Burst The Silence

Mat Nur Singer/Song writer “About 4 years ago I was diagnosed...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:00:00 -0400

Mat Nur

Singer/Song writer

“About 4 years ago I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia.

4 years ago, when I was 27, I lost my job as a technician, sold the home I lived with my parents, and had my heart broken a couple of times.

At first, I thought I could cope with all these stressors. However, thinking back, I think I was in denial as I slowly started to crack.

I started to believe that everyone was plotting against me, even my family!

I believed that everyone wanted me dead - The authorities, the army, secret societies, and my neighbours. I also started thinking that there were nano-machines in the food people gave me that could transmit my thoughts.

I refused to eat for a week. I didn’t bathe, and kept quiet most of the time because I thought people could read my mind and vice versa.

This worried my mother very much and she finally decided to send me for treatment at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

I spent a few days in the ward and was discharged on home leave. I thought it was over until I started to read the papers, watch TV and interact with people. Something still seemed odd. It seemed as if people were mocking me and talking in encoded messages.

The doctors finally put me on Olanzapine, an anti-psychotic medication.

I spent up to 41 days, still having the false belief that the whole world despised me and wanted me dead.

However, my case manager told me one day, “Nur, if you can’t prove all this is happening then it’s not true. Think about it.”

I spent the next day contemplating about it and I started to realize that I wasn’t losing my mind. I already did.

Honestly, I owe it not only to the support group and medication but to my own will to overcome it.

My advice to those reading this - Seek treatment as early as possible. Medication and support group play a part but it also takes the individual’s will to overcome it.

The first thought that came through my mind was the stigma that I have to live with. I know for a fact that being in a conservative society, the perception of me would change.

I armed myself with the knowledge of my illness and identify warning signs of my illness. In that way, I feel more empowered. I also find therapy through prayers, playing and writing music to express myself.

In the end, we can only educate the society about mental illness and hope that the society will be more aware and accepting of it.”

www.youthinmind.sg

Call for Action!

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:18:11 -0400

About 1 in 5 youths suffer from a mental health problem.

Less than one third of these youths are in contact with a professional service.

Many more are keeping quiet about their problems due to fear of stigma.

Burst the Silence is a photo campaign which aims to break the stigma of mental health issues among youths.

It is a collection of real individuals who have had their share of mental health issues and are not afraid to talk about them.

It is a collection of real individuals who believe in destigmatising mental illness.

If you believe in this cause and wish to share your story or lend a voice in destigmatising mental illness, do contact us at chat@youthinmind.sg

Dinie Rahman...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:54:24 -0400

Dinie Rahman (http://burstthesilence.tumblr.com/post/22626679445/dinie-rahman-student-i-like-to-share-still-trying), who bravely burst the silence on his condition of having OCD, has inspired someone to do likewise.

To our readers, break the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and Burst The Silence!

Zi Ying daughter/ sister/ lover/ friend “Nobody asked for...

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:07:00 -0500

Zi Ying

daughter/ sister/ lover/ friend

“Nobody asked for it. Nobody wants it. Nobody deserves it. Do you think people living with mental illness asked for their lives to be splashed with blood red highlighter ink outlining and intensifying their pain? Yet those that have mental illness are slapped with sharp fines by society, for doing nothing at all. We overwrite the different songs of their lives before they were diagnosed, with the same piercing, beating, undying thump of stigma and discrimination.

During the course of my internship at IMH, the question glued itself stubbornly, to the wall of my mind: why do we forget that they are beautiful, breathing, living, stunning people too?

I choose to burst the silence because to me, that’s the only thing we can do for them.”

www.youthinmind.sg

N Avid reader Noodle slurper “I was an intern with the...

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:53:00 -0500

Avid reader

Noodle slurper

“I was an intern with the Institute of Mental Health for four months. During my internship there, I met and interacted with a myriad of individuals with mental illness. Contrary to general views of people with mental illness, the patients there displayed inner strength, warm personalities and an array of capabilities.

Bursting the silence is so important because with each person that speaks out, stigma gradually reduces and people with mental illness will be one step closer to being accepted in society. If they are willing to show others what they are capable of achieving, shouldn’t we be willing to give them a chance?”

www.youthinmind.sg

Sufyan Supiani burst the silence by sharing his account with...

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 21:38:55 -0500

Sufyan Supiani burst the silence by sharing his account with anxiety.

Here is his MV for his self-written song, ‘Anxiety’.

It feels like broken when the gravity pulls you down

It feels like dying when your heartbeat starts to beat so fast

Suddenly your world stood still you can’t understand

Suddenly you are catching up your breath like a fish out of the water

fish out of the water

Tears rolling down your face when you can’t move any of your limbs

Frozen like a dead man with his heartbeat on

Suddenly confusion starts to penetrate your mind

Suddenly your world starts to turn turning upside down

turning upside down

Chorus:

Anxiety, Its unpredictable

It haunts you day and night

Anxiety, It takes my life away

Only time can tell, only time can help

Since I want to breathe again

Sufyan Adli Bin Supiani Freelance singer and Songwriter Animal...

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 20:28:00 -0500

Sufyan Adli Bin Supiani

Freelance singer and Songwriter

Animal Lover and a home body

“On 3 October 2011, I experienced the climax of anxiety which turned into panic attacks. The panic attack usually starts with palpitations of the heart, hyperventilating and painful cramps of limbs.

Working in a fast paced corporate world for 13 years, my world changed forever when panic disorder started to invade my life. I paid a price for not sharing my condition and getting professional help earlier. 1 year of unemployment due to being unwell eventually dried up my savings and I had to sell my home to stop my mortgage and rent homes with my pet kids instead. I also began to develop agoraphobia entering the central business district.

Thanks to my dad who invested music into my life, at least I have a spark of hope to believe that there is still a purpose for me to keep getting up each time I fell and rolled in the deep. I decided to seek professional help when suicidal thoughts were uncontrollable and the belief in my strength started to fade. Professional assistance had helped me to deal with my life one step at a time towards my goal to recovery. I urge youths to come forward and learn to share and manage your troubles and stresses to make life manageable, beautiful and meaningful. “

www.youthinmind.sg

“People can, and do get better from mental illness”...

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:08:36 -0500

“People can, and do get better from mental illness” - Andrew Steward

Come, join us in this campaign to burst the silence surrounding...

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 21:39:50 -0400

Come, join us in this campaign to burst the silence surrounding mental illness among youths. Email us at chat@youthinmind.sg to share your story.

Burst The Silence is having a mini exhibition at Jurong Regional...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:31:37 -0400

Burst The Silence is having a mini exhibition at Jurong Regional Library. It will be up till 11th Oct ‘12.

“We have to start talking, whether it’s 2, 200 or...

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 23:51:47 -0400

“We have to start talking, whether it’s 2, 200 or 2,000 people, and how awkward and scary it can be, when you start talking, you start the dialogue and you start disproving those myths”

- Alicia Raimundo, Mental Health Superhero

I hope to see more youths in Singapore to take on her footsteps and be a Mental Health Superhero.

Nawira Student and Art Lover “I started thinking of...

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 22:20:00 -0400

Nawira

Student and Art Lover

“I started thinking of suicide almost everyday. And when you think of suicide for most of your life, then that’s not life. It got to a point where it became unbearable because life was meaningless, life was hopeless. But actually life isn’t meaningless or hopeless. I was ill and I needed help.

It’s really not your loss, it’s the person who is stigmatising you.It’s their lose because they fail to understand who you are, like your abilities, your capabilities, and they fail to see you beyond the illness.

As someone who’s been through a mental illness, I think I should speak out and let people know what it truly is about. It’s not worth it to suffer in silence.”

www.youthinmind.sg

Photo

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 23:27:15 -0400

Lishan Chan Author of “A Philosopher’s...

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 22:21:00 -0400

Lishan Chan

Author of “A Philosopher’s Madness”, a book which recounts her experience with Psychosis.

“In the process of writing the book, I also met other people who have the same condition as me, and I came to realise that I was not as alone as I thought I was. I began to feel comfortable having this condition.

At those times you need to just let go. You need to be able to just say yes, I need help.”

For those interested in getting her book, you are able to get it here.

www.youthinmind.sg

Mellisa Chong General Manager, The Singapore Committee for UN...

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 02:32:00 -0400

Mellisa Chong

General Manager, The Singapore Committee for UN Women

Absolutely loves chocolate mint ice cream.

I dislike tying my shoelaces.

“The main reason why I burst the silence eventually is because I came to a point where I really thought that it’s not worth living. And that line is very, very thin. That is the line between actually living and breathing for the moment versus not being existing in the world any more. And when I have touched that line, I realise that I do want to live, and not just live, but live a happy and healthy life.

And right now now, I am not fighting emergencies in my life, but rather managing it, and living it.

If there’s any advise or any sharing if I could give them, just from a person going through and gone through this, it would really be that it is worth it. It is worth it to open up. It is worth it to burst the silence.”

http://www.youthinmind.sg/

Photo

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 01:28:53 -0400

Neo Lee Chai Administrative Officer Likes surfing the...

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:17:00 -0400

Neo Lee Chai

Administrative Officer

Likes surfing the net.

“I was diagnosed with psychosis a few years ago and have started my treatment with IMH since then. It was a struggle for me in the beginning as my mind was still cloudy but with the help of the medications, I am now much calmer. My doctor, case managers, mental health professionals, family and friends helped me to slowly regain my normal state of mental well-being and bounce back stronger again.

During my recovery journey, i experienced a couple of set backs with regards to my job applications. I was feeling depressed over them but I kept on trying. I reflected over my failures and I realised that a job with a just a good pay is not enough. I needed more important elements like meaningfulness, happiness and satisfaction. Currently, i am working in a health-related environment which allows me to work towards my goals and realise my dream. :)”

www.youthinmind.sg

Teh Jen Lee A journalist for 10 years. Soon to-be PhD student in...

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:59:00 -0400

Teh Jen Lee

A journalist for 10 years.

Soon to-be PhD student in Mental Health Communication.

“My experience with bipolar was quite dramatic. I was hospitalized. My family couldn’t understand me. I was talking very, very fast. There was a danger to myself and others.

What I would say to people who may be struggling through some issues, whether it’s a medical condition or not, would be to speak up, to burst the silence. There is a lot within you that you have to give. I believe in the innate worth of each individual. We are all born and created special. There’s no one like you, ever, out there. So if you don’t speak up and share, and you end up just shutting down, the world is a poorer place because of that.

The journey is worth it to find a place where you can accept yourself and be able to give back.”

www.youthinmind.sg

Tan Yan Ling Associate Consultant at a local design firm I...

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:17:00 -0400

Tan Yan Ling

Associate Consultant at a local design firm

I can’t stop doing things and am always trying to tinker and learn.

I love bright colours; they never fail to brighten up a moody day.

“I used to feel unworthy as I compared myself to my well-performing siblings like how many people around me were doing. I was forever questioning my self-worth and sitting under the table to cry. When I was waiting for my PSLE results, I finally had enough courage to talk to a camp facilitator about how worried and scared I was of seeing my PSLE results, because I was sure it would make me feel unworthy again. That camp facilitator changed my life by being there for me when I got my PSLE results, and reminding me again of how worthy I was, and how much potential I had.
In life, we sometimes go through trials and obstacles that make us doubt ourselves and our abilities, and we sometimes forget how strong we really are. Speaking to the supportive people around me always helps; they remind me of how ‘super’ I can be by reminding me of my strengths. Now I always think I am superwoman, but obviously superwoman goes back to this group of people to draw strength time and again.”

www.youthinmind.sg

“It’s not about recovery, it’s about...

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 23:51:00 -0400

“It’s not about recovery, it’s about reclaiming your life.”

Follow the stories of 5 individuals in bursting the silence!