Addiction and therapy questions answered
Addiction in Singapore is an insidious mental health issue – and a topic fraught with taboos and misconceptions. Addictions today go beyond better-known issues like alcoholism and gambling addiction, offering their own challenges to sufferers and their loved...
10 items to consider when considering a Rehabilitation centre for Addiction
Identifying the most appropriate rehabilitation centre for substance use disorder, or alcohol use disorder, or indeed any other form of addiction, requires careful consideration of various factors. Here are some of the key factors to consider:
What does addiction look like?
From the perspective of an addiction counsellor in Singapore, addiction or substance use disorder, as it is now termed, usually looks like the guy or gal sitting next to you at work, on the MRT, in court or in the boardroom. Substance Use Disorder is a spectrum, so...
Bipolar Disorder: You Too Can Walk In Recovery
With the recent revelation of American rapper, Kanye West, being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, the condition has been brought into the spotlight. The term ‘Bipolar’ (meaning “two poles”) signifies the polar opposites of emotional highs and lows. As the name...
Andrew da Roza on children’s attitude toward drug use and how parents can aid.
Andrew da Roza speaks with Straits time on how some young drug users develop the habit as a result of pressures at home and school. Read on to find out the details. Follow the link to read the full...
CNA speaks with Dr. Joseph Leong about why some people become bystanders when their loved ones abuse their maids.
CNA interviewed Dr. Joseph Leong about why some people become bystanders when their loved ones abuse their maids. He highlighted a "power differential" in which the maid abuser is typically the head of the household. Read on to find out the details. Follow the link to...
Andrew da Roza on Tobacco tax hike with Today Online
Andrew da Roza speaks with an editor at Today Online about the Tobacco tax hike. Read on to find out the details. Follow the link to read the full article: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/tobacco-tax-hike-some-smokers-will-cut-back-others-illegal-vaping-2110991...
Does Having Anxiety Make Me Weak?
Senior Clinical Psychologist Dr Elain Yeo was interviewed by the popular YA YouTube channel, LadiesFirstTv (Titan Digital Media) about struggling with Anxiety. Click on the red play button to watch this 11min 37sec video.
Anxiety and The Body
Anxiety refers to a state of anticipation of alarming future events. Anxiety is usually a normal transient response to stress and may be a necessary cue for adaption and coping, the body’s protective mechanism known as the ‘fight or flight response’. However, anxiety...
Positive Discipline and Gentle Parenting for Children
Written by: Tan Su-Lynn, Senior Educational Psychologist Positive discipline and gentle guidance are concepts which are not given enough recognition. In comparison to corporal punishments and other forms of authoritarian parenting, positive discipline aims to...
Are Mental Health Issues a Sign of Weakness?
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Henny Tan, was interviewed by the popular YA YouTube channel, LadiesFirstTv (Titan Digital Media) about the stigma a person might face when being identified as having a mental illness. Click on the red play button to watch this 13min 24...
How to cope with or help one with Eating Disorders over the Holiday Season
Written by: Henny Tan, Senior Clinical Psychologist Most of us look forward to the festive season. After all “‘tis the season to be jolly”. It is a time for family and friends to be gathered together, often with the accompaniment of special treats and food. However,...
Circular Causality in Family Issues: How to raise emotionally and mentally healthier children
Written by: Dr Mark Toh, Senior Consultant Psychologist What Is Circular Causality?: Understanding Your Child’s Reactions The American Psychological Association defines ‘Circular Causality’ as a sequence of causes and effects that leads back to the original cause and...
A nomadic expat life can be stressful on kids!
Expat life and moving around the world places a great deal of stress on children. DR REBECCA GIESS and DR MARK TOH from Promises Healthcare share how parents can help them adapt to new environments and people. What issues do children deal with when adjusting to expat...
Being Too Critical of Your Body? Exploring Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), in simple terms, is a condition involving an obsessive focus on one or more perceived flaws or defects in appearance. While the perceived flaw may be minor and inconspicuous, individuals struggling with this disorder are inclined to...
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Differentiating It From Self-Confidence
Narcissism and high self-esteem - how can we tell them apart? It may be difficult to tell if someone is self-absorbed or rightfully self-assured as they may present in a similar manner. Confidence is extremely important in helping one set the foundation for a healthy...
How to Cope with Depression: Henny Tan’s Interview With #LadiesFirstTv
Senior Clinical Psychologist, Henny Tan, was interviewed by the popular YA YouTube channel, LadiesFirstTv (Titan Digital Media) about depression and reaching out for help. This is the first out of 3 videos to be released. Click on the red play button to watch this...
Living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): An Interview With #LadiesFirstTV’s Head Space
Dr Elaine Yeo was interviewed by the popular Young Adults YouTube Channel #LadiesFirstTV (Titan Digital Media) about 'Living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)'. In this 13 minutes video, hear how PTSD can come about, and learn handles to overcome and live...
EXPAT MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES
“While the expat lifestyle can have a glamorous veneer, challenges often lie beneath. The experience of living overseas can be difficult and demanding, adding unique stressors to everyday living,” explains KRISTI MACKINTOSH, psychotherapist at Promises Healthcare,...
It’s Time to Talk About … BURNOUT!
Dr Joseph Leong & Dr Sean David speaks with an editor at Expat Living about Burn out. Read on to find out the details. We’ve all been there – wired on coffee, exhausted, struggling to keep pace with hurdles and deadlines, before hitting the inevitable brick...
What is psychodrama and does it help anxiety?
Since 2011, Sharmini Winslow has been a pioneer of psychodrama in Singapore and holds sessions with Promises Healthcare. After pursuing a career in dance and choreography, and founding her own Pilates studio, Sharmini discovered her natural affinity for forming...
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Treating Its Debilitating Effects
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health condition characterised by the failure to recover from exposure to a traumatic event, bringing about intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to the experience. Contrary to the widely-held belief,...
Straits Times Interviews Juliana Pang about the rise of gaming addiction amid the pandemic
The Straits Times interviewed Juliana Pang, Addictions Therapist at Visions by Promises* to weigh in on her thoughts on the rise in Gaming Addiction among children in Singapore. She shared that gaming addictions often develop in the context of underlying issues, such...
How To Get The Most Out Of Therapy
Written by: Andrew da Roza Deciding to see a therapist is a big step – and staying in therapy requires a commitment to effect real change. It is not surprising that many hesitate before starting therapy. Some may be wondering how talking to a stranger can change...
Bipolar and Schizophrenia – Symptoms, Treatment and Recovery
Written by: Dr. Joseph Leong Jern-Yi Understanding Bipolar & Schizophrenia Both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia were considered severe mental illnesses with no recovery in the past. This is not true in modern psychiatry as we have developed more effective...
Anxiety In Children – Your Questions Answered
Senior Clinical Psychologist, S C Anbarasu, was interviewed by Honeykids Asia's Growing Pains Season 2 about Anxiety in children - how they manifest, how it is caused and how to help them. Follow the link to listen to the 41min 47sec podcast.:...
The Neurobiology of TMS
Written by: Dr. Sean David Vanniasingham Principles of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) In the 1800s, world-renowned English physicist Michael Faraday discovered the principles of electromagnetic induction. Fast forward to the 21st century, Faraday’s discovery...
Anxiety and anxiety disorders in children: Time to talk about it
Anxiety and anxiety disorders are not an ‘adult-only’ thing - children are capable of experiencing these too, and we shouldn’t dismiss or trivialise their feelings. Anxiety is a common feeling for many of us. It’s that uneasy feeling of nervousness, worry, dread, and...
Henny Tan Shares With The Straits Times About The Sensitivities Of Speaking With Someone With Eating Disorders
Henny was interviewed by the Straits Times for her views on "What to say - and not to say - to someone with a suspected eating disorder". Here's a snippet from her quotes: a patient may misinterpret comments like "You look well" or "You look healthy" to mean "You look...
Manning up to the problems of toxic masculinity in Singapore’s society
TODAY Online spoke with various experts regarding Toxic Masculinity. Among them, is Dr Munidasa Winslow. here's what he said in this quote: Finally, experts said the proliferation of the internet and technology has also driven some toxic behaviours, including the...