Current and Emerging Issues in Guidance and Counseling in the Philippines

Are you stressed?

Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands.

Stress isn’t always bad.. In small doses, it can help us perform under pressure and motivate us to do our best.

But when we are constantly running in emergency mode, out mind and body pay the price..

What is stress?

When we perceive a threat, our nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol.

These hormones awakens our body for emergency action..

Stress affects: Mind, Body, Behavior, & Relationships

Three Common Ways People Respond when Overwhelmed by Stress

Foot on the gas: An angry or agitated response. You’re heated up, overly emotional, and unable to sit still.

Foot on the break: A withdrawn or depressed stress response. You shut down, space out, and show very little energy or emotion.

Foot on both: A tense and frozen stress response. You freeze under pressure and can’t do anything. You looked paralyzed, but under the surface you are extremely agitated.

Sign and Symptoms Stress Overload: Cognitive / Emotional Symptoms

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Children/Youth of today are Adults/Parents of tomorrow..Adults / Parents

STRESS

Depression

Suicide

Bullying / Cyberbullying

Risk-Taking Behavior

Addiction

PMS – AIDS/STD’s,

Early Pregnancy, &

AbortionSmoking, Alcohol, Illegal Drugs, Gangs,

etc..Substance abuse, Computer/Intern

et Abuse, Pornography,

etc..

OFW / Migrant Workers

Separated / Annulled

Solo Parent

Absentee Parent

Children / Students (Youth)

SSA & LGBTViolence

Against Children & Women

Memory problems, Inability to concentrate, Poor judgment, Seeing only the negative, Anxious or racing thoughts, Constant worrying, Moodiness, Irritability or short temper, Agitation - inability to relax, Feeling overwhelmed, Sense of loneliness and isolation, Depression or general unhappiness.

Sign and Symptoms Stress Overload: Physical / Behavioral Symptoms

Aches and pains, Diarrhea or constipation, Nausea / dizziness, Chest pain, Rapid heartbeat, Loss sex drive, Frequent colds, Eating more or less, Sleeping too much or too little, Isolating yourself from others, Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities, Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax, Nervous habits (e.g. nail-biting).

Effects of Chronic Stress

It raises blood pressure, Suppress the immune system, Increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, Contribute to infertility, Speed up the aging process.

Many health problems are caused or exacerbated by stress:

Pain of any kind, Heart disease, Digestive problems, Sleep problems, Depression, Obesity, Autoimmune diseases, Skin conditions.

According to research and studies..

Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving us more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.

Stress causes DNA damage.

Depression

Depression is much more than just sadness.

.. feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness are intense and unrelenting.

Depression is a major risk factor for suicide.

The deep despair and hopelessness that goes along with depression can make suicide feel like the only way to escape the pain.

Thoughts of death or suicide are a serious symptom of depression, so take any suicidal talk or behavior seriously.

It's not just a warning sign that the person is thinking about suicide: it's a cry for help.

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health stated that untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, the 3rd leading cause of death among their teenagers.

Depression self-help tip 1: Cultivate supportive relationships

10 tips for reaching out and building relationships

1. Talk to one person about your feelings. 2. Help someone else by volunteering. 3. Have lunch or coffee with a friend.

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4. Ask a loved one to check in with you regularly. 5. Accompany someone to the movies, a concert, or a small get-together.6. Call or email an old friend. 7. Go for a walk with a workout buddy. 8. Schedule a weekly dinner date. 9. Meet new people by taking a class or joining a club. 10. Confide in a counselor, therapist, or clergy member.

Depression self-help tip 2: Take care of yourself

1. Do things you enjoy (or used to)2. Develop a wellness toolbox 3. Adopt healthy lifestyle habits4. Fight depression by managing stress

Depression self-help tip 3: Get regular exercise

Depression self-help tip 4: Eat a healthy, mood-boosting diet

Depression self-help tip 5: Challenge negative thinking

Depression self-help tip 6:

Raise your emotional intelligence

Depression self-help tip 7:

Know when to get additional help

Natasha Goulbourn Foundation

Mindstrong, a campaign that focuses not on the tragedy of suicide and depression but rather on harnessing one’s mental resilience and cultivating a feeling of flourishing. These are antidotes to the downward spiral that depression brings.

Essentially, the campaign helps make individuals more optimistic, mentally agile, self-aware, self-regulating. It enables one to focus on one’s strengths and build better connections with the people around him or her. Mindstrong, like an earlier campaign, My Happy Hour, is an initiative not to treat depression but to prevent it by taking positive steps in small, regular doses.

http://www.ngf-hope.org/

NGF 24/7 HOPE LINE

(In Partnership with UGAT Foundation): 0917-558-HOPE (4673) or (632)211-4550 / 0917-845-HOPE and 0917-842-HOPE

In Touch Crisis Lines: 0917-572-HOPE or (632)211-1305 / (632) 893-7606 (24/7) / (632)893-7603 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)

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Globe (63917) 800.1123 or (632) 506.7314 / Sun (63922) 893.8944 or (632) 346.8776 "Dial a Friend“Hotlines: (632) 525-1743 / (632) 525-1881

Suicide

The World Health Organization estimates that on the average, almost 3,000 people commit suicide daily.

According to WHO suicide rates statistics, one person commits suicide every 40 seconds. Suicide rates all over the world have increased by 5% - 62% in the last two decades.

Of the 107 suicides in the Philippines reported in the first half of 2010, 82 were male while 21 were female. Seventy one of the suicides were in Metro Manila – the bulk coming from Quezon City, mostly by hanging.

Most of the suicides are in the 21 to 40 age group, followed by 41 and above and 20 and below.

Reference:

A second look at suicide. Adelle Chua. Manila Standard Today Online

Awareness of suicide symptoms vital. Published on The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/335284/awareness-suicide-symptoms-vital

Boy kills self after being scolded for low grades. Published on ABS-CBN News. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/04/14/11/boy-kills-self-after-being-scolded-low-grades

Dealing with Depression: Self-help and Coping Tips. Helpguide.org. www.helpguide.org

Depression in Students. http://psychcentral.com/lib/2010/depression-in-students/

Depression rate could be high among OFWs - group. Kimberly Jane Tan, GMANews.TV

Depression rates higher in wealthy countries, study finds. AFP Relax Tue, Jul 26, 2011.

I was suicidal after Pacquiao defeat, says Hatton. AFP News – Fri, Sep 30, 2011

Mister nag-suicide, dahil sa planong mag-abroad ni misis. Bombo Radyo Online. Friday, 23 September 2011

Suicide Statistics in Asians: Why Do People Kill Themselves? Asian Offbeat

Teenage Depression. Angelee L. Orticio, Bicol University

Understanding Depression: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Help. Helpguide.org. www.helpguide.org

Submitted by:

Mr. Reynante S. Tagum

GC 504: Counseling Theories and Practice II

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