Taking care of mental health ‘selfish?’ Netizens slam ‘distasteful’ ABS-CBN post

Gaby Baizas

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Taking care of mental health ‘selfish?’ Netizens slam ‘distasteful’ ABS-CBN post
‘It is insensitive to anyone experiencing mental health problems when they oftentimes feel like a burden to those around them,’ one netizen says

MANILA, Philippines – On Thursday, April 30, ABS-CBN News posted a mnemonic on how to take care of one’s mental health during the coronavirus lockdown, with one catch—its mnemonic spelled out the word “selfish.”

SELFISH? ABS-CBN News posts a graphic that attempted to promote mental health awareness during the coronavirus lockdown.

The mnemonic in the graphic lists tips on how to take care of one’s mental health, which include getting enough sleep and exercise, and following a nutritious diet. The tips were based on an ANC interview with neuroscience coach Ben Ampil from April 23.

“It’s not ‘selfish’ in the sense that we don’t care about people, it’s selfish in the sense that we care about ourselves,” Ampil stated.

Many mental health experts are also bracing for a nationwide mental health epidemic as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. (READ: Keep calm and cope: How to stay mentally healthy during coronavirus crisis)

Netizens were quick to slam the post for being insensitive and for “sending the wrong message.” 




ABS-CBN has since deleted the tweet of the graphic. As of writing, the same graphic is still up on ABS-CBN’s Facebook page.

Here’s what Filipinos online had to say:

If you want to seek professional help, you may refer to this list of groups offering free online counseling during the pandemic. – Rappler.com

 

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Gaby Baizas

Gaby Baizas is a digital forensics researcher at Rappler. She first joined Rappler straight out of college as a digital communications specialist. She hopes people learn to read past headlines the same way she hopes punk never dies.