Mental Health

Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset, School Life

Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Love Gone Wrong
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Siaw Min En Alena (24S03O) and Ezann Lian Qi En (24S03H, Peer Helper)

Your resident Aunties and Uncles are back with our Ask Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset column, this time as a collaboration between Raffles Press and Peer Helpers’ Programme (PHP)! Ever wanted to rant about that someone you just can’t stand? Overwhelmed with too many feelings? Submit your confessions to https://tinyurl.com/RIAAUU and we’ll give them our best shot. This column will be published at the end of every month.

“How do I deal with a toxic relationship? Should I just leave the relationship without resolving our problems?” 

Heartbroken Harley
Continue reading “Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Love Gone Wrong” →
Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset, Commentary

Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Reducing Excessive Stress
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Pan Haotian (24A01B) and Darren Wong (24S03C, Peer Helper)

Your resident Aunties and Uncles are back with our Ask Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset column, this time as a collaboration between Raffles Press and Peer Helpers’ Programme (PHP)! Ever wanted to rant about that someone you just can’t stand? Overwhelmed with too many feelings? Submit your confessions to https://tinyurl.com/RIAAUU and we’ll give them our best shot. This column will be published at the end of every month.

What should I do if my stress is making it hard for me to eat and sleep? I don’t know how to reduce the stress because it is how I feel and it is hard to change.

Stressed-Out Sebastian

Dear Stressed-Out Sebastian,

“Stress” may be the 1740th most common word in the English language (thank you, Google), but it’s likely the most common word in any Rafflesian’s vocabulary. For many of us, stress is no longer an exception in an otherwise peaceful school term: it’s the new normal. Yet we need to remember that just because something is common doesn’t mean that it’s normal, and behind the commonplace complaint of stress hides entirely unordinary symptoms. 

Continue reading “Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Reducing Excessive Stress” →
Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset, School Life

Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Gaslighting myself—does it really work?
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Syaura Nashwa (24S03R) and Rachel Toh (24S03I, Peer Helper)

Your resident Aunties and Uncles are back with our Ask Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset column, this time as a collaboration between Raffles Press and Peer Helpers’ Programme (PHP)! Ever wanted to rant about that someone you just can’t stand? Overwhelmed with too many feelings? Submit your confessions to https://tinyurl.com/RIAAUU and we’ll give them our best shot. This column will be published at the end of every month.

“Is it possible to suppress negative thoughts? Does it work?”

Solemn Samantha

Dear Solemn Samantha,

I’ve seen many just like you. Amidst those frolicking, you’re in a place no one can reach—your mind. It’s hard to block out those voices which bring you down. Harder yet, to suppress them. You wonder why you can’t be as carefree as your friends.

Continue reading “Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Gaslighting myself—does it really work?” →
Commentary, Opinion, Raffles Reviews, Series Reviews

The Good Place: the Wave that Became My Ocean
Reading Time: 9 minutes

By Dang Tran Minh Phuong (Annie) (24A01A)

A screenshot from Season 1 Episode 1 “Everything is Fine” of Eleanor waking up. 

I. EVERYTHING IS FINE

Or is it? When Eleanor Shellstrop sat on the couch in the afterlife, looking at the wall, everything was fine for her. She had just died and was completely oblivious to her entire situation—she didn’t have a lot to worry about. I, however, am very much alive and very (overly) aware of my situation—what do I make of my life?

Continue reading “The Good Place: the Wave that Became My Ocean” →
Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset, School Life

Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Is it just Teenage Angst? 
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Michelle Lee (24A01A) and Ramesh Eniya (24S03O, Peer Helper)

Your resident Aunties and Uncles are back with our Ask Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset column, this time as a collaboration between Raffles Press and Peer Helpers’ Programme (PHP)! Ever wanted to rant about that someone you just can’t stand? Overwhelmed with too many feelings? Submit your confessions to https://tinyurl.com/RIAAUU and we’ll give them our best shot. This column will be published at the end of every month.

“How do we differentiate between normal teenage angst and negative feelings and stress that is not normal?”

Angsty Andy

Dear Angsty Andy, thank you for your question—it can be difficult to differentiate between normal teenage angst and abnormal or excessive negative feelings and stress. In order to do so, we should think about the behaviour, emotions and circumstances of the teenager in particular.

Continue reading “Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Is it just Teenage Angst? “ →