Actor Shang Yubo died of depression in 2011. Courtesy of respondents
Pinching the pile of prepared materials, he put on the flower glasses and had an indifferent expression.
Mao Aizhen put down the computer she was holding in her hand, took out various materials prepared in advance from the drawer, put on a shawl, and hurried over to finalize the shooting process by herself.
This is not known to be the first time to accept the media interview, she has expected in her heart, even if the interview outline does not mention the part of her son's experience, the next will definitely be asked. "To mention it again and again is to recall the painful memories of agony again and again", but she knows that the story of her mother's loss of her son who devoted the rest of her life to the prevention and control of depression is the most powerful carrier.
This year, Mao Aizhen is 65 years old; her most cherished son, Shang Yubo, died of depression in the ninth year; and the eighth year of founding the Shangshan Public Welfare Foundation, dedicated to the promotion of depression prevention and control knowledge.
In mid-September, the National Health and Construction Commission issued a work plan related to depression, proposing that the knowledge of depression prevention and treatment should reach 80%, and the rate of depression treatment should be increased by 50%, so that Mao Aizhen felt that what she was doing was more and more promising and hopeful.
In 2001, Mao Aizhen accompanied 18-year-old Shang Yubo to participate in the art examination, and after getting good results from the Central Academy of Drama, he came out to play. Courtesy of respondents
The angelic son is gone
"Mom, I seem to be depressed..." The air suddenly froze in the car to the set.
"But I saw the doctor, took the medicine, and it was all right." The 26-year-old Shang Yubo quickly put away the depression on his face and bent his eyes to smile at his mother.
In May 2009, as an actor, his son mentioned depression to Mao Aizhen for the first time. "Is it because I'm too tired of filming?" Although somewhat worried, Mao believes that her son, who was born sunny and cheerful, will not be trapped by "a symptom that sounds like a bad mood."
Since childhood, Shang Yubo has been an angel in his mother's eyes. In the summer when he was 6 years old, Mao Aizhen and two friends took the children to swim, and the adult bought a Coke for the child, and Shang Yubo always held it in his hand, "Bo'er, aren't you thirsty, or don't you like to drink Coke?" Shang Yubo looked at his mother in the pool and said, "Mom may be thirsty too, I'll leave it for my mom to drink." Mao Aizhen swam ashore and took her son in her arms, "My Bo'er is a kind angel." ”
"Son, how's it going, are you happy now?" "I'm very happy now!" Next, such a conversation lasted more than two years.
In Mao Aizhen's view, his son's academic career has been very smooth, movies, TV series, dramas, musicals of different types of works have been produced every year, four years after graduation from the supporting role step by step to become the protagonist, to 2011 there are "Dulala Promotion", "The Story of the Mother's Family", "Yaoshan Bandits" and other TV series in turn broadcast on satellite TV.
Everything seemed so beautiful that Mao Aizhen had almost forgotten about her son's depression.
In mid-July 2011, Shang Yubo, who was new to the show, took his parents on a trip to Europe. While climbing the mountain in Switzerland, Shang Yubo sang in front of him, turned to look at his happy parents, tilted his head and joked, "Am I that good?" ”
On September 30, he went on an outing to Changping in Beijing with his parents, and Shang Yubo took many lively photos of wild swimming fish.
On the morning of October 2, Shang Yubo went to Xining to participate in the Sichuan-Tibet self-driving tour, and the mother of the plane landed on the ground received a text message: Rest assured, I have arrived in Xining, I love you!
At noon on October 23, Shang Yubo told his mother that there were 3 scenes for him to shoot but could not make up his mind, the mother and son repeatedly discussed, and finally made a decision.
On the afternoon of October 24, Mao Aizhen drove her son to the premiere of the TV series "Yaoshan Bandits", and before parting, she brushed her son's hair on the forehead and watched him enter the studio.
At noon on October 25, Shang Yubo stood on the roof of the building and said to his friend on the phone, "I was watching the scenery, and I saw a beautiful view." ”
Group photo of Mao Aizhen and her son Shang Yubo. Courtesy of respondents
Depression, why?
"I watched 'The Straits' Again today!" "It's very happy to look at the muscles after the gym..." "When climbing the mountain, it was very refreshing to see the blooming mountain flowers, and the dinner was delicious and very happy." "Running on the grasslands of northern Sichuan, the depression is empty!" ......
Beginning in 2009, Shang Yubo followed his doctor's advice and began writing a happy diary, documenting his efforts to fight depression. Sorting out her son's things again, Mao Aizhen found another timeline that was not known to others.
On May 29, 2009, Shang Yubo's medical record read" that "I have not been able to sleep for nearly a month, I am emotionally anxious, and I have a depressed state." When filming, I am always sleepy, unable to remember lines, and difficult to concentrate. Side effects of the drug began to appear, and his face became more and more puffy in the camera.
The doctor told him that it was difficult to cure the disease, and in addition to medication, it was necessary to cooperate with travel, fitness, writing a happy diary and other ways. Shang Yubo insisted on running, often soaking in the gym, allowing himself to do some extremely difficult training projects. Driving to the airport, Shang Yubo had not arrived for two hours, and even drove into the cornfield on the way, and got lost at one point.
Before taking his parents on a trip in July 2011, Shang Yubo's depression recurred, and it continued to worsen for the next four months.
On September 20, Shang Yubo was supposed to go to the home of agent Peng Shan to attend a party, but turned to another neighborhood and went to the top floor. After waking up suddenly, I was afraid, but I was afraid that my parents would be worried, and I didn't say anything about it.
In early October, he drove himself to Xining with his friends, and in the hot springs of Guide, Qinghai, Shang Yubo had a bipolar attack, laughed happily, and shouted "I'm fine!" I'm fine! ”。
On October 23, Shang Yubo asked his mother to decide which new drama to work with, when he was too severe to make any decisions.
On October 25, 28-year-old Shang Yubo made his last decision.
The news spread, and a few days later the media was overwhelmingly covered. Some netizens discussed that Shang Yubo's ability to resist pressure was poor and could not withstand the pressure of the entertainment industry; some netizens speculated that they chose to end be trapped by love; some speculated that there may be contradictions with the incomprehension between parents...
"It's not that the stress resistance is poor, it's not that the mood is bad, the child is sick, it's not determined by himself." Mao Aizhen was anxious to inform the world.
According to data from the World Health Organization, in 2019, more than 300 million people worldwide suffered from depression, and the lifetime prevalence of depressive disorder in China reached 6.8%, about 95 million people, and depression became the second largest disease in human beings in 2020. About 1 million people commit suicide each year because of depression. Suicide is the leading cause of death among young adults aged 15 to 34 years, with depression occurring in 60 to 70 percent of them.
However, the medical prevention and treatment of depression in China is still in a situation of low recognition rate, and the recognition rate of hospitals above the prefecture-level city is less than 20%, and less than 10% of patients have received relevant drug treatment; moreover, depression has begun to show a trend of younger age.
On October 25, 2012, the first anniversary of Shang Yubo's death, the Beijing Shangshan Public Welfare Foundation, the first foundation in China to pay attention to the prevention and promotion of mental health and depression, was established, and Mao Aizhen personally served as the chairman. Mao Aizhen still remembers her son hugging her tightly during her dream, as if thanking her for everything she had done.
In March 2019, Shangshan Charity Foundation held a national partner exchange seminar on the "Suppressing the Road Forward" project. Courtesy of respondents
"To help more people"
Mao Aizhen positioned the foundation in the popularization of knowledge on the prevention and treatment of depression.
Taking the university as the starting point, a set of five related books was passed on, including 7500 depression experience books donated by Li Lanni, "No One in the Wilderness", "I Became Sick because of Love", and "Caring for Mental Health Depression" cognitive manual written by Mao Aizhen personally. The Foundation has received support and funding from more and more non-profit organizations and caring people.
From 2018 to 2019, Shangshan Charity Foundation carried out more than 1,000 activities, serving nearly 100,000 people with depression; 94 institutions and organizations cooperated to distribute 114,000 copies of depression cognition manuals; and provided medical subsidies for 140 patients in Beijing and Shanghai.
"It should also be noted that at present, there are still problems of low awareness rate and low medical treatment rate for depression, which also includes stigmatization." Mao Aizhen still remembers participating in an activity about the prevention and treatment of depression not long ago, and the patient's family of three quarreled at the scene. The daughter who is studying in college is so depressed that she cannot complete her studies, and the mother cries that her husband cares too little about her children every day, but the father strongly demands that her daughter not be suspended from school, "There is no college diploma, how to stand in society in the future?" "Similar and unfortunate stories continue to play out.
But Mao Aizhen also saw some light. On September 11 this year, the General Office of the National Health Commission issued the "Work Plan for Exploring Special Services for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression", which is regarded as the first special document on the prevention and treatment of depression in China. The "Plan" determines that by 2022, the public awareness rate of depression prevention and treatment knowledge will reach 80%, the treatment rate of depression will increase by 50%, the treatment rate will increase by 30%, and the recognition rate of depression by non-psychiatric hospital physicians will increase by 50%.
"In particular, the point of 'forming a social atmosphere in which the whole people are concerned about mental health' can be said to be what Chinese mental health workers and social antidepressant organizations have been diligently pursuing for many years." Mao Aizhen said.
Eight years later, the Shangshan Public Welfare Foundation, which has been famous in the country for the prevention and control of depression, is still stable in a small team of six people. Over the years, Mao Aizhen has lost count of how many media interviews she has given. In the process of shooting and sending out reports, Mao Aizhen met more companions.
While participating in filming in 2014, Mao Aizhen met Zhang Jin, who had suffered from major depression. As a media worker, Zhang Jin wrote several books on his medical experience as "Crossing", and organized the establishment of a patient mutual aid organization. The following year, Aimi, a relative of a depressed patient in Hangzhou who had read the report, took the initiative to meet at an event, and then launched the "Tulip Sunshine Club" to help more patients get out of the predicament.
"I can feel the strength he gave me", the son's departure does not mean that everything is gone for Mao Aizhen.
Mao Aizhen saw a text message on her son's mobile phone. In 2011, Shang Yubo donated clothes for a pneumoconiosis patient and sent two thousand yuan in remittances, and after sending it out, he texted his agent Peng Shan and said, "I am very happy to help Zhao Wenhai, and in the future, if there is such information, you will transfer it to me, and I will help more people." ”
"To help more people" has since become Mao Aizhen's self-responsibility. "Maybe that's my mission in this life, to use the departure of my children to alert me to this huge but unnoticed group."
Beijing News reporter Ma Jinqian
Edited by Chen Si Proofreader Liu Jun