Guards Unit: GCC, Stress. Call 24/7 SOS/ NS Counsel Hotline?
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After POP from Tekong BMT, I gotten taste for first week of Guards Conversion Course to be a Guardsman, the elite infantry helicopter-borne trooper.
If I go declare depression + suicidal thoughts, will I be sent to IMH/ SAF Mental Ward to be warded for observation in hospitalisation?
When ORD, apply any jobs, will HR see my SAF ORD Certificate of Service (COS)?
If government job, how?Cannot take it. Training for Guardsman Warrior.
Should I call the SOS or NS Counselling Hotline or not?
When ORD, apply any job whether private, public or government, the application form will ask you to declare for any medical conditions for employment, staff benefits, and company group insurance?
If no declare to company, even if offer contract, later work halfway will I get terminated?
I think my condition will be automatically, magically, and miraculously cured once I ORD from NS.
Can the employer/ insurance company check with our hospitals' records with our nationalised centralised electronic medical records system?
Determination and perservance, as when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
I must show that I am not a strawberry generation kind of boy. From ah boys to men!
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Please refer to:
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Samaritans of Singapore (SOS): 1800-2214444
Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-2837019
Sage Counselling Centre: 1800-5555555
Care Corner Mandarin Counselling: 1800-3535800
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NS have counselling hotlines for you to call if need arises.
The counsellors are experienced professionals.You can call them at the following counselling hotlines:
- SAF : 1800-278 0022 (SAF Counselling Hotline)
- SPF : 1800-255 1151 (Police Psychology Service Department)
- SCDF: 1800-286 6666 (SCDF Counselling Hotline)
If you think you have been treated unfairly, you can bring up the case to your Commander. We will listen to your case. Do remember to bring along all facts and supporting documents.
We will do our best to address your concerns. Servicemen are to seek redress through proper channels. Together, we can address your issue more expeditiously.
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COUNSELLING
The SAF seeks to promote the well-being of every serviceman by providing
counselling support for those whom might be facing difficulties coping with their
personal or work/training related problems. Servicemen who are experiencing
difficulties can seek help through the avenues described below.
Commander interviews of all recruits are conducted within 48 hours of enlistment into full-time NS. Regular interviews are subsequently conducted on a monthly basis during the PTP/BMT phase. Special interviews are also granted upon request. Servicemen can highlight their difficulties during these interviews for assistance.
Orientation Officers identify, assist and counsel BMT recruits with adjustment
and/or other personal problems.
NS SAF Counselling Hotline is a 24-hour confidential telephone
counselling service provided by the SAF Counselling Centre. Manned by
trained counselling personnel, the SAF Counselling Hotline offers a crisis
and telephone counselling service to all servicemen. Callers may
choose to remain anonymous. Face to face counselling is also available
at the SAF Counselling Centre upon request/referral.
SAF Paracounselling Scheme complements other existing counselling
services and provides another avenue of help at the unit level for those who
need help to deal more effectively with their problems. Paracounsellors are
specially selected, trained by and work closely under the professional guidance
and support of counsellors from the SAF Counselling Centre. Paracounsellors
can be identified through their identification badges as well as through publicity
posters displayed in their units.================================================================
Being psychologically prepared is all about knowing what to expect and being prepared for it.
To be better prepared, you can participate in Total Defence activities and Open Houses organised by the SAF/SPF/SCDF.
Perhaps you should also talk to your family members and friends who have lived the NS experience. The more you discuss with others, the more comfortable and mentally prepared you’ll become.
Because NS life is different from civilian life before enlistment, there are many adjustments you need to make.
A good way to cope is to get support from your buddy and fellow recruits. They are going through the same tough training as you, so talking to one another will help relieve some tension.
In most evenings during your leisure time, you’ll also have some time to call your family or loved ones to talk. They can give you emotional support during NS.
You can have a one-on-one interview sessions with your officer to highlight any problems you may have. If you have a personal or family problem that need to be addressed, do let the officer know—he may be able to give you some advice or time off to settle your problems.
Life in NS revolves around structure, routine and discipline. This helps us stay united as a uniformed organisation as well as imparts the rigours necessary to protect our nation and citizens.
This does not mean there is just work and no play. In fact, after a few weeks in NS and you’ll find new friends and new reasons to smile!
As a soldier, one of the biggest adjustments you’ll have to make quickly is in regimentation and discipline.
Being in a uniformed organisation, you’ll have to obey orders from your superiors. Thus some of you may feel a sudden lack of freedom to do what you want and you may find yourself having difficulties accepting authority initially.
Regimentation and discipline build strong character and toughness, so that you’ll be tough enough to handle difficult combat, crime-fighting or rescue situations without giving up or breaking down.
When you first enlist into NS, you may have concerns of being in a new territory, with new faces and new things to do. But don’t let this get to you. Just remember the saying that “when the going gets tough, the tough gets going”.
Following are some tips on what you can do to prepare yourself psychologically:
- Adopt a positive perception
- Build up physical stamina
- Develop good working attitude and habits
- Overcome psychological stress
- Adopt teamwork spirit
- Learn to be independent
- Set realistic expectations
You can also speak to your friends or family members who have been through NS. Ask them to share their stories. The sharing will help you reduce some of your fears, uncertainties and doubts.
During NS you’ll be living with different people.
Because these people come from different backgrounds, they may not think like you do or react to situations like you would. Instead of trying to select your type of people, you should cherish the diversity. This is a chance for you to learn more about your fellow mates and their cultures.
You’ll find that you have many opportunities to absorb the different cultures—during training, eating, chatting or just seeing and listening. Take these opportunities and learn from people around you, you’ll have a much better appreciation of Singapore’s cultural diversity.
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Military Medicine Institute
The Military Medicine Institute (MMI) was established in March 1998 to provide Specialist Medical and Dental services to the SAF personnel. In 1999, Medical Board Centre and SAF Ward came under the umbrella of MMI. In Dec 2003, Military Medicine Institute, together with Tanglin Physiotherapy Centre, relocated to DSO(Kent Ridge) Building.Our Vision
To be the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Military Medicine.
Our Mission
To ensure efficient sustenance of SAF fighting strength through delivery of quality healthcare in areas of Specialist Medical and Dental Care, Medical Grading, and In-Patient Care.
Our Roles
Through the provision of specialised medical/dental services and in-patient care, MMI serves the SAF by optimising the treatment and recovery of servicemen with significant medical problems. This will translate to operational readiness of the SAF units as well as improved well-being of the individuals in the SAF.
Timely medical grading of servicemen allows personnel to be deployed effectively in service while minimising impact on operational readiness and personal health.Services available:
- Cardiopulmonary Lab
- Deployment Medicine
- Dermatology
- Ear, Nose and Throat
- Internal Medicine
- Medical Grading
- Occupational Medicine
- Orthopaedics
- Ophthalmology
- Psychological Care
- Specialist Dental Centre
- Sports Medicine -
FYI, PES is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PULHHEEMS.
1) Go to Public Hospital / Private Specialist.Note: You will be classified as a subsidised patient if your first visit is via:
- Referral letter from a Government Restructured Hospital under subsidised status, A&E, Polyclinic or SAF, without specifying a specialist by name.
- Discharge from inpatient class B2 or C without specifying a specialist by name.
2) Consult specialist, and do whatever medical check ups required. E.g. physical exam, blood test, x-ray, CT scan, MRI scan.3) Specialist gave a finalised clinical diagnosis.
4) Get the specialist to write you a memo which is to be given to SAF MO. Those who can and are willing to spend some more money can get him/her to write you a specialist report, which is more precise and detailed.
Note: For not to waste time and money, please be more direct yet humble. Request the specialist to write about reviewing of PES and medical board / anything specific such as any excuses to your conditions.5) Book an medical review appointment using the eHealth module @ www.ns.sg (for NSman Reservists).
Just go down to your camp medical centre (for NSFs).
Call CMPB @ 6373 1340 to request another PES review (for Pre-Enlistees after CMPB Checkup).6) Make a trip down to the respective unit camp medical centre. Give the MO whatever supporting documents you have in hand. E.g. Specialist memo/report (most usually the case and highly recommended), x-ray films, CT/MRI scan report, blood investigation lab report... etc.
7) MO will decide whether you are deemed eligible for KIV downgrade, according to the criterias set in the "PES Bible" directive. E.g. Diagnosis, Extent of Diagnosis, Degree of Diagnosis/Injury/Illness/Disease...etc.
8) If deemed so, you will sign an acknowledgement notice of Medical Board, whereby your case statement is prepared for review discussion at the monthly medical board meet (usually at the Formation/Division HQ) with another NSF CPT MO and the Chairman (SAF Regular Medical Doctor of MAJOR rank or above). Your Medical Board result will be post mailed to you by your respective NSHRC (Formation NS Hub).
Time and time again, the questions for Medical Review (Downgrade) is repetitive. Therefore, this serves as a general SOP for Medical Board.
Extract from www.mindef.gov.sg/nsmen:
NSmen must update their NS HRCs if they should develop any new medical condition or if their existing medical condition has worsened which might affect their ability to perform their duties during ICT. Arrangements will then be made for them to attend a medical review at the SAF medical centre to assess their fitness for NS.
The NSmen MUST bring along all investigation results and memorandums from his external physician/specialist during the medical review. Depending on the outcome of the medical review, the NSman may be given a medical certificate to defer him from ICT, be scheduled for a medical board to downgrade him if his medical condition is significant, or referred to a restructured hospital for further investigation. In the event that the medical officer determines that the NSman’s medical condition will not affect his ability to participate in the ICT, he will allow the NSman to attend the ICT. -
Refer: www.imh.com.sg
The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) is a 2,000-bed acute tertiary psychiatric hospital situated on a 25-hectare campus at Buangkok Green Medical Park. Set amidst serene surroundings, IMH offers a comprehensive range of psychiatric, rehabilitative and counselling services for children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly.IMH’s tradition of care started in 1928. We were the first mental hospital in Singapore, starting with some 1,000 patients. Since then, many advances have been made in treatment, training, and research. Our treatment integrates evidence-based therapies, supported by the departments of clinical psychology, nursing, occupational therapy, and medical social work, to provide holistic care for our patients. IMH is equipped with modern facilities, with 50 wards for inpatients and seven Specialist Outpatient Clinics.
IMH was the first mental health institution in Asia to receive the Joint Commission International Accreditation in 2005, a highly coveted international accreditation for healthcare organisations.
Over the years, IMH has gained a reputation for quality research. In 2008, the Ministry of Health, Singapore, entrusted IMH with a S$25 million research grant to implement translational and clinical research into the causes of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.
IMH also plays a key role in training the next generation of mental health professionals in Singapore. We train psychiatrists and mental health professionals through the NHG-AHPL Residency Programme for psychiatry and through collaborations with the local tertiary institutions.
Address
Buangkok Green Medical Park
10 Buangkok View
Singapore 539747
If you are facing a mental health crisis, please call ourCrisis Helpline at 6389 2222 or seek medical help at our 24-hour Emergency Services located in our hospital.
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MOH to launch two new community-based mental health initiatives
Posted: 12 November 2012 1930 hrsMinister of State for Health Dr Amy Khor announced in Parliament on Monday two new community-based mental health initiatives designed to improve Singaporeans' access to mental healthcare.
"We are developing Assessment and Shared Care Teams (ASCAT), which are specialist-led mental health teams based in the community, in order to improve access to mental health care. We are also developing Community Mental Health Intervention Teams (COMIT) to provide improved access to counselling and psychotherapy services in the community," said Dr Khor.
Dr Khor also said that the Institute of Mental Health's (IMH) occupancy rate for the past three years averaged at about 80 per cent and that the hospital has sufficient capacity for new patients.
There are currently about 2,000 beds across public hospitals in Singapore dedicated to mental health patients, with the majority in IMH.
Responding to queries from Member of Parliament Mr Hri Kumar Nair on the criteria for admitting patients to IMH, Dr. Khor said those with conditions such as schizophrenia and depression may be admitted for closer monitoring. -
SINGAPORE - When patients feel at their most vulnerable, Head of medical social services at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) Ms Esther Lim steps in to help them make sense of what is happening.
Such patients may have tried to take their own lives or showed signs of wanting to do so. Ms Lim also helps families cope when they have lost a loved one.
The 39-year-old's helping hand is extended not just to patients, but also to hospital staff who face challenges at home or at work, for instance, if they have been abused by a patient.
In 2003, she pioneered a programme in SGH to train health-care and social work professionals in suicide intervention. It is now also offered in SingHealth's Postgraduate Allied Health Training Institute.
Since becoming a social worker in 1995, Ms Lim, who leads a team of 85 medical social workers, has received more than 15 awards. Last year, she was one of two recipients of the Outstanding Social Worker Awards given out by the Singapore Association of Social Workers.
She is married to a 37-year-old police officer. They have a six-year-old daughter.
I specialise in suicide and crisis intervention because...
When I was working in the emergency department years ago, I saw how a crisis, such as a life-threatening illness, a serious road traffic accident or an attempted suicide, can throw a family off balance.
The sense of disbelief and loss can be overwhelming, so this is where I step in to help people make sense of what is happening.
The immediate goal is to reduce the intensity of the emotional, physical and behavioural reactions, while the long-term goal is to help families get back to as normal a life as can be.
A person's life is precious because...
We live only once, so we have to live it fully and with dignity, despite our circumstances.
One little known fact about suicidal patients is...
They are not mentally ill. Anyone facing a seemingly desperate situation can be vulnerable to feeling hopeless and helpless, which may escalate to suicidal acts if the person does not receive help or cuts himself off from others.
If I were to give an analogy for what I do, I would...
Be a bridge to connect the suicidal person with the resources around him, such as family service centres, care facilities and legal aid. Often, a person may think nobody can help him, which is not true.
The eventual goal is to reconnect the suicidal person with his family and loved ones through individual, couple or family sessions.
A typical day for me would...
Start at 8.30am with administrative duties, followed by morning staff meetings or journal club sessions. I meet senior staff members regularly to plan and implement assistance schemes which benefit patients.
Other medical social workers also come to me to seek advice on cases they are working on. I co-manage the difficult cases, such as those which may involve suicide, or in which patients or family members consistently display behavioural difficulties.
I also support hospital staff members who need help and teach them coping strategies.
I have come across all types of cases...
But I find that families with strong social support fare better in crises. After the initial shock and confusion, members organise themselves very quickly to protect the affected family member by providing physiological and emotional comfort.
I love patients who...
Make it a point to turn up for their follow-up counselling sessions because this shows their readiness and motivation for change.
Patients who are forthcoming, open to working with their families and willing to reflect on themselves often make better progress.
They pick up positive coping strategies to deal with life's challenges, which range from relationship discord, financial issues to mental health or addiction challenges.
Patients who get my goat are...
Those who blame everyone else for their problems, without realising that they have a part to play.
For instance, a suicidal husband may be domineering at home and may keep blaming his wife and children, without realising that he has failed to communicate properly with them.
This can also explain the persistent suicidal behaviour in some patients. This vicious circle may wear out their loved ones and cut patients off from the support they used to have.
Things that put a smile on my face are...
Receiving handmade cards from the children of one patient whom I saw for attempted suicide and depression over several years.
Every year, though the drawings and handwriting would mature, they always conveyed their appreciation to me for being there for their mother.
It breaks my heart when...
An elderly patient asks me if the doctor can help end his life because he does not want to burden his children.
I realise, through interaction with elderly patients, that they are so stoic and self-reliant that they feel useless when they cannot contribute financially, take care of their grandchildren or, worse still, become disabled.
They have laboured hard all their lives, yet they have not come to accept that there is a time to receive unconditional care in return.
I would not trade places for the world because...
There is still so much to be done that I cannot find enough time for everything. This is what I am trained for and playing a part to restore equilibrium to lives is a constant reminder to live mine fully.
My best tip is...
To learn to take charge of emotions, thus reducing the likelihood of acting on impulse when emotionally charged.
Some things which may help include taking slow, deep breaths, sharing your problems with a trusted mentor and putting vexing matters on the back-burner, that is, taking your mind off it and revisiting the issue when you are calmer.
Get a copy of Mind Your Body, The Straits Times or go to for more stories. -
Please submit the hospital specialist memo to the camp doctor to assess and process.
As usual, please refer to this guideline:
http://sgforums.com/forums/1390/topics/392446 -
Refer to:
http://sgforums.com/forums/1390/topics/461016To be covered under any employer's employment group insurance, a typical job application form will have a 'Declaration' section at the end of the form just before your signature, which usually read,
"Have you been or are you suffering from any medical condition/ disease/ illness/ major medical condition/ mental disorder or physical impairment?"
"Yes/ No"
"If your answer to any of the above is yes, please give details in the space provided."
I declare that all information given herein are true and correct. I understand that a misrepresentation or omission of facts will be sufficient cause for cancellation of consideration for employment or dismissal from the Company’s service if I have been employed.
(Signature)
(Date) -
Ironically, this adjustment disorder will be miraculously cured on ORD day when you take back your NRIC...
God bless you...
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Strawberry generation (Chinese: è�‰èŽ“æ—�[1] or è�‰èŽ“世代) is a Chinese language neologism for Taiwanese people born between 1981 and 1991 who "bruise easily" like strawberries – meaning they can not withstand social pressure or work hard like their parents' generation; the term refers to people who are insubordinate,[3] spoiled, selfish, arrogant, and sluggish in work.[4]
The term arises from the perception that members of this generation have grown up being overprotected by their parents and in an environment of economic prosperity, in a similar manner to how strawberries are grown in protected greenhouses and command a higher price compared to other fruits.
The term is starting to gain prominence in the East Asian press, as it could be a way to designate a rising demographic or psychographic in terms of consumer behavior. The Strawberry Generation, like the Post-80s of China, could be the Asian counterpart of the Generation Y in the Western world.
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Thank you Moderator for the informative details to the topic threadstarter. Very caring.
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Is a strawberry generation emerging in Singapore? - TNP
Geraldine Mark and Lim Yufan
Wed, May 16, 2012
The New Paper
SINGAPORE - They are big in Japan, growing in Taiwan but are there strawberries here too? Not the fruit, but young people who are just as soft.
In Japan, the post-1980s children are referred to as freeters (a possible shortening of the word freeloader). In Taiwan, they are known as the strawberry generation.
Here, they're simply tagged as Gen Y.
But whatever they're called, they share common traits - they are spoilt, insubordinate, sluggish at work, apathetic, still live with and sponge off their parents and cannot stand hardship. Oh, and they're really soft.
Then-Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, said in 2010 that if not for National Service, we might already have a strawberry generation like Taiwan.
They don't play rugged outdoor games and instead spend their time on the computer. He added then that these young people tend to interact via social media like Facebook instead of communicating face-to-face.
Not soft? Please, say some parents, who also blame themselves. Mr Ronald Phoa, 65, a father of three, says: "I don't think the kids are aware of what their parents go through to give their children a comfortable life."
His son, an NSF and part-time student, still lives with him.
So are his own children soft?
He says: "Definitely softer than the previous generation. Sometimes, my children tend to rely on me also, but as their father, I tend to give in too."
Madam Lee Li Li, 74, agrees that parents contribute to mushy children. "Maybe the older generations are tougher because children were often left to fend for themselves back then when families were bigger."
However, the grandmother of four children aged from 19 to 24 says: "I feel there isn't anything wrong with helping your children out a bit in the early stages of their careers."
So true, says Mr Aroon Sukumar, a final year student at Nanyang Technological University. "If the parents are always there to take care of the child's problems, then the children would always rely on their parents to handle their conflicts," he says.
The 25-year-old is looking for a place to rent so he can move out after he graduates. He is living with his grandparents.
So are the post-1980s children strawberries?
Prof Tan Ern Ser, an associate professor of sociology in National University of Singapore, is not so sure.
"I have come across many enterprising young people who are highly motivated and energised. There are obviously also the unmotivated ones, but (I don't think) they represent Gen Y," said Dr Tan. Anyway, it is normal to live with parents until marriage in Singapore, he said. He says: "Since households now are quite small, it is not surprising that even when married, a child might still live with his or her parents."
But what about work?
Here, people under 35 tend to switch jobs five to six times before settling down in one, says Mr David Ang, executive director of Singapore Human Resources Institute. Mr Ang has had feedback from employers who have said that many young workers are "soft" and cannot withstand hardship.
But he added: "The older generations will always say that the younger ones are getting soft."
So, maybe they're not strawberries. They just need the right motivation. Dr Tan said that when children do not achieve success, they end up retreating to the comfortable lifestyles that their parents can give to them.
He added: "We just need to provide the right encouragement and affirmation. People are motivated when they have meaningful things to do, and reasonable goals to achieve. "Help them discover their potential, and affirm them along the way."
So maybe what we have here are not strawberries but youths who live by a misguided notion of success.
Perhaps what they need is confidence and some encouragement - to venture out of their comfort zones and become useful members of society in their own ways.
This article was first published in The New Paper. -
Originally posted by Okazaki:
After POP from Tekong BMT, I gotten taste for first week of Guards Conversion Course to be a Guardsman, the elite infantry helicopter-borne trooper.
If I go declare depression + suicidal thoughts, will I be sent to IMH/ SAF Mental Ward to be warded for observation in hospitalisation?
When ORD, apply any jobs, will HR see my SAF ORD Certificate of Service (COS)?
If government job, how?Cannot take it. Training for Guardsman Warrior.
Should I call the SOS or NS Counselling Hotline or not?
When ORD, apply any job whether private, public or government, the application form will ask you to declare for any medical conditions for employment, staff benefits, and company group insurance?
If no declare to company, even if offer contract, later work halfway will I get terminated?
I think my condition will be automatically, magically, and miraculously cured once I ORD from NS.
Can the employer/ insurance company check with our hospitals' records with our nationalised centralised electronic medical records system?
Determination and perservance, as when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
I must show that I am not a strawberry generation kind of boy. From ah boys to men!
wtf...whats this ??
"I think my condition will be automatically, magically, and miraculously cured once I ORD from NS. "
i hope you do not really mean what you said,in fact the issuses that you face during ns would most likely have its roots in your character and ns just brings it out to the surface.
I went through mine armour scout trades course,not sure how it compares with guards but treking with a 30kg field pack plus an assortment of things including batteries and uav , it was no laughing matter.Plus i also completed a 60km++ navigation trek which was already a reduced distance one compared to previous generations.
I really have issuses with anger management , and during mine ns i suffered several out burst under very stressfull situations.but i learnt how to take control of mine emotions and find alternative outlet.
Good luck.
