always keeping score and it’s always trying to help me."
"4. Choose my words wisely. Reframing sentences like 'I am anxious' to 'I am feeling anxious' can help create the shift from feeling defeated to feeling empowered. When I say “I am like this and that”, I embody the emotion and attach my identity to it. It gets stuck inside of me, creating a prison of self pity and hopelessness."
"But when I say 'I am feeling this and that,' I take back the power and see these emotions (anxiety, grief, rage) for what they truly are - energy in motion. It comes and it goes. It is meant to be released. It’s possible that I just feel more of it compared to others."
"5. When triggered or experiencing an attack, the best way for me to release the heavy energy without passing the trauma to others is to move. I have this routine that I have been doing for a week now. I’m going to share it on my stories."
Bilang pagtatapos, aniya, "I am grateful for the insights I have been receiving recently. I still feel the struggle on a regular basis but I am now feeling more courageous in handling the rise and fall inside my brain and body. Again, from feeling defeated, I feel more empowered each day."
"I am grateful for loved ones and role models who extended a helping hand financially and spiritually. I am grateful for friends who listened to my stories without judgement and without giving unsolicited advices."
"I am grateful for my nuclear family @sarah.pdgm and our kids. It’s an uphill battle, but the way I see it, we are rebuilding our family together."
"Last but not the least, I am grateful to anyone who took the time to read this. May this help you or the people in your circle see and understand people who are struggling with kindness and empathy."
"Ok balik muna ako sa outdoors to enjoy the healing effects of Mother Nature. See you next week or next month. God Bless You," aniya pa.
