Visits to Psychologist Clinic for Depression/ Sleep Disorder

AhJun SG

Recently, i went to mount elizabeth hospital human behaviour clinic to find a psychologist and spoke to him about insomnia and depressing issues that i had all along. It was a free assessment, meaning its just a consultation with no fees given. However, i was told that i will be arranged for counselling there and also told to go to a polyclinic to get medication for my insomnia problem and also to be asked to be referred to a specialist.
The next day, i went to a polyclinic with my mum and i was diagnosed with insomnia and given medication and some vitamins. I was also referred to IMH Alexandra Behavioural Care Centre. An appointment was made.
What i am very very worried now is that i had already went for my first medical checkup at cmpb a few months back and given a PES A because at tt time i still had the inability to connect with people and i didn't know that it was that serious until my mum encouraged me to find some help.
What will happen to me now??

AhJun SG

anyone reply?

blitzonic SG

Didn't you start a similar thread a few days ago?

http://sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=273495

Oh, what the heck. Here's my response, before they close this one. Won't be following up.

Ran a check on your back posts here at sgforums ...
http://sgforums.com/?action=search&search_str=ahjun

....&, forgive me for saying this, but (a) your pleas tend to be decidedly overstated & (b) it sounds more like you're just anxious about doing NS, that's all.

Insomnia per se won't get you downgraded. It's never an illness in itself either, but always the result of some other problem. (Wholly treatable too, insomuch the doc will enquire about the specific problem of falling or remaining asleep, & then prescribe pills accordingly.)

You'll probably be assigned a psychiatrist at IMH & he'll conceivably do the same, while at the same time playing counselor & hearing out your personal problems. But, as commented on in the other thread, your case lacks extensive past evidence so it's hard to see the SAF immediately reassessing your case all that sympathetically. But you can try your luck contacting MCC (Medical Classification Centre) or other CMPB branches to see about another medical checkup. (Google for the contact info yourself.)

If you report for BMT as per usual, they'll more likely take things step by step. See your BMT MO, get a referral to a SAF psychiatrist, possibly get a temporary downgrade (to C1L3 according to feedback in the "All PES status related questions" sticky -- hey, why didn't you read there first?) &, if so, methinks almost certainly must recourse BMT.

The usual chao keng advice apply -- your future job opportunities may be affected, if you do get "certified" a lunatic.

venny SG

ya la, u create so many threads for wat ah? Rolling Eyes

AhJun SG

i wasn't juz anxious about doing ns. i was having anxiety problems ever since young. even on how to be a class monitor in pri sch could get me worked up. i was an introvert so whenever i haf worries and problems i always keep them to myself and continue to worry and think alot ending up having no mood to eat and suffering frm insomnia. i dun talk much, i dun mix well wif pple and i get nervous whenever i am wif a big grp of pple, even relatives during cny.
i cried for no reason and my mum noticed tt i was wasn't feeling well and was talking to myself when i myself cannot even rmbr having done that. she encouraged me to go for counselling becos its a long term problem and i nid to get help sooner or ltr. so i went to mount E first for case establishment.
so if i haf a letter from the IMH specialist, do i haf to go bac cmpb for review becos i haven enlist yet although i got a pesA in the first place. i nid real help

KoolKool SG

He is R E A L L Y anxious Cool

venny SG

The usual chao keng advice apply -- your future job opportunities may be affected, if you do get "certified" a lunatic.
[/b]

thats very true.... dont follow the footsteps of those gengsters.... at the end of ns, u will get a Certificate of Service, COS. if u hardworking, get medals or awards like best company recruit, overseas honor etc, u get Very Good or Excellent.
i u the kind always at mo or downgrade de, u get at most good or satisfactory.
if worse u kena charge before, at most satisfactory or bad. and it WILL state in the cert that u got charged before. its as good as like have a jail term.

best advice, try ur very best not be certified sick for anything. try at least get pes b. if really cant, wait until u ord, then it wont affect ur testimonial. very little companies will hire ppl of pes c with a satisfactory only conduct. many companies will even go as far as to ask u ord wat rank, cfc? 2nd sgt? lta?

no platoon or company likes ppl who always mia or ooc or downgrade.

NS trains ppl to become better more useful soldiers. take the 2yrs of ns to learn interpersonal skills, get over ur depression, get fit, learn new skills, become a better person when u ord. nobody enters ns like a pro. all those recruits at bmt do lots of dumb stuff too. (now come to think of it...)

go through ns normally.
Cool

will4 SG

How u so sure companies meaning private sector or civil service will not employed PES C people? Is rank so imporrtant to the potential

employer? How do the potential employer knew whether they suffered from psychiatric problem?

blitzonic SG

>>i was having anxiety problems ever since young<<

I'm no expert, but otherwise has suspected as much: anxiety disorder. Which is different in degree from clinical depression per se. One is irrational fear (however persistent); the other is intense melancholia (sometimes manifested in suicidal thoughts or substance abuse).

Stop feeling sorry for yourself into self-delusion, lah. Introvert, shy, sheltered, whatever -- life is about growing up. Granted, it's easier for some people than for others, but it's also something everybody goes through. Why be a mummy boy's forever?

I think Venny has exaggerated a tad, but shall let him respond for himself. Who knows, he might be thinking of certain jobs in mind when he wrote his post.

Or he might be thinking of Pes E's instead. I'm an employer myself, & must admit I don't hire the latter at all (even for desk jobs). But no particular prejudice against Pes C -- a lot of reservists get downgraded accordingly when they get older anyway -- but will associate more according to the L-code grouping when I ask about their NS vocations during interviews.

Shall be quite clueless too if my employee keeps quiet that he's seeing a quack doctor on the side. But, at the same time, he's got to be straight with me when applying leave or asking time-off too. At least I'm not as strict as the civil service, whose job-application form must declare all sorts of potentially-awkward questions, from serious-illness history to criminal records to backruptcy to bond-breaking.

venny SG

private sector nt so much, normally bigger companies. but civil service confirm will dig up all ur ns records, rank pes status service records etc. testimonials frm all the units u been through.

dont think those pc or oc interviews are nothing, they constitute ur entire service record. if ur pc say u always chao keng in ur testimonial, then ur employer sees it..... ho sei lor

service records also include ur medical records.

there was this case of a guy who bluffed a bank he working in that he go ocs got best cadet etc, when they found it all fake one, they sue him back...

i know all these cos, well, im busy searching for jobs nw, n many companies when they see u r male, ask whether u serve ns, then confirm ask for ur cos....
if u work those small parttime jobs they wont go through so much trouble get ur records. but if u got for higher level positions, they will do a background sweep of u. employers are allowed to request info about an applicant from the saf too. including the schools u have gone to etc.

AhJun SG

omg..its not tt certain pple wants to ooc or downgrade..its juz tt their condition calls for it. they haf no choice. u mean companies hire pple by their rank 1 ah? if got sgt and cpl vying for a place then choose the sgt ah? if the cpl can handle the interview better than the sgt then how? ridiculous man. sometimes its not tt pple get pes c or what but their condition realli calls for it. they also no choice.

AhJun SG

u noe they way u using ranking system to gauge job opportunity is like :
two brothers applying for a job, the elder brother gets it while the younger brother goes. is like y he gets it? becos he ELDER what. juz the same thing y the sgt gets it becos he is more higher ranked. its ridiculous and unfair. no judgement at all.

will4 SG

No companies going hire servicemen based on rank.

venny SG

i didnt say they will base their hiring solely by rank. u overstating me on the rank part.... but, if u have 100 servicemen's resume on ur table and u wanna choose the most capable ones for interview, whose would u choose first and whose would u throw away. the employer doesnt know u yet. all he sees is someone who has these qualifications, these experience, is a patient frm IMH, was downgraded in ns for so and so reasons. there are other criteria yes, but they all add up, every bit of u counts, dont throw away an advantage jus becos it seems small.

if u really think ur condition is unavoidable, untreatable, and going through a normal ns is impossible, go ahead and downgrade. im jus saying its gives u a disadvantage in future. companies are more likely to hire bright, capable and healthy workers rather than bright, capable and not very fit workers

and like blitzonic posted employers will want to know if u have particular histories. telling ur prospective employer u used to be frm imh is nt very impressive...

and its not that companies dont employ pes c ppl, when they do, the company will prolly nt entitle u to any medical benefits.

summary: try nt to downgrade, take the depression and insomnia with u and learn to overcome it. it will do u well in future, really.

Chelzea SG

are u a regular? Mr. Green

venny SG

no la regulars wont know all these de…. they stay in the job too long lose touch le. nsf’s who ord finding job know wat the req of recruiters and norm for them.