Trigger warning: substance abuse, self-harm
Ang walong buwang malungkot na pananatili niya sa rehabilitation center dahil sa paggamit ng ipinagbabawal na gamot ang diretsahang isinalaysay ni Diego Loyzaga.
Ibinahagi niya ito sa guesting niya sa Fast Talk with Boy Abunda nitong Biyernes ng hapon, Pebrero 23, 2024.
Adbokasiya ni Diego ang mental health dahil sa kagustuhan niyang makatulong sa ibang tao na nakararanas ng kanyang mga pinagdaanan, kaya maluwag sa kalooban ng 28-year old actor na ibahagi sa publiko ang mga nangyari noon.
"I was very, very depressed. I was on the brink of suicidal... And I will not deny that substances had a part to play with my mental state,” ang walang pagpapanggap na umpisang paglalahad ni Diego.
"They don’t help, e. If you’re already a person with a problem, meron kang pinagdadaanan, and there’s other substances, other factors that are pulling you down, it’s a hard pit to crawl out of.
"So nag-rehab ako. I got out.
"For a time, I could counsel people.
"But in saying this, hindi ko sinasabi na I’m sober because once you have a sip of alcohol, it’s counted as relapse.
"But every single day, I still talk to my counselors. Every single day, I’m still in touch with my kuyas.
"We call them kuyas and ates from my rehabilitation, and they still monitor me all the time. I’m still very open with them."
Marami raw ang mga magagandang pagbabagong naganap sa buhay at pagkatao ni Diego at ito ang isiniwalat niya sa national television.
"Hindi ako iyakin na tao, pero ngayon, kung babalikan ko yung isang araw ko sa loob ng rehab, maiiyak talaga ako.
"It’s so difficult. I go back to that pain, whatever it is. Yung lungkot.
"It was eight months until I saw the moon. It was eight months until I got to see the sun.
Patuloy niya: "No, I’m not shunning my rehabilitation, I owe them my life, pero you're kinda trapped inside.
"Hindi ka makalalabas until you got to meet your family again and that was the saddest thing.
"They’ll make you realize kasi … there’s a purpose.
"They’ll take everything away from you so you’ll appreciate all the things that are given back when you get to go out, and that broke me."
Sa kabila ng hirap, alam daw ni Diego na ikinabuti niya iyon.
"And when I explained it to my dad, yung mga ginawa ko sa loob, yung mga ipinapagawa sa akin, I learned from each and every single thing that we had to do inside.
"It changed me as a person. It changed me as an actor. And yes, it made me deeper as a person probably.
"Pero again, I am not saying I’m perfect.”
Read: Diego Loyzaga walang planong sagutin ang akusasyon ng ina ng kanyang anak
ON HIS DAUGHTER HAILEY
Mapapansin sa mga kilos at pananalita ni Diego ang mga positibong pananaw niya sa buhay dahil sa kanyang anak na si Hailey na magdiriwang ng unang kaarawan sa Mayo 2024.
Nang itanong ni Boy ang magiging paliwanag niya kay Hailey kung sakaling mapanood nito ang kanilang pag-uusap sa Fast Talk makalipas ang labinglima o dalawampung taon, nangibabaw ang pagiging ama ni Diego.
"I guess, I'd say, 'Anak, in life, people make mistakes and I think naman, if you don’t make mistakes, you don’t really grow.
"You know, bata akong nag-start mag-showbiz, e. Sobrang bata. And everything I did, whether good or bad, it was publicized because your life is literally an open book for the public to see.
"I’ll say to her, 'I hope you don’t judge me for my past. I hope you don’t look at me differently for the mistakes I’ve done, and maybe, I might still do in the future.
"'But just know that I love you and I promise that I’ll give you a life that I never had.'"
Nagbitiw din ng salita si Diego na hindi man siya perpekto ay paninindigan niya ang pagiging ama sa anak.
"I know my parents did the most they could for me.
"Pero ako, for myself, I will do everything in my power. Kahit ano pang maisumbat ng tao sa akin, 'Diego is this. Diego is that, ito yung mga nagawa niya.'
"I will never ever be an absent or not a loving father."
Si Hailey ay anak ni Diego sa dating non-showbiz partner na si Alexis Suapengco.
January 8, 2024 nang isapubliko ni Suapengco ang ugnayan niya kay Diego at kung bakit hiwalay na sila.
Pinalayas daw siya at ang kanyang baby ni Diego sa bahay ng aktor.
Hanggang sa kasalukuyan ay tikom ang bibig ng aktor sa isyu.
Read: Mother of Diego Loyzaga's child accuses actor of kicking her out and their baby
Para sa mga nangangailangan ng kausap at tulong dahil sa kanilang mental health issues, tumawag lamang sa National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline: 1553, Landline (02) 7-989-8727 at cellphone number 0966-351-4518.