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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The One on Self-care
By Nicole K. // Dear reader, Firstly I’d like to apologise for the lack of updates and new stories on our Tapestry website/e-zine. I’ve had a relapse and am taking a break to adjust to new dosages and medication, and generally to regain some sense of normality and function in my life. I’ve been recuperating…
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Occupied with Wellness
Did you know that Occupational Therapy (OT) plays a pivotal role in supporting mental health? We had a chat with occupational therapist Evelyn C. to gain a better understanding of its role in mental wellness. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us Evelyn! Indeed, taking charge of our mental wellness, and enjoying good quality of life by…
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‘D’ is for Dignity in Depression
By Nicole K. // Warning: This isn’t the usual positive, upbeat sort of article I would normally write. But I think when it comes to talking about dignity, I need to reveal some of the things I’ve personally been through that exemplify the opposite of it. This might be triggering for some people, hence reader discretion is…
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Something Out of Nothing
By Nicole K. // Singapore turned 50 just a few days ago. As the nation celebrated her Golden Jubilee, with nostalgic throwbacks to yesteryear and impressive aerial displays, I was filled with gratitude and awe at how far we’ve come as a country that had seemingly nothing to start with. And in some ways, this parallels our…
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Behind the Hotline: Jay’s Story
Have you thought about seeking help at a counselling centre? Ever wondered whom you’d be speaking with on the other end of the line? Meet Jay, the Intake Officer at Eagles Mediation & Counselling Centre (EMCC). We had a chance to interview her and found out what it’s like to handle daily enquiries at a counselling…