Let's Talk About Mental Health

[Jamesc]

Its sounds like someone took

his hypocritic oath too seriously!

What kind of Medical Dictator like this?

Edited August 2, 2021 by Jamesc

[Jamesc]

The best doctors is not the one making the most money treating lots of patients

but the doctor that keeps people from being sick and needing treatment in the first place.

WTF

[Jamesc]

What a sicko!

26 minutes ago, Turboflat4 said:

the medical director (meaning a freaking doctor in name at least) of the polyclinic group that was "hosting" us wrote a nasty letter to the head of IMH saying we shouldn't be doing this, that the patients should go to the main polyclinic for their non-psych med refills. 

 

[Nolicense]

22 minutes ago, Jamesc said:

What a sicko!

 

becos nothing says "f*ck you" better than to piss on the little man. 😊

[Jamesc]

Faster check the Medical Dictator into IMH.

He needs serious help.

 

Maybe electrical therapy like this?

 

[Jamesc]

Someone's version of the hypocritic oath.

Do more evil

for face and money.

Especially both.

[therock]

As ancient Or barbaric as it sounds, ECT works in some conditions 

 

helping people is important and there are many ways. 

Too many people just want pills but the power of listening and friendship is often just as good. And that’s from scientific reviews too 👍 

[therock]

Our own actress feels it too

https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/i-took-it-out-myself-actress-julie-tan-shares-her-mental-health-journey-young-star

[Wind30]

I recommend the book below. 

It is a pretty clever way to train your mind to get out of the bad positive feedback cycle. 

https://www.amazon.sg/Mindfulness-Eight-Week-Finding-Peace-Frantic/dp/1609618955/ref=asc_df_1609618955/?tag=googleshoppin-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=404288721350&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2623358933057810695&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9062522&hvtargid=pla-365326641019&psc=1

 

I think LKY also meditates in his later years...

https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/transcript-minister-mentor-lee-kuan-yews-interview-seth-mydans-new-york-times-iht-1

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by Wind30

[Beanoyip]

Julie talking about her mental health..

[kobayashiGT]

 

 

[therock]

Assessment of IQ is officially done by the psychologist, who can employ various instruments.

Many people in the ESN category (educationally subnormal in Chinese : 成绩落后), have poor coping mechanisms, so they resorted to violence, just like a small child, who gets frustrated and hits out.

But some do know what they are doing and deliberating commit crimes, so it's up to the psychiatrist to assess if the person knows what they are doing.

If anyone is curious, Forrest Gump isn't realistic... 

 

[therock]

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/fighting-the-stigma-of-mental-illness-0 

Quote

One boy was found dead in a school. Another, with a history of mental health issues, has been remanded in prison.

These tragic events two weeks ago have raised the nation's awareness of mental illness in the young. They have also made me reflect on my work as a child psychiatrist for 20 years. For me, the most painful periods have been seeing my patients end their young lives.

As a parent of five children, I often wonder how I can be stoic in the face of such emotional pain.

It also bothers me that, while mental illness can be treated, some families avoid treatment because of the stigma associated with the condition. This can have tragic consequences.

What leads to youth suicides? It could be a result of an untreated mental illness or a severe mental health problem or a combination of both. Relationship problems at home or in school are important causes. Bullying, and now cyber bullying, can also stress out the young.

When stress causes distress, our brains can normally cope with it - much like how the body's immune system copes with germs so they cannot easily cause an infection.

The problem, however, is persistent stress or what we call toxic stress.

Toxic stress is severe, uncontrolled and chronic. It poses the greatest threat to mental health, especially if a child does not have supportive relationships.

It is important for parents to recognise the signs of stress in their children such as unusual changes in the way they feel, think and behave.

When such behaviours are extreme, persistent and start affecting the daily functioning of the child, parents should seek professional advice to make sure that their child is not suffering from a mental illness.

Mental illnesses have become more common. In Singapore, the lifetime risk of developing a mental illness was 12.5 per cent in 2010. This meant one in every eight people was likely to get it.

By 2016, this had increased to 13.9 per cent, suggesting that one in every seven people was likely to get mentally ill during their lifetime.

And yet, the Singapore mental health study shows that some do not get treatment for many years.

Why do people who are suffering choose to not seek help? This has to do with the stigma associated with mental illness and fears that persons with mental illness will face discrimination.

I remember the sad story of a 16-year-old who killed herself after having been evaluated and diagnosed with a mental illness one year earlier. After she had been admitted for treatment, the family took her home and did not return for follow-up consultations.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

It's OK to seek help now and not wait till things get serious

Know your child's strengths and weaknesses, Chan Chun Sing's message to parents

Even parents who follow up, often ask if the medical records would affect their children's future. I always tell them that medical information is confidential and cannot be accessed without permission. Yet many parents asked for their records to be expunged once the child recovers.

There is no easy way to fight stigma except by having more people with mental illness come forward to share their stories.

Then there is the issue of toxic stress. How can we make it less likely that a child will have to suffer from it?

If children suffers abuse and neglect, they are more likely to put up with mental and physical illnesses in adult life.

Support from adults and enjoyment of school can protect such children.

Parenting plays a key role. But parenting must evolve as the child grows. It must accommodate the temperament of the child and the parental relationships with one another.

As they grow up, children have to adjust to the process of separating from their parents, connecting with their peers and discovering their own identity, who they are and what they want to become.

When they "separate from parents" it means children are finding their independence and making informed decisions as parents move away from giving them orders.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

S'pore students say parental and self expectations, Fomo are sources of stress

Want to help child with mental health issues? Listen first, say panellists

But if this parent-child relationship is poorly handled it can result in toxic stress.

Relationships outside of the home are also important. We completed a study in Singapore on depressed adolescents that showed that their symptoms are worsened by how their parents, teachers and peers think about them. The social environment has a role in helping youths in distress.

Social media can cut both ways. While it can expose youth to digital dangers, it can also be a source of hope and help through online supportive communities.

In other words, help for a young person does not just have to come from seeing a counsellor face to face.

It could come equally from an artificial intelligence-supported chatbot, leading seamlessly to chats with trained counsellors. It is worth making such help more readily available.

Help for those struggling with mental illness or toxic stress is the key to saving young lives, or making them more fulfilling.

Personally, my own regret is that I did not push for mental health literacy earlier and did not speak out more against the stigma associated with mental health issues. I should also have pushed the focus to how the family is at the heart of good mental health.

But regret can work both ways. It can either paralyse us from doing the right thing, or it can motivate us to make it right.

I am determined to make it right.

• Dr Daniel Fung is chief executive officer of the Institute of Mental Health and president of the International Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP)

 

[therock]

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/on-facebook-should-schools-give-students-more-leeway-if-they-need-a-break-for-mental

Quote

I would like to attest that our schools and educators are all very kind and supportive. When a valid reason is given to teachers, children can take a break from school without penalty. Of course, absence from school shouldn't be taken lightly. But if truly in need, talk to the teachers, and you will get the support you need.

Meili Chng

Family-oriented issues won't be resolved by taking time off from classes. If the problem is coping with school, missing lessons may fuel further stress.

Ethan Fok

How about giving each student up to 14 days of mental healthcare leave from school?

Joe Foo

While a note from a qualified medical professional is necessary to let the school know what the student's mental health problem is, parents should be given some leeway to allow their children to remain at home for up to a week without the need for a medical certificate.

Au Kah Kay

Sometimes, just taking days or even a year off is not going to help. After the temporary relief, the student has to return to face reality, and may still not be able to cope. There should be avenues for the child to be transferred to a different school with less stress or be given a less demanding curriculum.

Chiu Wen Shan

 

[therock]

 

[therock]

https://www.straitstimes.com/life/more-doctors-in-singapore-face-burnout-anxiety-amid-the-pandemic

Quote

SINGAPORE - Doctors in Singapore show signs of increased burnout and psychological distress because of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to three recently released studies of healthcare workers here.

While many healthcare workers have been similarly affected, doctors say those in their profession may be less likely to seek help for their mental health over concerns that making their struggles public will affect their licence to practise.

In Singapore, a doctor who is impaired in his or her ability to practise, due to physical or mental conditions, must notify the Singapore Medical Council (SMC), according to the council's Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines.

In the case of impairment because of mental health conditions, the doctor must seek psychiatric intervention or treatment, and provide medical reports to certify fitness to work, the guidelines say.

In a study published last month, researchers from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) found higher rates of anxiety, depression and burnout in primary care doctors than before the pandemic.

The study, which surveyed 257 primary care doctors working in polyclinics and private clinics, also found that doctors working in polyclinics were more likely to have symptoms of anxiety and depression than doctors working in private clinics.

Primary healthcare group Parkway Shenton, which has 54 clinics, surveyed 497 support staff and healthcare workers.

The study found that 42 per cent of the 97 doctors had symptoms of anxiety, much higher than the average national levels (1.6 to 3 per cent) before the pandemic. About 81 per cent of the doctors surveyed had symptoms of stress, according to the study shared at the 8th Asia Pacific Primary Care Research Conference last month.

A study led by National University Health System (NUHS) researchers was published in JAMDA, the journal of AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. It surveyed 3,075 healthcare workers, including 458 doctors, who worked in public hospitals and one primary care health service involved in front-line work during the pandemic.

It found that more than 75 per cent of those surveyed were at risk of burnout and showed signs of disengagement and exhaustion.

While burnout is not classified as a mental illness under the Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, a tool used internationally to aid diagnoses of mental illnesses, burnout should not be disregarded since it can contribute to stress, said Dr Alvin Lum, lead researcher of the IMH study of the impact of Covid-19 on primary care doctors.

If burnout is not addressed, it can affect a person's mental well-being and lead to issues that would affect their work performance and productivity, adds Dr Lum, who is head of medical care and deputy director, mental health-GP partnership programme at IMH.

The IMH study, carried out last year from April to September, found that more than 20 per cent of the primary care doctors surveyed had symptoms of anxiety and depression, while 82 per cent had symptoms of burnout. It was published in peer-reviewed international journal BJGP Open.

All were higher than the rates of anxiety, depression and burnout reported in existing literature, including studies of healthcare workers by other researchers earlier in the pandemic or during previous disease outbreaks.

The 257 doctors surveyed by IMH researchers highlighted these stressors: the change in operating guidelines for private clinics; the physical and mental strain of wearing personal protective equipment for long periods of time; an increased workload; as well as financial strain from reduced patient load in private clinics and reduced opportunities for locum work. Locum doctors stand in for regular doctors.

Doctors who spoke to The Straits Times, often on condition of anonymity, agreed on these stressors and also highlighted fear of infection, fear of infecting loved ones, and uncertainty as public health directives changed with new knowledge of the Covid-19 virus.

 

[Jamesc]

Every life is perfect.

Never worry about mistakes or failures.

The right way is the wrong way

so mistakes or failures are turn off the wrong way.

[Jamesc]

When people say they like something or don't like something it always makes me smile.

Its not really that people like something or don't like something its the brain that tells people what they like or don't like.

Lets say a person say they like or don't like scrambled eggs and they had their brains scrambled as in amnesia they cannot remember if they like or don't like scrambled eggs.

When people like something or don't like something or something that makes them happy or unhappy, something that makes them angry or annoyed its not the thing, its the brain that tells a person to  like or don't like, to be angry or not, to be annoyed or not, to be happy or not.

If we can observe and control the brain then nothing can make you angry, nothing can annoy you.

Observe and control the brain and there will be no more racism or biasness or hate or anger and nothing can irritate or annoy you.

Not even your MIL.