When I was in university, I became interested in
learning about people’s thoughts and behaviour. That’s how I came to do
psychology and in time, my Master’s in counselling and am now presently
pursuing my PhD.
Here at the Institute
of Mental Health, I work
mostly with youths and young adults who are referred to me by mental health
professionals, which include doctors and allied health. For many of the youths,
this is the time of their lives when they have all their hopes and aspirations
– with so many things to look forward to – finishing up their studies, starting
out at work, dating, getting married and even starting a family. Unfortunately,
for some of them, they may be thwarted by mental health issues like psychosis,
anxiety and depression. Some of them may find that their schooling is
interrupted because of their mental illness, or they may have difficulties with
coping with their jobs or they are unable to have meaningful relationships.
My role is to provide them with psychotherapy after
their psychiatrists have diagnosed them. As a psychologist, I do not prescribe
medication but provide an avenue for individuals to work through their thoughts
and feelings using a modality of psychological therapies. I help them
understand what they are suffering from and gain insights about themselves. For
illnesses like psychosis, which is highly stigmatised, I help them cope with
persisting symptoms, deal with their emotions and other issues so that they do
not feel marginalised by their diagnosis. Many of them have different
explanations to the onset of their illness; some may blame themselves for what
they are suffering from whilst others think they are possessed or that they
must have done something very bad or wrong to deserve it. The impact of mental
illnesses affect them not only their functioning but their sense of self-esteem
and often times have co-morbid conditions like depression or anxiety.
For patients who are suffering from mental illnesses,
you cannot hurry their recovery. We have to work at their pace. We may see the
solution but we want the patients to arrive at the solution themselves with
some guidance and encouragement from us.
Apart from providing psychotherapy, psychologists also
conduct psychological and IQ assessments. Situations where individuals are
referred may be due to them having complained about noticeable changes to their
cognitive function e.g. complain that they cannot remember things very well or
they have problems concentrating or having slower processing speeds.
Each individual is unique – with different
backgrounds, personalities and issues they are dealing with. And they present
different challenges. What is most gratifying about my job is seeing my
patients get better, and getting their lives together again. This gives me the
inspiration and determination to give off my best even when faced with the more
difficult cases.