BAGUIO CITY — "Mga kaarruba, hindi lahat ng disability ay nakikita" (Neighbors, not all disabilities are visible), appealed the Baguio City Health Services Office (CHSO) to the public.

CHSO issued such a statement aiming to break down the misconceptions and social barriers surrounding invisible impairments.

CHSO focused on psychosocial disability, which stems from the functional impact and barriers faced by individuals living with mental health conditions. According to health officials, these individuals frequently encounter unsupportive or inaccessible social environments, stigma, and discrimination that significantly hinder their ability to participate fully and equally in school, work, and community life.

The health office highlighted that psychosocial disabilities can severely restrict a person's capability to function in specific environments, concentrate, maintain the physical stamina to complete tasks, or cope with daily time pressures. It can also heavily disrupt a person's ability to interact smoothly with others, manage stress, and process constructive feedback.

Health experts identified several common clinical mental health conditions that can lead to these debilitating psychosocial barriers. Depression causes a persistent feeling of sadness and a loss of interest, severely impacting thoughts and behaviors while making everyday tasks feel insurmountable. Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme mood swings that fluctuate between emotional lows, bringing sadness or hopelessness, and highs, bringing increased energy or irritability, which deeply affects judgment and clarity of thought. Schizophrenia affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, often causing a painful disconnection from reality through hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking that requires lifelong management through talk therapy, medication, and daily support.

Other common conditions include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is triggered by experiencing or witnessing terrifying events and manifests as distressing flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts. Anxiety disorder involves intense, persistent, and excessive worry regarding everyday activities that can peak rapidly into terrifying panic attacks, often beginning as early as childhood or adolescence. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) features unwanted, intrusive thoughts and fears that drive severe distress, forcing individuals into repetitive, disruptive behaviors.

To support residents facing such invisible struggles, the CHSO is reminding the public that accessible mental health services are readily available. Individuals seeking professional guidance or medical intervention can visit the HSO-Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Unit, located right beside the main HSO building on T. Alonzo Street in the city.

Local health officials are calling on everyone in the Summer Capital to actively foster an environment of empathy by choosing kindness, practicing inclusion, and making healthy choices for healthier lives.