{"id":787,"date":"2020-05-27T06:36:08","date_gmt":"2020-05-27T06:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/epworth.sg\/?p=787"},"modified":"2020-06-25T09:40:29","modified_gmt":"2020-06-25T09:40:29","slug":"where-do-we-go-from-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.epworth.sg\/?p=787","title":{"rendered":"Where Do We Go From Here?"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”2\/3″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” overlay_strength=”0.3″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]By\u00a0Mr Tan Khye Suan, Executive Director<\/em><\/p>\n

Recently, in my interaction with some children and youths, and their parents, the issue of mental health of young persons came to my attention.\u00a0 Let me share a few stories:[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/3″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” overlay_strength=”0.3″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][image_with_animation image_url=”788″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” hover_animation=”none” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” overlay_strength=”0.3″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]1.\u00a0 A few months ago, a teenager who was preparing for his A Level examinations asked to see me.\u00a0 He just found out that his friend had committed suicide a day before.\u00a0 His friend did not seem unhappy or depressed in the days leading up to the suicide and was behaving normally.\u00a0 The teenager wanted to know what could have happened and triggered his friend to commit\u00a0suicide<\/strong>.\u00a0 He was very distraught and it affected his preparations for the impending examinations.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 A set of parents spoke to me a few months back.\u00a0 Their son was in Primary 4 in a mainstream school.\u00a0 He is diagnosed with mild\u00a0autism<\/strong>, but is high-functioning.\u00a0 As they spoke, tears flowed.\u00a0 Their son was returning from school feeling very sad and lonely.\u00a0 He told his parents, \u201cI have no friends.\u00a0 My classmates always laugh at me.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why.\u201d They asked me, \u201cWhy are the children so cruel to my son?\u201d\u00a0 Their son is now on medication for\u00a0depression<\/strong>\u00a0and hated going to school.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Another set of parents asked me how to deal with their daughter.\u00a0 She was \u201cstuck\u201d to her mobile phone, day and night.\u00a0 She spent her waking hours using the mobile phone to chat with her friends, surf the internet and watch videos.\u00a0 This\u00a0screen dependency behaviour<\/strong>\u00a0affected her studies and she stopped going for her school CCA.<\/p>\n

All these stories have one thing in common.\u00a0 They involve mental health well-being.\u00a0 What is more alarming is that we are hearing these sad stories in increasing frequency.<\/p>\n

Today, our children and youths face many pressures and challenges that are quite different from those a decade ago \u2013 from parents, their peers as well as technological advances.\u00a0 We need to help them cope with the fast-moving pace of changes in society.<\/p>\n

Perhaps, helping them is not enough.\u00a0 We must help parents in order that children and youths get the necessary attention, support and love they need at home!\u00a0 I will elaborate on these points in subsequent articles of this newsletter, Epworth Moments.<\/p>\n

In September 2018, we informed readers of the rebranding of our organisation.\u00a0 As Epworth Community Services, we reclaim our Methodist heritage.\u00a0 Epworth is the birthplace of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.\u00a0 John Wesley was known for his passion to address the challenges that society faced in his time; that included poverty, alcoholism and slavery.<\/p>\n

As Epworth Community Services, there is a compelling call to help children and youths, and their parents, who are challenged by issues of mental health well-being.\u00a0 We are already helping children with learning difficulties, developmental challenges and those with various degrees of exposure to trauma.\u00a0 We will look towards helping parents build strong families that will be able to support children and teenagers as they face the many pressures and challenges in their lives.<\/p>\n

\u00ad\u00adThese words of a Christian hymn constantly ring in my mind:<\/p>\n

I, the Lord of sea and sky<\/em><\/p>\n

I have heard my people cry<\/em><\/p>\n

All who dwell in dark and sin<\/em><\/p>\n

My hand will save<\/em><\/p>\n

I, who made the stars of night<\/em><\/p>\n

I will make their darkness bright<\/em><\/p>\n

Who will bear my light to them?<\/em><\/p>\n

Whom shall I send?<\/em><\/p>\n

Perhaps, Epworth Community Services need to answer to the urgent cry of the children and youths, and their parents.\u00a0 We must take concrete steps to render the support they need.\u00a0 I remember the vision of Isaiah as God spoke to him:<\/p>\n

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, \u201cWhom shall I send?\u00a0 And who will go for us?\u201d\u00a0 And I (Isaiah) said, \u201cHere am I. Send me!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(Isaiah 6:8)[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”2\/3″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” overlay_strength=”0.3″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column_text]By\u00a0Mr Tan Khye Suan, Executive Director…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[17,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-parenting","category-resources"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t