All around the world, people struggle with depression. Their stories are sad, but also inspiring, bringing hope for recovery. If you’re struggling with depression in Singapore, you may find encouragement in these tales of healing and triumph. Everyone, from a successful athlete to a young entrepreneur, can go through hard times; but with the right help and support, it’s possible to come back from that darkness and reclaim your mental health in Singapore.
Conor Clifford, Irish Football Player
Conor Clifford, a football star playing for Boreham Wood in the National League (old Conference), finally realised he needed help in 2016. His romantic relationship had just collapsed, and he no longer felt the zest for football that he once did. He began to miss training sessions, choosing to stay in bed in the dark instead. His flat grew messier, and his lethargy grew worse. “I’d fallen out of love with the game, I hated it. I hated life,” says Clifford.
One day, a pair of friends came to check on him. They saw his surroundings and his state of mind, and they began encouraging him to seek help. He broke down crying; but it was the breaking point that he needed.
First, Conor went back home to visit his parents. “I felt so embarrassed telling them what was up because they didn’t know how bad I was,” he says. “I didn’t want them worrying about me. But I had to tell them.”
His parents brought him to a therapist – and that first session was invigorating. “I left that room, and I just felt like I wanted to go out and run and keep running,” Clifford explains. “It just gave me a kick up the backside to get me going again.”
Thanks to therapy, a fresh training regimen, his new girlfriend’s support, and the support of his parents, Conor Clifford is back on track. In spite of trouble with his football career, he has discovered other athletic outlets to pursue. Now he recognises his dark days for what they were – a severe bout of depression. Here’s his advice to those struggling with the same lethargy and darkness: “I would recommend to anybody going through depression or feeling horrible, that the best thing you can do is speak because you feel 100 times better afterwards. I felt unbelievable when I did.”
Delane Lim, Young Entrepreneur
In February 2011, 25-year-old Delane Lim clambered onto a ledge, high up above the streets of Singapore. He was on the 21st storey of Bras Basah Complex, and he was ready to jump and end his life.
What drove him to such an extreme act of desperation? As a young business professional in Singapore, he had recently discovered that he had a rare heart problem. His heart pounded hard all the time, even during rest and sleep. Time was quickly running out due to the strain on his heart. His only chance to survive was a risky operation that might end in his death.
At the same time, the company he founded was floundering under corruption allegations. Lim’s firm had served in a consultant capacity for a secondary school, and when the school’s principal came under investigation, Lim’s company was probed as well. The probe took nearly a year, and business suffered as a result, even though Lim was not at fault. As if all that trouble weren’t enough, Lim’s girlfriend ended their two-year relationship.
Heartbroken, stressed, and fearful for the future, Lim sat on the ledge, trying to decide whether to jump. At that moment, a friend messaged him. “Are you free for coffee?” the friend asked. Lim says, “I didn’t tell him where I was but I told him I was in pain and needed major surgery. He said God wouldn’t remove the pain but He would give me the strength to go through it.”
The conversation continued over WhatsApp, and Lim began to calm down. “I realised if I died, people would assume I had bribed the principal. I felt I should continue to fight,” he says. He made his way carefully off the ledge and back into the building. Two days later, doctors successfully operated on his heart. His company was cleared of any wrongdoing, and business began rolling in again. Lim now enjoys a salary of more than $100,000 plus bonuses.
If Lim had ended things that day, he wouldn’t have been able to enjoy his second chance at life and the growth of his business. Grateful for the gift of a future, he now reaches out to youth struggling with depression in Singapore.
“I always thought that only the weak suffer from depression or think of suicide,” Lim says. “I had always thought of myself as strong, but when everything hit me all at once, I was overwhelmed too.” He now works hard to show young people that a crisis is just a chance to grow and become more resilient. Lim still suffers pain every day due to a spinal condition, but he refuses to give up. “After my heart operation, I realised it’s not all about making money. Making money is important, but my motivating factor is to change lives.”
Finding Your Hope with a Psychiatrist in Singapore
Are you ready to find hope? Reclaim your enthusiasm for life and your energy for the future by taking one simple step— make an appointment at Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic – Psychiatrists and Psychologists for Mental Health in Singapore. Come visit our calm, private offices and consult with an expert psychiatrist in Singapore. After that first step, you’ll have a better understanding of your path forward, out of the darkness of depression and into a brighter future.
Article by Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic