Singapore—After Abdul Salim Harun, one of the Team Captains for the Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP) Marsiling – Yew Tee GRC announced on social media that he had been diagnosed with Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), he received a public message of support from party treasurer Bryan Lim Boon Heng.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Oct 14), Mr Abdul wrote about his recent ASD diagnosis, adding that his doctor had told him that more people have been suffering from the condition since the pandemic struck.
A few days ago, I was diagnosed with Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). The doctor attending to me, is arranging for a session…
Posted by Abdul Salim Harun on Wednesday, 14 October 2020
Writing that his doctor had been ‘glad’ that he had sought help, Mr Abdul encouraged others who may be in the same situation to similarly seek help, acknowledging the stigma that still accompanies mental health issues.
“To all who is reading this and going through the same situation, do reach out and seek help. Don’t keep it to yourself before it destroys your mental state of health,” he wrote.
On Thursday (Oct 15), Mr Lim reposted what Mr Abdul wrote, along with words of praise. “I must first applaud him for taking the courage to share his condition publicly because Asian societies like ours are still struggling with mental health stigma.”
The SDP treasurer noted with concern that while Singapore is “one of the most stressful cities in the world” due to an overworked population, sleep deprivation, and a rising suicide rate, the resources to treat the rising cases of mental health issues may be insufficient.
One of our SDP Marsiling – Yew Tee GRC Team Captains, Abdul Salim Harun was recently diagnosed with Acute Stress…
Posted by Bryan Lim Boon Heng (林文兴) on Wednesday, 14 October 2020
Mr Lim also wrote that he was “not surprised to learn from Salim’s doctor that he has seen an increasing number of ASD cases during this pandemic,” citing a recent article from CNA saying more people have sought for help for mental health issues and adding that he believed there may be even more unreported cases who do not seek help “because they are stigmatized themselves, prefer to overcome the condition on their own or worse still, do not know that they are already suffering from a mental condition.”
Regarding Mr Abdul, he added, “I was happy to learn that Salim did the right thing by confiding his condition to his family & friends. He recognizes the fact that if we want others to help us, we must first help ourselves. In turn, everyone chips in with words of encouragement, support & tips to help him overcome his anxiety levels.”
He encouraged Mr Abdul to pursue the activities that he enjoys, including watching K-dramas, in order to distract himself from the stress and told him that the SDP team is there for him when he needs someone to talk to.
“I also check up on him now & then to ensure that he is doing fine.
No man is an island unless we choose to be one. Isolating ourselves from the world is the most dangerous thing to do.
The beacon of humanity shines the brightest when we care for one another,” he wrote.
—TISG
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