Shedding light on the creeping shadows

Darkness in her mind, fear in her body, a victim of an illness dressed in black and white held a placard scribbled with black and red words, awaiting the cure of affection.

Denielle Hernandez, a student from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) plucked up the courage to finally make a stand against depression through a social experiment.

“It was a performance task…[I want] to raise awareness and stand for the quiet ones who never had their chance to speak up,” Hernandez said in an interview with The Spiral Journal.

She posted her social experiment on Twitter and it gained more than 45,000 likes and 8,000 retweets from netizens, something that exceeded her expectations.

Mission in action

About three months ago, Hernandez stood in different locations inside UST–España, UST Field, and Plaza Mayor– holding a placard that says, “I’m diagnosed with depression.

Are you willing to hug me?” In each spot, she stood her ground for 15-20 minutes under the heat of the sun, testing people’s awareness regarding the matter.

She recalled that most of the people’s reactions were encouraging words like “You can do it,” or “We love you,” and “You are brave.” But what struck her the most was when a parent hugged her and told her that it was a “mother’s hug” that she needed.

Love oneself

Hernandez asserted that, one way to address the mental health concern is to be “knowledgeable about the issue and to embrace change, which will eventually lead to acceptance.”

She explained that one must know the possible coping mechanisms during breakdowns. The person should choose someone who knows him/her well.

As for the friend, Hernandez said that he/she should allow the person to vent out everything. Most of the time, all they need is someone who will listen to their laments.

Hernandez hopes to continue her advocacy on raising awareness about mental health issues and continue the long fight against the illness.

“I may not be accepted by the world where I stand in… but I will keep on rising in order to be happy, to be free and to be stronger for myself and for everyone going through the same thing,” she said.

The road may be dark and scary, but if people are assured that they are not alone, they will keep on walking until they reach the bright light at the end, Hernandez said.

“The world may not understand us now, but it won't take forever…You are loved, we are loved.”