Emman Atienza opens up about her mental health journey
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Emman Atienza, Kuya Kim Atienza's daughter, just bravely opened up about a deeply personal chapter in her life.
On Instagram, the Sparkle artist shared a 2024 photo dump and a lengthy yet inspiring story about her mental health journey last year.
She began, "I came into 2024 unsure if I even wanted to live to see the end of it."
Emman shared that she has been dealing with therapy for mental illness since she was 12. She thought she was "only getting worse as the years passed."
"For half of my teen years, I was bullied. I'd try to talk to my peers only to be met with dry, uninterested responses. I vented and trauma-dumped to friends so often that they eventually grew tired of hearing it -understandably so," she said.
In a more deeply personal confession, Emman admitted that she even lied to her therapist about feeling better out of fear of disappointment.
Later on, her mental health worsened when she relapsed into self-harm on her birthday last year after nearly two years of being sober.
Since then, she has come back to Los Angeles for intensive therapy to process her past traumas.
Emman shared, "I'd play the same song on repeat for hours to dissociate, pretending to disappear. I'd come back from therapy sessions screaming into my pillow or crying in the bathtub."
Unfortunately, she said that at this time, she was also "roofied and assaulted."
Returning to the Philippines, she "cut off unhealthy habits, environments, and relationships."
She added, "I made slow but meaningful adjustments: I learned new coping mechanisms, grew stronger at enforcing my boundaries, and with that, I developed more self-worth and confidence."
Related gallery: Celebrities open up about depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues
After sharing pieces of her life in TikTok, Emman gained followers and welcomed new healthy relationships after feeling "invisible, damaged, inadequate, and worthless."
She realized, "But now, I see how wrong I was. I now understand how much I have to offer. I know who I am, feel secure in myself, and am no longer swayed by other's opinions."
She added, "2024 was a whirlwind of ups and downs. But as I stepped into 2025, I can't see a reason not to live."
To more brighter days, Emman!
Difficulties in life are temporary. They are not permanent. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis and need someone to talk to please contact:
National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) Crisis Hotline at 1553 (Luzon-wide landline toll-free), 0917-899-8727, (02) 7-989-8727
Philippine Red Cross Hotline at 1158
In-Touch Crisis Line at 8-893-7603, 0917-8001123 or 0922-8938944
Get to know more about Emman in this gallery:
