I have MDD, and my family is Christian, so I find it even harder to hide what I’m going through. My mom would often say that people who have mental health problems are “sira ang ulo,” so it’s difficult for me to open up about what I’m feeling.
Sometimes, all I need is someone to tell me, “I’m here for you. You’re not alone. We’ll get through this together.”
I Thought Boundaries Were Enough, Tara Usap Tayo.
I used to think boundaries were the cure.
I thought if I could just say “no” enough times, if I could cut off the people who hurt me, if I could build a fortress around my heart I’d finally feel safe. I’d finally feel whole.
And for a while, it worked.
I stopped answering texts. I unfollowed. I walked away from conversations that felt like emotional landmines. I told myself, “This is healing.”
But inside, I was still hurting.
Still longing.
Still trying to prove I was enough.
Here’s what no one tells you:
Boundaries protect you from others.
But they don’t protect you from yourself.
I had built walls so high, I couldn’t hear my own voice anymore.
I confused isolation with peace.
I thought silence meant safety.
But really, I was just avoiding the deeper work
learning how to sit with my emotions without letting them drown me.
I didn’t know how to regulate the storm inside.
I didn’t know how to forgive myself for the years I spent people-pleasing, shrinking, performing.
I didn’t know how to stop fighting today’s battles with yesterday’s pain.
So I’m learning. Slowly.
I’m learning that healing isn’t just about who you keep out, it’s about who you let in.
It’s about letting yourself in.
It’s about feeling the ache and choosing not to run.
It’s about saying, “I’m safe now. I don’t have to prove anything.”
If you’re here, reading this, maybe you’ve felt it too.
Maybe you’ve built the walls and still feel exposed.
Maybe you’re realizing that boundaries are a beginning, not a destination.
You’re not alone.
You’re not broken.
You’re just human.
And being human is messy, beautiful, and brave.
Let’s keep showing up.
Not perfectly. Just honestly.