"I didn’t know then, but the shock, guilt, grief and great disappointment with God brought about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The intense emotional pain and anguish also led me down the path of severe clinical depression over the next two and a half years.

The flashbacks that came with the PTSD were unpredictable and crippling. Even smells could trigger a welling-up of emotions that would have exploded out of me if I hadn’t fought hard to contain them.

I saw a psychiatrist regularly, and it helped. On days I felt as though I’d hit rock bottom, I learnt to tell myself there would always be the next day, and I just had to get through one at a time. Breathe and sleep it off. This gave the verse 'His mercies are new every morning' a whole new meaning.

In the years to come, I would like to help break the stigma of mental illness with my story. To anyone out there who might be in the midst of the storm, there is hope. Jesus is in that storm with you."
#WorldMentalHealthDay
https://thir.st/blog/stricken-ptsd-depression/

In light of Mental Health Awareness Month, we recreated John Bunyan's 1678 classic "Pilgrim's Progress". Very much like Bunyan's protagonist, Christian, we explore the hidden but crippling nature of mental illness through the eyes of a Singaporean man.

#WorldMentalHealthDay
For the full list of our mental health stories, visit https://thir.st/category/mental-health/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Htq0qkHSvX0

Is there something wrong with me? Can I ever be made whole again?

On #WorldMentalHealthDay, October 10, we remember that the wounds inside can hurt just like broken bones. But Jonathan Cho believes there is a voice that rises above the noise.

🚶🏻For the full story: https://thir.st/blog/truer-words-for-the-troubled-mind/?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=chat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbpBqt1foi8

It's #WorldMentalHealthDay today!

Take a moment and think about someone you know who might be having a tough time with their mental health.

Your encouragement might just be their light at the end of the tunnel. ⛅️

Make a difference, then peep our article for #WMHD2020 👉🏻 is.gd/vc1re6

FREE-TALK FRIDAY

Friday baybeeeee! Get off your seat, stretch for a bit and go drink some water. Then come back and talk about whatever you want on this marvellous day. Sample topics in case y'all shy:

🔸 What did you do this week?
🔸 #WorldMentalHealthDay on October 10 is coming up. Thoughts?
🔸 Random question about church or Christianity? 🧐
🔸 Or whatever! Let's just talk 🧡

No set topic, really — so feel free to chat! Just don't do naughty things like self-advertise or PM folks beyond the comments. Be excellent to one another!

God has turned my depression into a blessing

Depression and anxiety have come and gone in my life over the years, through crashes in secondary school, polytechnic and university.

This is the story of how my life was saved and why I now aim to make a difference as a mental health professional.

It's all because of what God has done in me — and one academic supervisor who heard me and gave me a chance. #WorldMentalHealthDay

READ 👉🏻 is.gd/4qhEAN

Pastors are human too: The mental health struggles some church leaders face

Even though being a pastor is one of the hardest jobs in the world, there's almost an unsaid expectation that our church leaders should not be struggling.

It's an invisible pressure that leaders like Pastor Andre Tan (The City) and Jennifer Heng (Safe Place) have keenly felt in the past: “If people actually knew I was struggling, would they still have confidence in me? As a leader, they would gradually lose respect for me.”

So how can we come alongside our leaders in this regard? How can we better forge spiritual communities that care? #WorldMentalHealthDay

READ 👉🏻 is.gd/MRSQzd

5 years after my bipolar disorder came out of the blue, I finally feel better

Growing up, Hannah Grace Torres was generally a happy girl. But all that changed when she was 18.

Developing bipolar II disorder caused her to spiral into a dark place that led to 2 hospital admissions and even a suicide attempt.

Now 23 and back in school, she tells us about what led to her journey of recovery. #WorldMentalHealthDay

READ 👉🏻 is.gd/TGl2Fl