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To Love and Be Loved: Mak’s Story
“Love at its base, is about loving others, not what we can get out of it. But we also need to understand that to do that, we need to love ourselves.”
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When Illness is a Stepping Stone Towards Positive Experiences: Kurtle’s Story
By Kurtle // I used to cope with my troubles by self-harming. I have been self-harming since my teens when I was studying in Junior College. I later pursued my studies in Melbourne, where I fell ill. Hence, part of my recovery story happened in Melbourne, Australia, and then in Singapore, where I decided to come…
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If That’s The Way It Is: Andrew’s Story
By Andrew Y. // The Japanese word, “Sayonara”, translates literally into the phrase, “If that’s the way it is”. The phrase, for me, evokes a sense of something both unsettling and final. Perhaps it’s a sad sense of acceptance that some things that were, will never be again. I’ve been thinking of people who I…
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I Should Be Able to Handle This, Right?: Josephine’s Story
By Josephine N. // The past few months of last year were tough. I remembered waking up one morning feeling helpless and empty. I felt that there was something lacking in my life and, me being me, told myself that it was absolutely necessary that I do something about it. “I scared myself this morning,” I…
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Minding My Mind: Emily’s Story
By Emily // I am Emily. “THAT Emily” as the haters would say. Even my closest friends and schoolmates whisper critically amongst themselves at the very sight of me. They saw me as different and hated the fact that I was considered “special” and favoured by teachers and school seniors. Being the only child of…
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Living with Undiagnosed Mental Illness: Amanda’s Story
By Amanda // I am fearful of disappointing my family. Unlike most people who have an official mental health diagnosis, I do not have one. But I do struggle with mental health issues. I have lived with an eating disorder and anxiety for almost four years. Today, I am here to share my story as…
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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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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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Secret Shame and Restoration: Ryan’s Story
By Ryan // There is a saying, that the happiest people are usually the saddest people. Be it that of leaders or that one friend who is always helping people–they give so much of themselves to others but they do not receive much in return. I personally feel that depression is a constant battle within…
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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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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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Baking your way to wellness
Can baking relieve mental anguish? It certainly did for social entrepreneur, Pei Rong. We had the honour of participating in Bakery Wellness‘ first ever baking workshop. It was an eye-opening (and delicious!) experience. But what touched us most was
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My Bipolar Experience: Dora’s Story
Editor’s Note: A very brave piece by Dora who shares candidly about her journey with bipolar disorder and its challenging symptoms such as delusions, panic attacks and suicidal ideation.
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A Letter to Mum: A Poem by Niao Yu
Editor’s Note: Niao Yu is a caregiver to his mother who suffers from mental illness. In this poem, he shares his raw feelings of loss, grief, hope and acceptance. A heartfelt moving piece that’s worth the read to the very end.
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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…
