Ice Seguerra shares struggles with depression and boundaries: 'I have to take care of myself'

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of depression.

Ice Seguerra opened up about living with depression while growing up in the public eye.

In the 12th episode of PhilSTAR L!fe's Generations podcast, the singer-songwriter opened up about how he used to put pressure on himself because of what others would think of him.

"Ako 'yung naglalagay ng pressure sa sarili ko. Siguro nga I was still very immature and takot pa 'ko sa iisipin ng ibang tao sa 'kin. It took me a really long time before I was able to put out songs that I wrote," he said.

Seguerra admitted he's his own "worst critic."

"Ang tagal bago ko na-overcome 'yung fear na 'yun. Then I did, last year. After no'n, parang wala na kong pakialam," he said.

Seguerra, who first opened up about his battle with depression in 2019, said learning to prioritize his own happiness and setting boundaries helped him become less affected by criticism.

"Importante ma-please ko 'yung sarili ko kasi kapag happy ako sa ilalabas ko, kahit ano pang sabihin nila, nonchalant na 'ko," he said. "I built a wall, 'yun 'yung boundary ko—you can't hurt me," he added.

Seguerra has been in the limelight since 1987, starting as a contestant on Eat Bulaga!'s Little Miss Philippines. As a child star, he appeared in several movies and TV series, including Okay Ka Fairy Ko, Me and Ninja Liit, and Shake, Rattle, and Roll IV, and later made his debut as a musician in 2001 with the hit OPM classic Pagdating ng Panahon. Just recently, he marked the song's 25th anniversary by releasing another version on streaming platforms like Spotify.

The singer recalled how he has managed to continue working despite long-standing struggles with depression and anxiety.

"I have been suffering from depression and anxiety since 2003. You're going through these things, but that shouldn't excuse your behavior towards other people. Hindi naman kasalanan ng mga tao sa paligid mo na you're going through these," he said, stressing the importance of maintaining professionalism at work.

Seguerra noted that it's all about balance. "'Yun naman ang natutunan ko sa younger generation—I have to take care of myself. But it's striking that balance of how to take care of yourself without sacrificing 'yung tiwala ng mga tao na binigay sa 'yo," he said.

"I remember gumawa ako ng alt account kasi sa isa kong account, masyado kong finifeed 'yung nararamdaman ko [but then] sabi ko, 'I don't think I'm helping myself in this kind of environment so umalis ako doon. I followed things that made me happy, it changed," he shared, noting that during down moments, people tend to absorb negativity more.

"At the end of the day, naniniwala ako na for you to have a good life, you should know that there are things that you can control—'yun 'yung pakialaman mo. But the things you can't control, hayaan mo na," he mused.

Watch the full episode below.

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