Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo disclosed that she was diagnosed with “major depressive disorder with anxious distress” in January last year.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Jan. 16, the Ilongga beauty queen shared that she underwent several rounds of medication to manage her mental health condition.
“I left the country for three months so I won’t get triggered by people who have no idea what I’ve been going through,” Mateo said.
“Everyday was a struggle to survive. I almost deactivated everything and disappeared to have a quiet and peaceful life. I fought hard and still fighting up until now,” she further said.
Mateo promised herself to never give up after she saw how painful the passing of Emman Atienza was for her father, TV host Kim Atienza, and other members of their family.
“I don’t want my Mama to experience the same thing,” she said.
“You don’t know how little kindness means to a depressed person like me and how your words can push me to do something else,” Mateo added.
The native of Balasan, Iloilo made the revelation after receiving criticisms for her Facebook post, which read “Iloilo na! Where to eat?”
Mateo won the first-ever Miss Iloilo crown in 2020. In the same year, she also snatched the Miss Universe Philippines title and represented the country in the international pageant.IMT
