Struggling with depression? Sign up for this free counseling service

A recently published report by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) contained a sad and alarming reality.

According to the study, death by self-harm or suicide has risen to almost 26 percent as compared to 2019, making it the 27th cause of death in the country in 2020.

The lack of social interaction due to isolation, anxiety, financial woes, uncertainty, and job insecurity because of the pandemic have taken their toll on the mental health of many in the population.

Now, more than ever, the need to address people's mental wellbeing has become a national health emergency in itself.

With this in mind, the Ateneo Bulatao Center for Psychological Services has launched a free counseling service for Filipino adults aged 18 and above.

“The Ateneo Bulatao Center continues to extend a helping hand to the Filipino community by offering free brief psychological services,” the center wrote on its Facebook page.

“This is a free counseling service where you can speak with responders who will listen to you and provide a safe psychological space as you share your distress.”

Those who want to avail themselves of the service just need to sign up and wait for two to three weeks for the appointment due to the limited number of responders.

“These services will be conducted within [one to two] sessions. Each session is aimed to help you equip yourself with coping strategies and emotion management skills to better handle distress,” said the center.

“These services are not a substitute for therapy or act as a crisis hotline. For those in need of urgent attention, it's best to contact the Department of Health's National Center for Mental Health at 0917-899-8727 or 02-7989-8727; the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation Hopeline at 0917-558-4673, 0918-873-4673, and 02-8804-4673; or the In Touch Crisis Line at 0917-800-1123, 0922-893-8944, and 02-8893-7603.”

Here are some local celebrities who admitted to having anxiety attacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how they overcome it: