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| OFWs suffering from depression may message DWC's Facebook page to get help |
It’s SAD season again, meaning there is an increase in the
number of people, particularly overseas Filipino workers, who are getting
depressed.
SAD, which means
“seasonal affective disorder,” is a phenomenon that often occurs at the
onset of autumn and lasts through the winter, before dissipating around
springtime.
It occurs repetitively, and has been seen by officers at the
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration over the years as the time when cases
of Filipino migrant domestic workers getting mentally ill or suicidal show a
noticeable spike.
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This year is no different. Last September, two OFWs jumped
to their deaths just two days apart. Last month, two others hanged themselves
in a span of 10 days.
The causes may differ in each case, with money and
relationship problems cited as the main reasons, but what is true for all is
that a worker gets to a point when she sees killing herself as the only way
out.
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| DWC's Rodelia Villar started a group for OFWs suffering depression |
In all the suicide cases reported this year, not one is
known to have sought help from a doctor, counselor, non-government organization
or the Consulate. At least two showed no signs of being depressed, and were
known to be sociable.
But that could just be the tip of the iceberg in terms of the
number of Filipino migrant workers suffering from mental health problems.
Latest OWWA statistics show that for the first three
quarters of the year, 14 psychiatric cases have already been reported to their
office. For the entire 2018, there were 22 similar cases.
The number of unreported cases could be even more.
Alarmed by the recent suicides, in which family members of
the victims in at least two of the cases had sought their help, administrators
of the online group, Domestic Workers Corner, decided to form a secret group
for those suffering from depression.
Within a day, 20 Filipino migrant workers had already asked
to be included, with many of them reportedly on the verge of snapping.
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“Twenty pa lang ang members pero ang mga stories, grabe.
Madami ang gustong wakasan na ang kanilang buhay,” said DWC founder and
co-administrator Rodelia P. Villar.
She said DWC does not hold itself out as an expert in
solving the workers’ problems, but its administrators are always ready to lend
an ear to anyone who just wants to unburden or share her grief with someone.
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| Welfare attache Beth Dy gives counseling at the Consulate |
If the case sounds serious, or the worker starts talking of
suicide, DWC immediately refers the case to Social Welfare Attache Elizabeth Dy
who, along with another trained counselor, provides counseling service at the
Consulate.
Another officer the group passes cases on to is Welfare
Officer Marivic C. Clarin of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, which
can immediately refer the worker to a local hospital, and extend help in
contacting her family members.
Villar said that when she hears from someone who is
suicidal, she immediately gets her complete name and mobile phone number and
passes them on to OWWA or the Department of Social Welfare and Development office
so help is extended without delay.
If the worker just needs to vent, Villar said her group
would still ask what was causing her anxiety so it would be easier to determine
if she needs to be referred to a trained specialist, and which agency is best
suited to give help.
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| Welfare officer Clarin |
Luckily, she said help is also extended by some workers who
have themselves gone through a depressive phase, and are eager to guide a
fellow worker on how to get over a hump.
But Villar realizes chatting online can only do so much in helping a distressed migrant. Also, not being trained counselor themselves, they are anxious to know how best to respond to workers who reach out to them, and show signs of needing immediate help.
So starting in September this year, Villar started
discussing the possibility of holding a workshop for her group’s administrators
and other Filipino community leaders on how to extend help to fellow migrant
workers who are going through depression.
“Kaya lang hindi pa matuloy dahil sa patuloy na protesta sa
Hong Kong ngayon. Mahirap mag-schedule ng araw na makakapunta ang marami” she
said. But she hopes that by the first quarter of next year at the latest, the
workshop that she is pushing for, would finally happen.
In the meantime, she advises those suffering from anxiety,
depression, sleepless nights or are having suicidal thoughts to seek help directly.
They can either go to the DSWD office at the Consulate in Admiralty, or the
OWWA office at the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Wanchai.
Other groups that can also extend professional help
immediately are non-government organizations like the Mission
for Migrant Workers or Help for Domestic Workers, which both refer patients to
the St. John’s
For emergency cases, or when depression sets in during the
night, the patient may call The Samaritans, which runs a 24-hour multilingual
suicide prevention hotline at 2896 0000. Emails can also be sent to jo@samaritans.org.hk.
What are the signs that you may be suffering from SAD or
depression? Here are some of them:
- a persistent low mood
- a loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities
- feeling irritable
- feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness
- low self-esteem
- tearfulness
- feeling stressed or anxious
- reduced sex drive
- becoming less sociable
- inability to concentrate on tasks
- feeling lethargic or lazy
- lack of appetite, or conversely, an inordinate increase in appetite
- inability to sleep.
In some cases, the sufferer will experience these symptoms
on and off, and in between, could have so called “manic” periods when they feel
happy, energetic and much more sociable.
The nature and severity of depression varies from person to
person. In severe cases, it is best to seek help from a psychiatric doctor or
counselor immediately.
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