It was a Tuesday night when actress Nadine Lustre and BYS Cosmetics held an intimate dinner party to celebrate the one-year anniversary of “Lustrous,” their well-received makeup line collaboration. Social media went abuzz with posts from Manila’s young It-Girls and beauty addicts, sharing photos of an elegant white tablescape and the happenings of the evening under the social media hashtag #IAmLustrous. Although the dinner was expected to be a night of merrymaking, it took a quick turn when Lustre (a giant celebrity whose every move often demands a lot of attention) shared her personal experiences with depression and anxiety.
“I get anxiety from nothing, [there is no] trigger at all, which is hard because I don’t know how to solve it,” she shared in a video uploaded by MEGA Magazine. She would go on to share that the suicide of her brother deeply affected her. It was a commendable move by the social media darling, who wanted to shed light on World Mental Health Day, which happened on October 10. In addition to her story, Nadine and BYS invited a number of other successful women to share their experiences. One of which was businesswoman and society regular Jerika Ejercito.
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“The bullying never stopped. Actually, up until this day it doesn’t stop. I still get a lot of hate messages and negative comments,” shared the Jerika, the daughter of former President Joseph Estrada. “I was bullied a lot in school to the point where I had to stop going to school. But even at home I felt the pressure because when we turn on the TV, when we look at the newspapers, listen to the radio, it was everyone against our family. Dealing with depression, you start looking inwards, and by doing this you will understand yourself better,” she continued to share in the campaign video.
The new campaign called “#ImLustrous: Hear Her Story,” aims to promote mental health awareness and female empowerment. Other media personalities who have joined the campaign include Sari Yap, Kiana Valenciano, Bianca Valerio, Gretchen Fullido, Abby Asistio, Vern Enciso, Michelle Asence-Fontelera, G3 San Diego, Vivoree Escolito and Luz Bagalacsa. BYS invites everybody to watch the full videos from their campaign on their social media accounts, @lustrousph on IGTV and Facebook.
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According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety affects over 300 million people around the world, with at least 50% of those diagnosed with depression to also have an anxiety disorder. 15% of the adult population of the world have had experienced depression at some point in their life. The disease does not choose race, creed, gender or social class, and continues to be a growing epidemic worldwide.
For individuals who think they may have depression or an anxiety disorder, contact one of the national hotlines dedicated to provide help for those with mental health concerns. Call the HOPELINE Project at (02) 804-HOPE (4673), 0917 558 HOPE (4673) and 2919 (toll-free number for all Globe and TM subscribers).
