Difficulties of Seeking Counseling in the Philippines (cont.)

Another reason that counseling is difficult in the Philippines is because of a general ignorance. Families are not educated about the mental condition of someone who is in need of psychological help, nor do they know how to properly care for them. The prominent cultural reaction to someone with Bipolar I disorder is that the person is demon possessed. I remember a family insistently called different pastors to cast demons out of a family member who was clinically diagnosed with Bipolar I. I don’t negate the possibility of demonic influence on a person’s behavior. Tthe problem is when we see psychological issues as purely spiritual. Misdiagnosis and improperly prescribed treatment can prolong the suffering of the individual. I have seen neighbors whose love-ones who are suffering from a nervous breakdown, drug abuse, or schizophrenia. The family lacks the information and knowledge about the situation of the suffering person so the afflicted individual receives inhuman treatment from those who are supposed to love and care for him. Often these people are isolated and placed in an iron cage or chained, so that they cannot wander around and harm someone else or be harmed. These people are treated like a prison in a “bartolina”. Often they must sleep is an upright position because of the lack of space. They don’t have access to the bathroom. They are given a bath by having someone using a hose to sprinkle them. And maybe worst of all, they are not given time to talk and bond with their families.

Filipinos are supernaturalistic in their beliefs and convictions. They see everything that happens to them as events over which they have no control. The fatalistic tendency is to accept situations as being from God or other spirits so whatever they do will not change the situation.

The extreme poverty in the Philippines makes counseling inaccessible to many people. The minimum wage (which is a normal wage for blue collar workers) is about $6 per day. I see clients from all walks of life. In order to make the service affordable, I use a sliding scale that corresponds to the monthly wage of the family. The first instinct might be that counseling should be free, but it is important for people to take responsibility for their problems, and part of that responsibility is shouldering a cost, even if it is a very small amount. This gives the client a sense of control and ownership, as well as personal power.