A THOMASIAN doctor urged young people to “kill the stigma” of mental illnesses in a seminar at the Tan Yan Kee auditorium last Sept. 9.
Dr. Gia Sison, a mental health advocate, said myths about depression and suicide should be dispelled.
“It’s a reality. Hindi natin kailangang maging hush-hush when we talk about it,” Sison said.
“I hope one day all of us can talk about suicide openly,” she added.
Sison, a World Health Organization consultant, emphasized the need to watch over students’ mental health.
“The student’s concerns and stresses should be normalized. We should never say ‘ang drama mo,'” she said.
“Drama is normal. Drama is a part of life,” she added.
The seminar, “Impact of Environment on People with Emotional Behavioral Disorder,” was organized by the College of Education’s Guild of Thomasian Speducators.
“This seminar aims to break the stigma implanted on people with emotional and behavioral disorder, empathizing with them by having enough knowledge and being able to understand and help them in their life battles,” Andrea Francesca Dela Cerna, one of the organizers of the seminar, told the Varsitarian.
Other speakers during the event were Apple Nocom and Kenneth Roy Aranas, a graduate of BS Psychology from the University.
The World Suicide Prevention Day was observed on Sept. 10.
