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EmbraceD: An Event Story
By Nicole K. // It was like a meeting of old friends. One thing that stood out was how the EmbraceD team had made me feel—in the truest sense of the word—embraced. Not for my depression or for the work I do, but accepted and welcomed as a person. I’m honoured that they chose to…
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The One About Relapse
By Nicole K. // First story for 2015! I apologise for being MIA in January. As those with depression and anxiety would know, December and January are the toughest months of the year because it is loaded with stressors mixed in with the merrymaking. Things have been a bit rougher than usual recently. After attending…
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Make That Difference
By Nicole K. // The starfish story and some personal reflections for 2014. Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking…
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Giving Credit Where Its Due
By Nicole K. // Dear friends, It has come to my attention that Tapestry’s content has been replicated on other platforms/media without my permission. I am happy to share my ideas and content. But it is wrong to pass off my work as your own and earn money from it. This is unethical and constitutes…
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Is Mental Illness “Funny”?
By Nicole K. // I met a friend recently and had a chance to catch up with her briefly. She asked what it was I did exactly at The Tapestry Project. So I explained that I write about my personal experiences with mental illness as well as others’. She burst into an uncontrollable fit of…
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See The Full Picture: An Event Story
By Nicole K. // It was a Saturday afternoon. I was sweating buckets walking down the bustling and colourful Haji Lane, known for its eclectic mix of vintage and contemporary artisan shops, encompassing all things quaint and quirky. But I wasn’t perspiring profusely because of the sweltering heat from the afternoon sun, or the thick tropical humidity. It was my…
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Unravelled #1
We’ve been getting some really awesome questions from readers and thought it’ll be good to share them here with you in our new segment — “Unravelled”.
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Of Praise And Platitudes
By Nicole K. // Socialising has always been a challenge for me. The past four weeks have been remarkably intense due to unavoidable, non-standard gatherings with family and friends, on top of my ad hoc work meetings, and Tapestry related discussions. To say that my stamina for social gatherings has been stretched to its limits…
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Emotions are Rational
By Nicole K. // We are often under the impression that our heart and our mind are two separate entities. Warring opposites that constantly jostle for our attention — with “irrational” emotions on one end, and the “rational” mind at the other. As a result of this “one or the other” type of reasoning, this perceived polarity perpetuates a dichotomy that…
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How Mental Illness Lies
By Nicole K. // May is a special month for me (it also happens to be Mental Health Month) so I’ve decided to finally publish what took me 3 months to draft — my personal story on self-harm and suicide. It was a tough thing for me to relive, but I believe it’s important for others to understand how mental illness…
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The Labels We Wear
We are defined by labels and branding. From the way we dress to the work we do–these are ways we present ourselves to the world. Yet there is another sort of labelling on a subliminal level that resembles a close cousin to mental health stigma.
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My Anxiety; My Recovery
By Nicole K. // I feel like I’m unravelling. Rapidly. All the ground I’ve gained in the past months seems to be giving way under my feet. I’m falling through the cracks. Holding on. Holding on for dear life. This can’t be happening again. Not again. Those were the words I hastily scribbled in my…
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Psychologist or Psychiatrist?
By Nicole K. // I have been frequently asked on what the difference is, between a psychologist and a psychiatrist. So I thought I might just as well share what I know. To put it simply: A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who treats the brain, as mental illness is a result of neurobiological imbalance. A…
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Happiness Is
Today is International Happiness Day, and it’s a little ironic that we need a commemorative day to remind us to celebrate happiness. Which begs the question – what is happiness? Multiple books have been written about it. Will Smith starred in a show about the pursuit of it. Academics have debated over it. Consumer products…
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One Word At A Time
By Nicole K. // If only we knew how much power lay in a single word. Words wield the power to heal or to hurt; to bless or to curse; to reveal or to mislead; to inspire or to discourage. The root of stigma against mental illnesses is perpetuated by our choice of words. Let’s…