Seph Ubalde opens up about battle with depression in final video before death

FILE: “Opening soon!” (Photo: The Digital Nomad/Facebook)

Thirty-four-year-old Seph’s body was found lifeless in his hotel room at Shangri-La at The Fort last Monday, April 1; local authorities discovering the young reporter naked and submerged inside the bathtub. His last Instagram photo was posted days prior, with Seph seen enjoying a waterfall captioned “Freedom.”

However, four days later, a video was scheduled to appear on his Facebook page “The Digital Nomad” at 11:11 am entitled “My Depression.” In the 33-minute video, Seph explains his battle with depression and anxiety, starting when he was in grade school after being beaten by his dad and bullied by his peers. In 2016, he admits he was diagnosed clinically depressed and had to endlessly meet with his psychiatrist for two months of sleepless nights.

In the video, he explains, “Outside you can see that I am very-well composed and confident, but deep inside, when you’re all by yourself, when you’re all alone, that’s when the facade crumbles and that’s when you have to grapple with your monsters and demons. I am a master at pretending. Even the way I look doesn’t manifest what I am going through.”

Seph tells his 9,000 social media followers, not to downplay depression as “an excuse,” also discouraging injecting religion into the equation, admitting that his family pointed him to mass to solve his issues. He explains, “I encourage you to seek out help as I did. Treat it like any other illness that needs a doctor’s opinion or a doctor’s diagnosis. Do not self-medicate,” advocating for mental health awareness to further be improved in the country. He concludes, “For people who are depressed or undergoing any mental issue, fight. Fight even when it seems like everyday is a struggle and you are not winning anything. Fight not just for your family, not just for your friends. Fight for yourself. Just be kind to one another and be understanding of each other’s struggles.” In his last statement in the video, Seph bids farewell, saying, “See you on the other side.”