Healing depression requires compassion

Last week, the hashtag #UrboyTJ appeared on Twitter after famous rapper Jirayut "Urboy TJ" Paloprakarn disappeared. Music fans and his friends were worried because he vanished after he posted on social media that he suffered from depression, was bipolar and was burnt out. In that post, Jirayut believed that nobody listened to him. It is possible he may have harmed himself because his post said: "I did something that I should not have done, but it was not successful." Fortunately, he returned safely and decided to receive treatment at a hospital.

Jirayut revealed in a TV interview in 2020 that he had depression. He said he had had a rough childhood due to his parents' separation and neglect. He had been through a lot of difficulties before becoming a successful singer/songwriter with the popular hip-hop trio 3.2.1, under the Kamikaze music label. When members of 3.2.1 decided not to renew a contract with Kamikaze, that triggered his depression. The incident happened in 2016 -- a time when not many Thai people were aware of depression. Jirayut learned about depression after Pataradanai "Koen" Setsuwan, a singer with K-otic, told Jirayut that he may have depression and should see a psychiatrist. Pataradanai also confessed to Jirayut that he, too, had depression and had received treatment before.

According to Chulalongkorn Hospital, it is estimated that 1.5 million Thai people suffer from depression, which causes 4,000 deaths each year. The case of Jirayut has raised awareness of depression among Thais. People who have depression now share their experiences on social media. Those with depression say they often feel hidden, that their parents or relatives do not want to admit they have children or relatives with the illness. It is often believed that people suffering from depression just want attention, so their condition is not taken seriously. After being ignored, people suffering from depression said they turned to thoughts of harm. This made me realise that it is important to pay attention if someone tells you they are depressed.