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New Year, New You: Rachel’s Story
“I have come to accept that perfection is not an achievable goal and that it is our imperfections that make us special. That is not to say that we shouldn’t improve and reflect on our lives from time to time. I believe that ‘new year, new me’ does not ask for the complete reinvention of…
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A Letter to my Younger Self
By Shannon // Dear Shannon, It’s been more than five years since your first panic attack. During this turbulent time, you have experienced your fair share of ups and downs, and here are four lessons I wish you had learnt earlier. It is totally fine to feel depressed, anxious, sad, or angry. These are normal…
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Mental Health Fallout: My Struggle with Envy
By Beverly // Earlier this year, I went through an extended period of unemployment after leaving a new job due to struggles stemming from social anxiety. That season of uncertainty brought about many mental battles, including feeling envious of how well the lives of my closest friends seemed to be going. While dwelling on unhelpful…
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To Tell or Not to Tell: My Journey With Mental Health Disclosure
By Ying Ying // In 2013, when I learnt that my diagnosis was “brief psychotic disorder” I thought what are people going to think of me? Instinctively, I knew that the odds were stacked against me. During the initial stages of my rest and recovery, I shuddered at the idea of sharing my diagnosis with…
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Hello Darkness, my old friend
By JayX // I prefer to identify myself as “JayX”, and this is my story. I am a 25-year-old male Singaporean who grew up in an average five-member household. Though my father is the sole breadwinner, we still manage to make ends meet. Life hasn’t always been optimal, but still, I can vaguely recall what genuine…
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Your Struggles Are Valid
By Lisa // People often think about mental illness as something that happens to those with troubled backgrounds. Or there must be some dramatic story that justifies their struggle. I certainly faced challenges telling mine because I do not have a dramatic or traumatic story. No divorced parents, no sexual assault, no job loss or…
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A Young Person’s Search for Meaning
By Sean // I still remember the fateful day I wanted to commit suicide. Depression, the Black Dog as Winston Churchill once called it, had bitten me. I felt empty, alone and completely hopeless. Whenever I looked at myself in the mirror, an overwhelming sense of shame and guilt took over. Thoughts such as: “I…
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Silent Struggles, Not Anymore
By Lorraine // Growing up in a traditional Chinese family where hierarchy features strongly, and as the youngest in the family, I do not have much of a voice. Speaking up is always considered rude, even if one has been misunderstood. Since we were toddlers, my brother and I were left under the care of…
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My Journey with Depression
By Jason // It’s been a tough journey to recovery. I was clinically diagnosed with depression and generalised anxiety disorder in late 2017 to early 2018. I self-harm which on hindsight, stemmed from having been bullied in the past; being looked down on, insulted and abused. This also was triggered by the passing of some…
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Coming Home: Anuradha’s Story
Anuradha writes about approaching life on her own terms, and how she is finally coming home to herself after struggling with depression.
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How To Suffer Gracefully: Karen’s Story
Karen opens up about her personal quest to suffer “gracefully”, sharing six rules that have helped her cope with depression.
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Recovery Takes Time: Aznet’s Story
Medication, therapy, rehabilitation – Aznet writes about her experience with Bipolar Disorder and how recovery is arduous but rewarding.
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Pandemic Butterfly: Victor’s Story
By Victor Guo // It’s been a year since COVID-19 reached Singapore. Unrest. Anxiety. Uncertainty – most people feel this way. You are not alone. I feel that way as well, perhaps on a different and deeper degree than most… because I’ve had mental illness for many years. Everyone was leading normal lives. Who would…
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What are we consuming on social media during COVID-19?
By Xuan // “Lockdown”, “circuit breaker”, “quarantine”—different terms with the same meaning that summed up 2020. To escape the restrictions placed on traditional face-to-face interaction, many of us turned to social media. It also became more of a platform to unleash one’s creativity, as evinced by the surge in ‘Tiktokers’, Youtubers, and Instagrammers. Nonetheless, its…
