“Was there a time when you felt anxious or depressed?”
“Always.”
“What triggers your thoughts?”
“College. I didn’t like my course, I never wanted to be in this course.”
“Did you take any action to change your course?”
“I tried talking to my parents if pwede, pero ayaw talaga nila.”
“How do you handle stress?”
“I smoke.”
“How do you calm yourself afterwards?”
“I hug people lang like, ‘Can I have a hug?’ [Tapos] okay na. I’m very malambing.”
“How do you deal with other people in accordance to what you feel inside?”
“As much as possible, I don’t want the person to see [what I’m going through, so] I just pretend. Tinatago ko na lang.”
“What do you do to change your old habits when your thoughts are triggered? How do you change your perspective?”
“Whenever na-ti-trigger ako, in-a-accept ko na lang, wala, ganoon talaga.”
– “Ysa,” 18
Interview by LORRAINE B. LAZARO
Photo by KATRINA MAE H. MARCOS
