ABS-CBN News anchor and veteran sportscaster TJ Manotoc shared that he struggled with anxiety and depression during high school. He added that his mother was an integral part of how he managed to cope with depression.
TJ opens up about his struggle with depression
In a video that was posted on YouTube, TJ Manotoc opened up about his struggles with depression.
TJ shares, "It’s hard to describe how you feel when you got through depression.
"Physically, I get sweaty palms, I get palpitations; my heart races fast. I just feel paranoid.
"I feel like a zombie sometimes, and I really lack sleep.
"I’m going through, you know, stretch of days that I’m having anxiety attacks and insomnia coupled with my depression...
"Oftentimes, you’re sad for no reason at all.
"Your emotions can go to such a downward spiral and you hit rock bottom, and you ask yourself: ‘What got me here? What’s this I’m so sad about?’
"And you just can’t figure it out. You can’t understand.
"It’s just an empty, empty sad feeling and that pretty much, for me, is what depression felt like."
How did TJ cope with depression?
When he was batling depression, TJ shared that his mother, Aurora Pijuan was his 'anchor.'
He recounted that simply being with his mother helped boost his courage and his confidence, and made him feel that he would be able to overcome his depression and recover.
He added that even if it was a dark time for him, his depression made him understand just how important parental love and support is when it comes to children who are struggling with depression.
TJ also shared what he told his teenage daughter if ever she felt that she was depressed.
"I can’t guarantee whether you’ll get it or not.
"We don’t know, but we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that whatever you get into, we won’t stress you out too much.
"We won’t put you in an extremely stressful environment.
"I’ll be watching out for you."
TJ also wants parents to always pay attention to their children and identify the signs of depression. His advice is for parents to talk to their children about depression and let them know that no one is immune from it.
Watch TJ's video below:
Source: pep.ph
Photos screen capped from: Instagram.com
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