Calm Conversations

In our final episode of this season, Sabrina (Co-founder & CEO, Calm Collective) shares how she went from surviving to thriving with her bipolar II disorder. As Sabrina looks back on her mental health journey with Alyssa, she details her lowest point and what recovery looks like for her today.

Trigger Warning: mention of suicidal thoughts and a suicide attempt

Read Sabrina's original blog post here: https://www.sabrinaooi.com/blog/2019/10/9/how-i-went-from-leaving-to-living

Mental health conditions exist on a spectrum, and some people with a diagnosis are able to function well without medication. However, there should be no shame in requiring it. For those that need medication management as part of their mental health recovery, there are many misconceptions that continue to persist today. 

Join us on this episode as we demystify with Nicolette Yeo (Writer and Host, Calm Collective Asia) and Dr Ken Ung, one of Singapore's leading psychiatrists practising at Adam Road Medical, on what it is like to be treated with medication as a mental health treatment, how he works with patients to manage side effects, and what the process of finding the right medication mix is like.

Often, when someone goes through a traumatic incident, the trauma stays with them, even though the danger is gone. The deep pain and unforgettable moments that linger can have adverse effects on that individual. While it's impossible to undo what's in the past, know that it's possible to heal. 

In episode 10 of Calm Conversations, Anna Williams (mental wellbeing advocate and mindfulness devotee) bravely shares with us her story of overcoming trauma, life challenges and finding mindfulness, healing and self-love.

T/W: This podcast has references to (but no explicit details about) sexual abuse, incest and suicide

When was the last time you openly had a conversation about sex with your Asian parents? Yeah, we can't remember either. In many Asian societies, talking about sex is an uncomfortable topic. That feeling is reinforced when growing up, we witness the discomfort of our Asian parents around this topic. However, when conversations around consent and sexuality don't happen during our formative years, feelings of shame around sex can affect our mental health well into adulthood.  

In episode 9 of Calm Conversations, we speak with Joo Hymn Tan (Project Director for the Birds and Bees Programme, AWARE) about how feelings of shame around sex can impact our relationships, and how parents can break the cycle of shame by learning how to address the topics of sex and consent to their young children.  

Resources  

Women who have experienced a miscarriage describe a range of emotions. Not only do they experience a sense of sadness and grief related to the loss of their miscarried child, but they may also grieve the chance to become a mother or to grow their family. However, often nobody knows about a miscarriage because there's no funeral to mark it, leading to women feeling alone in their loss.

In episode 7 of Calm Conversations, Alyssa speaks with Dr Mary Sawdon a naturopathic doctor and fertility coach about her journey dealing with infertility and the grief of her multiple miscarriages.

We all have our emotional ups and downs. But for bipolar disorder, the mood changes between manic and depressive episodes are so intense that they could interfere with one’s daily life. Join us for this episode where Sabrina looks back on her mental health journey with bipolar disorder and speaks with Dr Pearlene Ng about recovery, medication, treatment and whether or not one can live a normal life with bipolar disorder.   

Getting to live all over the world sounds amazing right? As parents bring their families to different countries to experience new surroundings due to their work, their children are often left to wonder... where is home? Where do I really belong? Join Alyssa and Josh Tan in this conversation as they discuss their experience as third culture kids in navigating their mental health, dealing with grief, searching for a sense of belonging all while growing up in several different countries.    

In our first episode, Alyssa (co-founder, Calm Collective), who lost her husband, Tyler, to suicide in 2017, shares how she navigates her grief, how others helped her cope with loss, and advice for others who are grieving.   

Trigger warning: suicide. Losing a loved one to suicide can traumatic and overwhelming, but you don't have to cope alone. Here are some useful resources: