Your mental health is not an excuse for impropriety

Having to juggle between academics and organization work is indeed destabilizing at some point. That is why, whenever my professor makes schoolwork into group work, I’d feel lightheaded; not because the work will be divided among us to ease the burden, but the dreadful feeling that maybe, once again, I would be like a basket—catching the tasks intended for the other members.


Drawing from personal experience, there have been incidents where members leave chats hanging when asked for help, even when all they had to do was chew. Then, the patiently waiting turns into somber disappointment and realization that, like a basket for eggs, I have to catch the rotten ones once again.


With mental health awareness clinging more strongly to the walls of society, significant attention has been given to it in order to address a problem that is invisible to the naked eye. Now it begets the question: where does mental health draw its line when action is taken, especially if it forsakes the well-being of another person?


In recent years, students could be heard calling for an academic break—not all students are students alone. While others wake up at 11:00 a.m on a Saturday morning, some students' days start at 5:00 a.m from Monday to Sunday—a breather is needed to recharge.


For a long time, mental health awareness among Filipinos was just an empty phrase. Looking at it from a linear perspective, people who claim to experience mental struggles are often seen as weak or crazy. So much so that, being able to identify one's own struggle is itself an act of courage that until now, the society still continues to advocate for.


That is why, it is a milestone when people who are struggling find the voice to ask for help or take a break. Having the courage to acknowledge one's personal needs and struggles is a significant aspect of living a healthier life. This is the positive impact of a society that acknowledges the struggle of others instead of invalidating them. In 2023, the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) in launching the Philippine Council for Mental Health (PCMH) Strategic Framework from 2024 to 2028. It aims to pilot the progress of mental health status in the country towards a better well-being.


Others took this opportunity to learn, while some used it as a key for their personal gains.


The call for understanding has reached a point where mental health has become an entitlement for some people’s lack of respect, sensibility, accountability, and bad behavior. A common phenomenon for some students would be an out-of-reach classmate or group member who is expected to contribute. Using “mentally drained,” mentally pressured,” and mentally unstable” as opening remarks when messaging back, some group members suddenly find it difficult to ask for accountability from a person who is struggling.


It is outrageous that while some lay in peace, others are inching to rest in peace. Does mental struggle enable others to desert responsibility, only to return like the incident did not cause an inconvenience to anyone?


We might still be learning how to regulate our emotions and handle breakdowns, yet it never gives us permission to box ourselves inside our own cocoon and refuse to see what lies beyond the shell. Your emotions and struggles are valid, but the actions taken are not, especially if it equates to adversity for others. For moments when some student decides to take a mental break without notice, the ones mentally breaking are the ones who are left behind to keep things moving.


In this fight for mental-health awareness, highlighting the line that separates mental health from human behavior is just as important as recognizing the need for a healthier life. A mentally aware person should know that a healthy mentality is one that doesn’t forsake others just for the benefit of oneself.


Mental health doesn’t end with yours alone.


Written by Ulayaw Spirit
Layout by Martina Real