Medical Care - Q&A

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Family Care:
Loneliness (as discussed in the ePinoy Talk Forum)

In our agap kamay article in the OFW page, we spoke of depression. Many of you may not be experiencing many of the symptoms of depression, but one symptom that may be commonly felt is the feeling of loneliness. Lahat tayo siguro ay nakaramdam na ng kalungkutan.

Psychologists describe loneliness as feelings of discontent marked by a sense of isolation and enstrangement. Para sa inyong mga OFW na hiwalay sa pamilya, kaibigan at lahat ng kinasanayan ninyo, ang kalunkutan ay ang karamdaman parang hindi kayo buo, lagging may kulang, parang nag-iisa, maski na mayroon kayong mga kasama. For the OFW, this feeling of loneliness is something that may be constantly present, being felt more strongly at certain times. The intensity of these feelings may also lessen as you learn to adapt to the situation.

Sa inyong karanasan ano ang pinakamalaking sanhi ng kalungkatan ninyo? Kailan ninyo ito nararamdaman? Ano ang mga ginagawa ninyo na nakakalutas ng kaunti ng inyong kalungkutan?
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Comment from: Mario (Malaysia), September 1, 2008

For me, I feel sad when I go home at night after work. I go home to a small apartment and it's quiet. There's no one there and I don't smell food cooking and don't hear my kids talking or running around. The television is not on and the phone is not being used. That's the time I miss my Misis and my kids the most. You could say that I feel lonely then.
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Answer from: ofwparasapamilya.com

Hi Mario,
What you say is true, most times it is the little things that remind us of what we have left behind, like the noise of our children playing, the smell of our favorite dish cooking. As for you, when you go home at night, at the end of a busy working day, you're tired and then you come home to an empty house, you are more vulnerable to feelings of loneliness. That would be a good time to get in touch with your family. You could set a time maybe twice a week when you talk to them, either by phoning them or skyping with them over the internet.
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Hindi ka nagiisa... One. Filipino. Never Alone.
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