Kylie Verzosa creates online mental health support group

Even before she won the Miss International crown last year, Filipina beauty queen Kylie Verzosa has been outspoken about her advocacy for mental health awareness—even taking the bold step of sharing her and her family's own experiences with depression and other mental health issues.

Last week, she took her commitment further by creating an online support group called “Mental Health Matters,” which aims to give emotional support to people who are experiencing “depression, anxiety disorder, and other forms of mental illness.”

According to Kylie in an Instagram post on Friday, “I, together with my sister and a few good people, have created an online support group for my mental health advocacy. We will be sharing information about mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.”

“There will be people monitoring it as often as possible. So feel free to join and share! It's an open space,” she added.

 

Life will surprise you in many ways. Learn how to ask, believe and receive, not to mention persevere. --- I together with my sister and a few good people, have created have created an online support group for my mental health advocacy. We will be sharing information about mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. And have created a separate group for people going through it, or who think are going through it. There will be people monitoring it as often as possible. So Feel free to join and share! It's an open space. Link in Bio ???????????? #mentalhealth

A post shared by Kylie Verzosa (@kylieverzosa) on

Mar 10, 2017 at 5:01am PST

The “Mental Health Matters” Facebook group features different articles, video clips, and stories that can be of help to people dealing with mental health issues.

Kylie openly shares her own experience after being diagnosed with clinical depression during the summer of 2014, hoping to be an inspiration and a beacon of hope to everyone.

While she has decided to treat herself by changing her lifestyle—the beauty queen started exercising, doing yoga, pilates, and healthy eating—she also emphasized the importance of banishing the stigma against seeking medical help.

“I am not a professional but I know how you feel because I have been there. I encourage emotional support... Remember, suicide must NOT be an option. Help me save lives,” she said.

Kylie added, “Let us support one another. We are not alone and we can get better and live our dreams just like I do.”

READ: Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa: Addiction is a sickness, not a crime

WATCH: Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa wants to erase stigma against depression, anxiety

— Bianca Rose Dabu/BM, GMA News