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Holding On: Nadera’s Story
“Especially now, when there might not be anyone around physically to affirm you, you have to pat yourself on the back for every step you take in the positive direction and ignore the demons that tell you that what you are doing is not enough.”
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I Am More Than ‘Okay’: Michelle’s Story
By Michelle L. // It started when I was 15. I remembered feeling like there was something eating away at my very core, and that I was always crying and nauseous. After two years of skipping school and isolating myself, I was diagnosed with major depression. I was relieved that, finally, there was help. However,…
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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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Depression Lies: Vivien’s Story
By Vivien Y. // Depression is a bad friend. The kind that sticks around and pours poison in your ear. It follows me to work meetings, Friday nights with friends, back home in bed and most recently, it followed me to a gig. You see I’m a singer-songwriter, and sometimes I get asked to perform…
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Three Dangerous Mindsets and Healthier Alternatives: Kevin’s Story
By Kevin W. // A healthy mindset (a belief or way of thinking) is crucial to positive mental health. Why? Because our beliefs largely influence our emotions and responses to stressors. Yet, due to flawed guidance and societal pressures, we subconsciously develop dangerous mindsets that sabotage our potential. When left unchecked, they could lead to…
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Play Therapy for Mental Wellness
With Adelyn Lee // Mental wellbeing need not be a solemn and stressful affair. For Adelyn, founder of Pandora Box Play Therapy, it was through play that she was able to process painful childhood memories and develop personal resilience. She candidly shares more of her personal story in our exclusive Tapestry interview and explains what…
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5 Ways to Develop Empathy, A Bedrock Social Skill
By Joy Hou // “I just get so angry when she says she will call and then doesn’t,” said Celine about her good friend. Her husband Dave responded, “Darling, it’s such as a small matter, why are you always getting upset about these trivial things?” Inevitably, Celine got even more frustrated, leading to another one…
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Build an Emergency Supply of Light: Alana’s Story
By Alana G. // Beyond A Maze Pause for a moment now and look inwards. What do you see or hear? We have roughly 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts in a day. Many of those we tend to focus on can be negative ones. I often struggle with negative self-talk, especially during stressful periods. Through this…
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One Meal At A Time: Joanne’s Story
By Joanne // I never imagined myself writing on a platform that raises awareness for mental health issues, because in my mind mental health had such a stigma. But the truth is, there is no shame in having/having had a mental disorder. In a way, it is just our brains falling sick. And since National…
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“Get Over It! What Is This ‘Depression’ Thing Anyway?”: Kevin’s Story
By Kevin W. // Depression is pain—a devastating, yet invisible pain. And so, unless it’s experienced firsthand, it’s hard to comprehend. Consider this analogy: Your brain is to you what a processor is to a computer—both carry out commands to enable healthy functioning. Depression is a virus—a vicious, nasty virus. As with how a virus corrupts…
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The One On Self-Love: Geraldine’s Story
By Geraldine C. // Beyond A Maze Think about someone you love. How do you treat them? Do you value them? Do you respect them? Do you love her for who they are? Now, what if children grew up loving themselves? They would value themselves. They would not berate themselves for making mistakes or dwell…
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The Truth About Eating Disorders: Cheryl’s Story
By Cheryl // Breaking Mirrors – You Are More Than What You See I’ve had an eating disorder for almost six years now and have come to terms with the fact that I’m still living with this illness. However, I now know that this disorder is not who I am; that it’s not even a part…
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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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More Than My Disorder: Jia Jun’s Story
By Jia Jun // Breaking Mirrors – You Are More Than What You See It feels good talking about my eating disorder; to see how far I’ve come and to, hopefully, help someone out there. Sharing details about ED though, is triggering–I buried all the negativity on my road to recovery, so digging them up…
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Depression is a Jerk: Mak’s Story
By Kean Loong // He is next to me, at the head of my bed the moment I wake up. He smiles, then kicks at my head, and jumps on my chest. He sneers, “So what’s lined up for today? Shall I tell you the ways I can interfere and make sure your life doesn’t…