Comedian John Lapus has had many heartaches in the past. He even went to a psychiatrist for treatment. What surprised him after his diagnosis is his doctor’s advice: to pray.

“Actually, ang diagnosis sa akin ng doctor, repetition due to manic depression. Paulit-ulit mong ikinukuwento sa mga kaibigan mo kahit hindi mo alam na naikuwento mo na pala 30 ago, yesterday, the other day,” Lapus shared during the online press conference for the YouTube series “How To Move On In 30 Days,” last March 30. (

Actually, the doctor’s diagnosis on me was repetition due to manic depression. You share the story with your friends over and over again, not knowing that you’ve shared it just 30 minutes ago, [or] yesterday, [or] the other day.)

Lapus sad that this was normal for those who have not yet moved on from a failed relationship.

“Gagawin mo talaga kapag masamang-masama ang loob mo,” he said. (You will really do it if you feel terrible.)

Lapus shared how his best friend, Eugene Domingo, came to his rescue. She invited him to a coffee shop, but instead they ended up knocking on a house unfamiliar to him. It didn’t occur to him that it was the house of a psychiatrist.

“Nag-park siya sa isang bahay (She parked outside a house) and she starts being teary-eyed. She told me right then and there na ‘kailangan mo ng tulong kasi paulit-ulit ka (that I need help because I am already being repetitive). Bayad ko na ‘yan (I already paid for it), that’s 12 sessions. So, please attend,’” Lapus recalled.

John Lapus. Image: Instagram/@korekkajohn

On the eighth session, the comedian felt he was already healed so he stopped attending it.

“Gumaling na ako, hindi ko na tinapos. Ang feeling ko ay okay na ako,” he said. (I got well, I didn’t finish it anymore. I felt I was already okay.)

During the sessions, Lapus discovered that there was more to science in the treatment.

“And surprisingly, kahit ang mga (even the) psychiatrist, ‘di ba akala natin (we thought that) they are more of science, more on the body, the mind. My psychiatrist actually told me to pray. I think that’s the number one thing,” he pointed out, and he could only agree.

“‘Yung emote tayo nang emote sa mga kaibigan natin, galit na galit tayo sa mga ex natin, gustung-gusto natin na mag-move on. ‘Yung mga babae nagpapa-parlor, ‘yung mga lalaki iinom at ang mga bakla makikipag-sex pa nga. Mas malala ang formula ng mga bakla. Nakakalimutan natin minsan na mag-pray,” he said.

(We keep on giving drama to our friends, we are so mad at our exes, we want to move on. Women go to the beauty parlor, men drink, and gays have sex. The formula or gays are extreme. We sometimes forget to pray.)

Starring Maris Racal, Albie Casiño and Carlo Aquino, “How to Move On in 30 Days” started streaming last April 4 via the ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube Channel. JB

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