Suicide and Depression have been prominent topics in media, proliferating awareness, knowledge and information. Through films that portray, stories that show, songs that tell and testimonies that justify, people have had been having glimpses with how it is to live with psychological challenges in day to day life.
This subjective experience, however, manifests very differently from person to person, stemming from a spectrum of dysfunctional behaviors and overt unusual changes in lifestyle. Such mental health concern definitely needs professional interventions managed by psychologists, psychiatrists and guidance counselors. However, we fail to look outside this picture. Family, friends, romantic partners, loved ones deliver as much, or even more reinforcing effect to the betterment of a person suffering from depression and/or a suicidal ideation. Empathy, genuine concern, and unconditional positive regard are often overlooked in a wholesome intervention. Not only that these factors are often overlooked, but also, people fail to realize efforts put forth to embody these attitudes. We all recognize carers, they are people, mental health professionals or just loving individuals, who jump into the void or the experience of someone feeling the loneliness and anguish and emptiness.
In this podcast, Ethan and Dr. Ronald Del Castillo explore the significance of carers in the mental health perspective, especially those who are non-professionals. These carers need not extensive knowledge, but just embody the openness to experience and to learn about how to “be around” for someone, how to “be there”, “be for them”.
Moreover, these carers know and feel how to be emphatic, how to be unconditional, genuine and congruent. With these, they become notable instruments who aid a holistic intervention for someone who is feeling depressed, or having thoughts of suicide. This podcast gives recognition to them, by sharing their authentic help of bringing themselves to experience the reality of experiencing depression and suicidal ideation.
Check it out in youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et54sXCjh4s&t=119s
