Are tears bad? “Middle-aged men want to cry too” Do you know TT John[박성민 기자의 더블케어]

Lee Jung-min (pseudonym, 26, female), who worked as a telemarketer, quit his job after nine months of working last year. This is because I could not withstand the stress that accumulates every time I respond to a customer over the phone. The conflict with the high-pressure boss was also overwhelming. At the hospital, I was diagnosed with depression. Mr. Lee said, “Even though I was angry and difficult, I only squeezed myself, but I didn’t know how to relieve my emotions.”

It was tears that brought Mr. Lee out of the tunnel of deep depression. I learned how to cry well while receiving counseling at the Hwaseong Mental Health Welfare Center (hereinafter referred to as the center), which I learned by chance. Here, there is a space where you can cry to your heart’s content without noticing others,’TT ZONE’. It is a place where we shed tears that we endured while watching videos or listening to music.

Mr. Lee said, “I saw a video of the’Mom Graduation Ceremony’ where my graduating daughter said,’Mom also lives the life of her mother’. I said.

● Middle-aged man stingy with tears “I want to cry too”

Tizone opened its doors in September 2019. That year, 205 visitors. Last year, it closed in the first half of the year due to the spread of a novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19). In the second half of the year, 167 people visited it even though it was sparsely operated according to the stage of distance. Team leader Choi So-ra, who oversees the operation of the Civic Mental Health Experience Center, including TTI Zone, explained, “There is a strong perception of seeing sadness and tears negatively, but it was created to relieve these feelings healthy.” It is a middle-aged man who is likely to be stingy with tears. In 2018, Hwaseong City held a policy contest and came up with the idea, saying, “A middle-aged man needs a space where he can cry to his heart’s content.”

What is the reason Hwaseong City is highly interested in mental health services? Team leader Choi explained this way.

“With the creation of a new city in Dongtan, the demand for mental health services increased as the population increased rapidly. Not only are there young people, but there are also many retired families preparing for retirement. For migrants, everything is stressful, including transfers, moving, and job change. However, compared to various amenities, medical and welfare infrastructure is insufficient.”

In fact, there are 16 hospitals that can receive mental health treatment in Hwaseong-si, which is not enough compared to the size of the population (about 860,000 people).

A customized video is displayed to the visitor according to the age and content of counseling. You can spend up to 50 minutes alone. A safety device has been prepared in consideration of visitors with a large psychological fluctuation. An unbreakable mirror was hung on the sink, and the power cable was hidden invisible as much as possible. An emergency bell was installed so that an ambulance could be called immediately in case of an emergency. On the other side of the Titi zone is the’Memory Zone’. It is a place of mourning for those who have left important people, such as family and friends, stay. Bereaved family members who have left their homes and can’t keep them at home or throw them away sometimes keep them for a while. On the last Friday of every month, there is also a family meeting for suicide survivors.

●’Corona Blue’, the era of 1 million depression

In Los Angeles, USA, there is an organization called’OURHOUSE’ that opened in 1993. This place introduces itself as the Grief Support Center. It’s a place that helps you accept sadness as a natural feeling and share it with your surroundings. For children, a’room of tears’ similar to the tea zone is also operated.

Ruikatsu, a Japanese private organization, gathers together to hold a tearful event. About 10 people gather at a time to see sad videos or listen to stories to relieve stress and depression. There were also jobs such as tear sommelier and tear therapist. That means that many people sympathize with the healing effect of tears.

Tears are not a panacea. However, just as blood circulation is important to the human body, the common view of mental health experts is that emotions must be expressed naturally. Bae Seung-min, a professor of mental health medicine at Gachon University’s Gil Hospital, said, “Men of middle-aged and older are the generations who have not been educated to express their emotions properly. The fact that there are many citizens visiting the tea zone requires a socially acceptable space to openly express sadness. Meaning” he said. The number of people complaining of depression due to the prolonged Corona 19 has also increased. In a survey of the Korean Society for Trauma Stress in December last year (2063 people), 20% of the respondents were at risk for depression. It is five times that of the 2018 Community Health Survey (3.8%). The number of people for depression treatment from 790,000 in 2019 reached 600,000 in the first half of last year alone. The annual number of medical treatments is expected to exceed 1 million.

There are over 200 mental health welfare centers nationwide. However, the threshold is still high for the general public. It is because of the mood that he is reluctant to openly open up his depression or mental health problems. Lee Hae-woo, head of the Seoul Mental Health and Welfare Center, said, “It is important to accurately recognize changes in your emotional state or stress, and seek external help as soon as possible.”

Reporter Park Seongmin [email protected] Go to reporter page>