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Moira, KD, Maxene, and more celebrities talk about mental health in “Magandang Buhay”

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Mary Ann Bardinas

<p>Arguably, gone are the days when mental health issues are being taken lightly and considered just a sort of overreaction, as more and more people have mustered the courage to talk about their experiences and embarked on their personal missions to raise awareness about them. This is in their pursuit of helping break the stigma surrounding mental illness and encourage others to seek help.</p><p>Among them are celebrities who, despite having the things that ordinary people could only dream of—fortune, fame, and power—still go through challenges that take a toll on their emotional, mental, and physical well-being. And some of them were able to share their personal battles on mental health during their respective guestings in “<a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/magandangbuhay"><em><strong><u>Magandang Buhay</u></strong></em></a><strong>&quot;</strong> over the past years, which we compiled in this Toplist.   </p><div> </div><div><strong>Moira Dela Torre</strong></div><p>Those who have been following the life of Moira on and off the spotlight are probably aware that she has gone through a lot of setbacks and challenges before getting to where she is at present. And those sad, heartbreaking experiences have been among the inspirations behind her <em>hugot </em>songs that pierced and stirred us.</p><p>In one of her appearances in the morning talk show, the brilliant singer and songwriter recounted how she and her mom went through really tough times after her parents got separated, which she wasn’t able to process well all at once. She didn’t have any idea on how to cope at the time, so she turned to music.</p><p>As she felt like being a burden and a mistake to her family, she decided to keep her problems to herself and hide away from her family by relocating to Manila, where she got to pursue her music career.</p><p>When asked by momshie-host Jolina Magdangal if she didn’t have anyone in her life at the time to remind her that what happened to her family wasn’t her fault, Moira retorted, “Siguro po dahil Ate ako, feeling ko I have to have it altogether all the time because I needed to be a good example to my sisters.”</p><p>Thus, aside from having a successful career in showbiz, Moira was also grateful that even though she hurt her family in the past, they unwaveringly accepted her with warmth and loved her every time she went home, as if nothing happened. Besides, they’ve always been there for her, no matter what.</p><div> </div><div><strong>KD Estrada</strong></div><p>While men are expected to be strong at all times, KD proved that they could be vulnerable, too. In his “Magandang Buhay” interview, he admitted not really knowing how to reach out to people close to him until he joined <u>“</u><a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/pbbs10"><em><strong>Pinoy Big Brother Kumunity Season 10”</strong></em></a> in 2021.</p><p>He imparted that his PBB stint pushed him to open up about how he feels to other people—in this case, his housemates—since they didn’t have phones to distract them from speaking with each other. And among those who became his shoulder to cry on was Alexa Ilacad, who eventually became his best friend and onscreen partner. </p><div> </div><div><strong>Jessy Mendiola</strong></div><p>In her 2018 guesting, Jessy confessed suffering from depression for two years, which she didn’t let anybody know about, not even her family. Being bashed for the longest time and being misjudged by people made her afraid to open up. While isolating herself was her way to cope with her situation, she imparted that her doctor advised her to convey her thoughts and feelings by sharing them with the people whom she trusts so much.</p><p>“<em>Talagang mahirap para sa akin. May mga bagay talaga na sobrang sakit. Akala ng mga tao, tayong mga artista, labas lang ‘yong nakikita nila. Pero sana</em>, they give time also <em>na makita kung ano talaga tayo at kung ano talaga ‘yong nangyayari sa atin </em>in real life,” she expressed.</p><div> </div><div><strong>AC Bonifacio</strong></div><p>While her physical strength is her power, AC admitted during her <a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/magandangbuhay"><em><strong><u>Magandang Buhay</u></strong></em></a>” guesting that her weakness is her mental health.</p><p>“<em>It’s something that I don’t wanna ignore. I’m always smiling on camera, and I’m truly happy being around everyone once I’m here. But we go through our moments; lahat naman po tayo. So, I feel like it’s just something that you shouldn’t be afraid to talk about, something that you shouldn’t be insecure about because we are all going through it,</em>” she said.</p><p>Just like people her age, AC has also decided to be open about her mental health struggles and acknowledge it to inspire others to not be ashamed to speak up. But she assured everyone that she’s completely okay, so her family, friends, and fans have nothing to be worried about.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Lassy</strong></div><p>It is said that happy people tend to be the ones to bear the heaviest problem. And this speaks true to <u>“</u><strong><u><a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/itsshowtime/"><em>It’s Showtime</em></a>”</u></strong> host Lassy, who ‘fessed up during his appearance on “Magandang Buhay” in 2022 alongside fellow comedians and Beks Batallion members MC and Chad Kinis about his suffering from anxiety.</p><p>When asked by the momshie-hosts about the one thing he would wish to leave behind the year that had past, it would be his anxiety. According to him, he used to experience suddenly getting sad or having anxiety attacks, especially during the pandemic, to the point that he would shiver and wanted to be rushed to the hospital. But he’s been able to manage it with the help of his family and friends, who have shown her nothing but love and support.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Kiko Estrada</strong></div><p>Being a scion of a prominent showbiz clan can have its benefits and pitfalls. While bearing the surname of his famous predecessors has given him advantage, Kiko Estrada said that he also got him pressured to be great and live up to his late grandfather’s name, Paquito Diaz. The same with his father, Gary Estrada, his mother, Cheska Garcia, and his uncle, Joko Diaz.</p><p>“The pressure has always been there, and depression because <em>nawala ‘yong lolo ko</em> in a time that I really needed him to guide me,” Kiko said. He further related that it took him a long time before he was able to visit his late grandfather’s grave since he wanted to prove himself first and to show him he has never forgotten his advice for him to always be good in everything that he does.</p><div> </div><div><strong>Maxene Magalona </strong></div><p>Prior to her special appearance in the Magpasikat 2024 performance of Team Jhong-Jackie-Cianne, Maxene has been a champion of mental health awareness.</p><p>In her “<a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/magandangbuhay"><em><strong><u>Magandang Buhay</u></strong></em></a>” guesting in 2023, she recalled having a difficult time managing her emotions as she would explode in anger, completely shut off, be occupied by negative thinking, and project her anger onto her loved ones. She already grew tired of herself and wanted to get to know herself more, so she sought therapy.</p><p>“<em>Now that I have that understanding, I can now move forward and create a life that I can thrive without having to fear anymore what happened in the past. Because whatever happened in the past, that is your gift also, and that is something that will make you strong and resilient in the present moment,</em>” Maxene stated.</p>

The celebrities in this Magandang Buhay Toplist are proof that mental health issues can affect anyone. 