-
Importance of help-seeking behaviour and therapy for youths with depression
A mental health literacy series, in collaboration with Ngee Ann Polytechnic, School of Humanities & Social Sciences The World Health Organisation (2019) estimates that 264 million people globally are affected by depression. 20-25% of diagnosed mental health disorders are found in adolescents (Divin, Harper, Curran, Corry, & Leavey, 2018). Despite the effectiveness of treatment for depression…
-
Let’s Talk Anxiety.
A mental health literacy series, in collaboration with Ngee Ann Polytechnic, School of Humanities & Social Sciences Anxiety When does it become a concern? Anxiety vs Anxiety disorders: Anxiety is an expected part of our lives. We all feel anxiety when we are in danger or stressful situations like a job interview or taking a test.…
-
Beware the myth of the creative ‘mad-genius’: More to art than insanity
By Kelly Ng // From how German composer Robert Schumann supposedly achieved superhuman productivity during his manic periods, to what’s been dubbed the “Sylvia Plath effect” – which tries to establish a link between creatives and mental illness based on the life and death of the depressed poem – the theory that creative people are…
-
Not Alone in the End: Interview With An “End-of-Life” Doula
By The Tapestry Project SG // Some may find that talking about end-of-life care isn’t “auspicious”, but we think it’s apt because life is about living well, leaving well and human connection. In this piece, we chat with Joanne, an end-of-life doula, who is part of the “No One Dies Alone”, a programme in which…
-
Taking Care of Our Mental Wellbeing during the Covid-19 Pandemic
“Instead of judging yourself and beating yourself up for not having a productive Work-From-Home day, perhaps you can gently tell yourself that you are still adjusting to the new work arrangement, and speak words of encouragement to yourself, like how you would do to a friend.”
-
Coping With COVID-19 When You Have A Mental Health Condition
As persons with mental health conditions, we are familiar with the battles in our minds. There aren’t any easy solutions, but we are much stronger than we realise. We have already overcome so much in our lives, and likewise, we shall also get through this together (but in a responsible socially-distanced way), one day at…
-
World Mental Health Day 2019: Suicide Prevention
By Nicole K. // Whenever I read about suicide on social media, I am morbidly drawn to the comments section. Invariably, the comments consist mostly of condolences for the family; condemnation of the person who attempted suicide or died, saying they were selfish, weak and an inconvenience; and complaints that the government ought to have…
-
Play Therapy for Mental Wellness
With Adelyn Lee // Mental wellbeing need not be a solemn and stressful affair. For Adelyn, founder of Pandora Box Play Therapy, it was through play that she was able to process painful childhood memories and develop personal resilience. She candidly shares more of her personal story in our exclusive Tapestry interview and explains what…
-
5 Ways to Develop Empathy, A Bedrock Social Skill
By Joy Hou // “I just get so angry when she says she will call and then doesn’t,” said Celine about her good friend. Her husband Dave responded, “Darling, it’s such as a small matter, why are you always getting upset about these trivial things?” Inevitably, Celine got even more frustrated, leading to another one…
-
Story: A Cautionary Tale
By Nicole K. // There were hardly any local, personal stories on mental illness and recovery when we first started. The few inspiring gems we found were largely in the form of print biography. Things are vastly different now with more cross-sectoral collaborations, accompanied by a groundswell of mental health initiatives, thanks to the steady…
-
Returning to Work When You Have a Mental Health Condition
By Nicole K. // World Mental Health Day 2017 focuses on mental health in the workplace. Eleven months ago I left the world of freelancing and entered the corporate arena of office cubicles and staff passes, where the majority of “normal working people” resided. I was a part-timer who worked four out of five days…
-
The Power of Peers
By Nicole K. // The Tapestry Project SG recently attended Voices of Experience mini-symposium held as part of the Singapore Mental Health Conference (SMHC). The mini-symposium was part of the conference track “Open Your Minds: Let’s Talk!” and centred on the development of the peer support movement. Voice of Experience is an Institute of Mental…
-
Caring For a Loved One Who Has Depression
By Nicole K. // I recently shared my two cents on this topic in an interview with Health Scoop, particularly on the do’s and don’ts when it comes to caring for someone who has depression. The full article can be found via this link – https://www.myhealthscoop.com/the-scoop/help-loved-one-whos-depressed/ How To Help A Loved One Who’s Depressed Nicole is…
-
A Tapestry of Stories
By Nicole K. // The Tapestry Project SG was never set up to compete with or duplicate existing mental health services. Instead of reinventing the wheel, our intention was to bring more awareness to the existence of this proverbial “wheel” so as to weave together the communities of mental healthcare and the mainstream, collaboratively through first-person…
-
Reflections for 2016
By Nicole K. // If I could have one word that summed up the entire year, it would be “self-care”. I haven’t been writing much on this site mainly because of some life adjustments (more on that later on). But here I am, giving it one last gofor the year, at 3.57am, with just the…
