-
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…
-
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…
-
Athletes Are People Too: Interview With an Athletic Counsellor
By Kelly Ng // We have often spoken about how incorporating physical activity in our daily routine can be beneficial for mental wellness. On the other hand, how do sporting professionals care for their mental fitness? The Tapestry Project hears from athletic counsellor and volunteer advisor for Safe Sports at Sports Singapore, Ms Sharon Teo,…
-
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…
-
It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over
By Jeremy L. // *Content warning: this story mentions self-harm, suicide and suicidal ideation. If you’re in need of support, please get help here.* Many people knew me as strong, hardworking and determined. Until everything changed in late October 2018. It started with having difficulties falling asleep, to having negative thoughts and suicidal ideations, to…
-
Finding Light at the End of the Tunnel; Living with Schizophrenia
By Charlene L. // My recovery journey has had its ups and downs. I first started hearing “voices” and having severe delusions at the age of 12. As the year went on, my delusion got worse and I could not differentiate between reality and delusion. And as a result, I attempted suicide by overdosing. What…
-
Reflections from the Singapore Mental Health Conference 2021
By Q. Anuradha // On 24 and 25 August 2021, The Tapestry Project attended the 6th Singapore Mental Health Conference which was jointly organised by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), Health Promotion Board (HPB) and National Council of Social Service (NCSS). The conference featured international speakers who shared their best…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
The Healing Power of Art
By Kelly Ng // Frequent hospital visits when her father was undergoing a kidney transplant in 2018 made Aanya Rao realise how daunting the monochromatic walls and massive hospital equipment were. “Healthcare centres have become synonymous with ‘home’ for many of these patients and even healthcare workers, and I felt it is only fair that…
-
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…
-
From seizing up to reaching out: How an ex-gymnast’s experience with trauma shaped her music pedagogy
By Kelly Ng // The Tapestry Project SG Given Eileen Chai’s illustrious athletic and musical careers, forged with much sweat and tears and undergirded by utter determination to excel, her pedagogy might be surprising. The violin teacher and performer’s practice of teaching – under her music school Music Sparkles SG – is now centred on…
-
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…
-
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.