Cebu lawyer admits struggle with depression

Lawyer Sarah Cabrera-Calipayan

CEBU CITY – The female  lawyer who surfaced on Wednesday about 12 hours after her husband reported her missing apologized to the public for whatever alarm and inconvenienced she may have caused.

In a post on her Facebook account, lawyer Sarah Cabrera-Calipayan said she was  suffering from depression and on Tuesday evening, she felt like it would become a “full blown panic attack.”

“I got a drink at BTC (Banilad Town Center). I got a little drunk and couldn’t drive anymore and decided to check in a nearby hotel instead of causing an accident. I also forgot to charge my phone and so it died on me,” she explained.

“It was never my intention to almost give you all heart attacks.  Let me first say that my problems are nowhere near as dire or grave compared to those experienced by many of our citizens today. But they are nevertheless very real to me and sometimes overwhelming,” she added.

Her husband, lawyer Jamaal James Calipayan, reported to the police on Wednesday dawn that Sarah had not returned home despite two text messages that she was on her way to their house in Barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City past 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

About 12 hours later, Sarah showed up at the parking lot of Banilad Town Center to get her car. She didn’t know that her husband and police investigators were there to investigate her purported disappearance.

Last week, Sarah tendered her resignation as senior legal counsel of a real estate company.

She wrote that she was so depressed thinking about her decision to leave a “dream job with wonderful bosses, and excellent colleagues.”

“It was a job that was in my vision board while I was reviewing for the bar exams. Before that I also worked for a law firm in Ortigas and put up a branch law office in Cebu—where the bosses were awesome and great mentors. I’ve been blessed with challenging assignments that have truly helped me grow as a lawyer for the past six years that I’ve been one,” she said.

Just recently, Sarah said she was endorsed to be promoted to Assistant Vice President for Legal where she worked, and was already interviewed by senior vice presidents for the promotion.

“I had to turn both down for my mental and physical well-being,” she said.
Sarah, a psychology major in college, said she has been battling depression for more than a year now.

“Many things can trigger a downward spiral, but what triggered mine was when a good friend of ours sexually harassed me. And then I got victim-blamed by someone I love whom I confided it to. I’ve been trying to get over that,” she said.

Her physician recently told her that probably the reason why she have not conceived yet was maybe she had too much stress.

“Maybe the stress is too much. I just turned 33 and maybe wanted to have a baby before I turned 35. Maybe. Because, look at this world. It’s scary. But I have years of stress to undo and needed to take care of my well-being to even be ready for that,” said Sarah who got married to Jamaal in 2013.

“I am so, so sorry.  Forgive me. Had a long talk with my parents, and it set me free.  Don’t worry, I’ll take better care.”

In a his own message on Facebook, Jamaal appealed to the public not to judge and blame his wife.

“Please do not blame my wife. She’s been through enough and she could use a little positivity rather than trolling from any of us. We are seeking a respite from the public eye as we settle this matter between us. Nothing of this was done intentionally so I hope you will help us get the privacy we once had as a couple.”/ac