Vice Ganda gets real about therapy for mental health
Comedian Vice Ganda is now openly advocating for therapy as a way to manage anxiety and depression.
In fact, he consults with his psychiatrist up to three times a month—or more, depending on how he feels. “Sometimes, my doctor would ask, ‘Do you need me now?’ Because I believe therapy isn’t just for when you’re feeling down, stressed or tense. You should also go even when you’re okay,” he told Lifestyle.
Therapy, he explained, helps in understanding one’s behavior, especially during moments of success. “Minsan, nalilihis ka rin ‘pag masyado kang matagumpay (Sometimes, you can also lose your way when you’re too successful). Therapy helps you balance everything out. It’s been a huge help for me. My psychiatrist is like my life coach, best friend and constant listener,” Vice said.
He strongly advocates therapy, especially for the youth. “These kids experience so much stress. They deal with issues they struggle to understand, so going to therapy is important,” he added.
Vice first considered therapy during the pandemic, when the world was dealing with different traumatic experiences due to the global health crisis.
“We all felt restricted, unable to go out and do the things we used to take for granted. A lot was happening around us, affecting our behavior. We became more impatient. I personally experienced that, and I wanted to address it,” he recalled.
“I decided to seek professional help because I had been feeling anxious about many things. I needed to understand what was triggering my anxiety and what I should do about it. My doctor and I agreed to try therapy first without medication, as much as possible. I’m okay. I’m very disciplined. I follow all the advice given to me. In fact, I’ve already completed all my sessions.”
Holistic approach
Vice believes that maintaining a healthy mental state is an ongoing process. “It’s just as important as making sure I’m physically healthy. I believe in a holistic approach. Every now and then, you visit your dentist to check your teeth—you make sure they’re clean, that your veneers are okay. You don’t wait until your teeth are broken or full of cavities. The same goes for mental health—you maintain it,” he explained.
“I actually don’t have any major health problems—except for constipation,” he quipped during his recent launch as a brand ambassador for Santé Barley, a drink from wellness brand Santé International. “The first thing I did after learning about the endorsement was ask my elder sister, who is a doctor, if taking barley as a dietary supplement is good. She said it’s okay for my constipation.”
For Vice, having the right mindset is everything. “I really believe my work as a comedian helps a lot because I’m always laughing and happy on set. Among my close friends, I’m the only one not on maintenance meds. I also don’t get hospitalized often, despite my work being physically exhausting. Maybe it’s also in the genes—my grandfather lived to 90, and my mom is pushing 80 now,” he said.
Vice is also mindful of what he eats. “I eat a lot but in small portions. It also helps that my partner (Ion Perez) lives a healthy lifestyle. He counts his calorie intake and watches what I eat. He even scolds me when I eat junk food. I make sure to follow his advice, but I just can’t do heavy exercise with him—like biking, motorcycling or going to the gym every day,” he admitted.
Portion control isn’t too difficult for him. “I get full easily, anyway. This is also because I’m really afraid to get fat. Takot akong magmukhang losyang,” he said. “As a celebrity, I need to be mindful of how I look. This is one of the most important instructions from my late talent manager, Deo Endrinal. He said, ‘As much as you can, you have to be the Peter Pan of comedy.’”
Reinvention
Vice added: “Sir Deo also said, ‘Time may pass, pero dapat ikaw hindi lilipas. You have to keep on reinventing yourself. You have to keep on learning and doing new things.’ And part of reinventing is taking care of myself both physically and mentally. He also said I should serve as an inspiration to the younger generation.”
Was Endrinal’s challenge difficult to achieve? “Yes, it was. I felt tremendous pressure to always be No. 1. I did everything to make sure of that, until I reached a different level of maturity. I later realized that we can’t win all the time, that there will be times when things won’t go our way,” he admitted.
Part of healthy living, he added, is accepting this reality. “Let those losses give you the opportunity to think and rethink your situation. If you’re so used to winning, then life will no longer feel exciting. Life’s imperfections make it more exciting and beautiful.”
Vice, who is one of main hosts of the noontime variety show “It’s Showtime!”, revealed that there are ongoing negotiations for other TV projects. The second season of “LOL: Laugh Out Loud” is already in the works.
“There’s another project that management is requesting me to do. What I can only say about it is that it’s something they want to bring back. I said doing three shows simultaneously would be too much,” he said, prompting us to ask if it would be the talk show, “Gandang Gabi Vice.” He only responded with a smile.
When asked about his goals for 2025, the comedian said, “To remain healthy. My executive checkup is due soon. My sister makes sure I don’t skip it. Hopefully, the good results of last year will continue this year. I want to maintain a healthy life. If I feel more alive, then that’s also good for my family.”
