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Waves of Depression: Jacelynn’s Story
By Jacelynn // I’ve been receiving school counselling since I was in Primary 5. But it was only in October 2015 that I was officially diagnosed by a GP. I was having extreme suicidal thoughts. So extreme to the point that I would become nauseous. I’d run out of the house and kept on running…
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Chasing Joy: Judith’s Story
By Judith // It all started when I was 13 years old. The taunts, unkind words, and mean laughter sought to strip me of the little joy that I was holding on to. Every day, I had no one to spend my recess time with, which all started with a girl in my class rallying…
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6 Things to Say in Place of ‘Positivity’ Clichés
By Kean Loong // When faced with someone who is depressed, what do you instinctively say to the sufferer? There’re many messages of positivity out there which are fallacies and can make a mental health sufferer feel worse. When interacting with someone who has mental health or mood disorders, speaking the truth is always more…
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Voice Out 2017: Challenging Silence and Stigma through Song
By Yi Feng // Martin Luther King Jr. once said: In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Societal stigma, shame and secrecy are commonly associated with mental illness. Many persons with mental health issues (PMHI) retreat within and suffer in silence, particularly at the…
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4 Good Reasons on Why You Need to Have Friends: Judy’s Story
By Judy // It took 2 years for me to realise the importance of friends. It was a scary thought to begin with. But as Nick Vujicic once said: “If you don’t have a friend, be someone else’s friend.” I only started making friends again when I was on a student exchange programme in Europe.…
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Life After Psychosis: Boon Kee’s Story
By Boon Kee // I was diagnosed with psychosis in April 2014 and was hospitalised at the Institute of Mental Health (Singapore) for more than a month. After I was prescribed with medication I was discharged and placed under the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP). Included in this care model are case management services and provide…
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A Letter to Mental Health Warriors: Judy’s Story
By Judy // I initially defined “recovery” as solely the healing of the mind. But neglected the healing of the heart and soul. I wondered if I had wasted the past three years living in apathy and bitterness because I’ve neglected my heart and soul, while getting treated for my mind. To cope with the…
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Fighting Enemies: Ritalyn’s Story
Editor’s Note: Ritalyn wrote to us to share her journey of recovering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression and anxiety. It’s been a long and winding road, but her efforts have paid off. Having a mental health condition does not impede us from excelling, doing what we love, or giving back to society. Read more…
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An in(VISIBLE) Story
Editor’s Note: Mental health disorders are usually deemed abstract; “invisible”, in contrast to physical ailments like a fractured limb or the flu. I am therefore so thrilled that this handful of youth are championing for real and relatable mental health in their upcoming play in(VISIBLE). I especially appreciated that they took pains to develop the characters holistically, instead of reducing them to…
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Please stop asking if I’ve taken my medicine: Raphael’s Story
Editor’s Note: Often times we don’t realise that our words can mar our best intentions. Perhaps we ought to pay more attention to our tone and timing when it comes to expressing care towards those around us. Here’s a raw account by Raphael on the topic of medication. Thanks for the candid sharing Raphael!
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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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The Fear of Stigmatization: Sylvester’s Story
Editor’s Note: In this story, Sylvester shares his innermost thoughts on seeking help and treatment for depression, and touches on low self-esteem which has plagued him most of his young life. Previously not understanding the nature of depression, he talks about stigma and recognises the harmful effects of stereotyping. He no longer judges people with mental health struggles today,…
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Coping with Low Energy
Recovery is a full-time gig, complete with victorious highs and crushing lows. And so, going public with my depression does not mean my life is now full of rainbows and sunshine (I do wish!) It also does not mean that I have “recover-ed”, but am “recover-ing”. These past months were a good reminder that I…
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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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Lending Hope: Justina’s Story
By Justina // Once, during a rough patch when I felt utterly hopeless, I quoted Elosie Cole’s poem “Borrowed Hope” in a session with my psychiatrist: “Lend me your hope for awhile. A time will come when I will heal, And I will lend my renewed hope to others.” He told me that recovery looks…
