I’m genuinely exhausted with how my life is going right now. In fact, I’ve felt that the last 5 years have been nothing short of difficult. But this year feels exceptionally hard for my mental wellbeing. There’s just so much I want to say out but I have no idea where to begin. I’m also exhausted of reaching out to so many people (be it family and friends) and every time I do, I still don’t feel like there’s changes being made.
Right from the time I started tertiary education in 2020 during the pandemic to now as I’m serving my national service, I’ve been fighting silent battles in my mind. And recently in these last 2 months, there was a certain event that happened which made it overwhelmingly difficult to manage my emotions while trying not to break down unexpectedly. Sometimes I really feel like I lost myself in these years and now idk who I am anymore.
I’ve tried reaching out here before in the community and I never really followed up much. But now I feel like I’m slowly losing my ability to withstand these heavy emotions almost every other day. One moment I feel normal and the next I’m suddenly moody again. These emotions have become so familiar that whenever I do something nice for myself to get out of those, it feels rather alien as I know it wouldn’t last long.
Dear @imanarrator
Thank you for reaching out here, sharing the challenges of facing silent mental health battles since 2020. That is more than five years of struggle, and you’ve noticed there has been increased intensity in the last 2 months. I think that you have withstood this pain for very long, and it’s fully understandable that you feel exhausted and drained. Unfortunately, there has been limited effective support to help you navigate this difficult situation although you have reached out to friends and family.
May I recommend that you speak to a mental health professional soon? They can provide a safe space for you to bring up the mental health challenges you have been encountering. It may also be an option to call the national mindline at 1771 which operates 24/7. Trained, caring and competent counsellors man this hotline.
I am glad you have reached out today. It tells me you want a change for the better and I encourage you to take small positive steps that can slowly rebuild and restore wellbeing. 
I have been contemplating on reaching out for professional help as even though I do have counselling options in the unit I’m working at, I’m scared of the fact that my superiors would know about it and it may affect my credibility as a person. And I’m not sure of what to expect since this is my first time reaching out like this
Dear @imanarrator
Thank you for sharing this. Please know you worries are understandable.
May I suggest to do discreet checks on the counselling service provided by your unit, especially their clauses around maintaining client confidentiality, reporting, etc.
Alternatively reach out to the national mindline for immediate support first and take it from there. You can call the national mindline anonymously and the conversation would be kept confidential.
Another option to consider is to reach out to counselling services offered by these organisations:
a)CHAT
The Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT) provides confidential mental health checks for young persons between 16 and 30 years old, who are currently living in Singapore. They operate CHAT hub, a mental health centre located at *SCAPE and maintains an online presence through their website and webchat.
6493 6500
6493 6501
b)Fei Yue Community Services- EC2
LIVE CHAT eC2 is an online facility offering free counselling to youths.
c) TOUCH Community Services – TOUCHline
Emotional support and practical advice are rendered through this youth helpline
1800 377 2255.
Well done on taking this first important step in your journey towards better mental health and overall wellbeing. Counsellors are trained to listen non judgmentally and provide a safe space where you can speak freely. Conversations are kept confidential and counsellors strive towards ensuring you receive unconditional positive regard. I agree it can be scary initially but sincerely believe you will feel at ease in no time. Let us know how it goes whenever you are ready.
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Thank you so much for consolidating the list of available resources, it does make it easier for me to figure out which would be the best option for me to start this process. I’ll definitely let yall know how it goes when I finally get deeper into it 