Singaporean Instagram user and influencer Shinyi recently posted on her stories about her failed suicide attempt, where she showed several shots of her in the hospital attached to an intravenous drip.
The 22-year-old Singaporean is a self-proclaimed advocate for mental health awareness, human rights, and environmental conservation.
What happened with her suicide attempt?
According to her Instagram stories, she said that she has been depressed and anxious following a previous trauma in her life. She said that she was very good at concealing her problems and wasn’t diagnosed with her mental health issues until nine months ago. She says that while she was only diagnosed then, she suspected being depressed for far longer than that.
She says she is physically unable to appreciate life, live simply, and even smile. She mentioned living in fear every single day as a result of her past trauma, which she does not delve into. She said that it takes very little for her to get triggered, and that when it comes to her fight or flight decisions, she always escapes.
She also said that she is indeed tired of living this sort of life, but that she is finding it very difficult to change her circumstances.
In the photo below, you can see Shinyi asking for people to send her messages while she is in the hospital. Her captions mention that she is confined because of the complications from her failed suicide attempt:
This next photo shows her asking if it’s all right if the police confiscated her phone and if the little bit of blood in her IV line is a problem.
History of self-harm
Another part of her Instagram stories detailed how Shinyi has had a history of self-harm. The Instagram story showed how people around her during a job interview had noticed her self-harm scars. People in the office she went to allegedly spoke to each other in hushed tones while eyeing her scars. This made her feel anxious, and she eventually did not get the job. She questioned whether she was overthinking the situation or if her scars had caused her to not make it through the interview process. She said that she thought she did well.
This doctor thinks people who commit suicide are weak and should stay dead.
Shinyi isn’t the only one
According to report last year, suicide is the leading cause of death among Singaporean millenials. While Shinyi doesn’t strictly belong to that age group, it’s still telling that she is still part of the alarming suicide statistic in our country.
Another report said that suicide also happens to senior citizens quite often in the country, which shows that this woman’s problem is common, even if other people don’t speak about it as openly as she does.
What to do if you feel like you want to harm yourself, end your life, or need help, reach out to a friend of loved one. If you are unable to do so, here are things you can do to survive:
Call a suicide hotline
The Samaritans of Singapore can be reached at 1800-221-4444 all day, every day. You can also email them at [email protected]. Your conversation may be anonymous and there is always someone waiting to listen.
For members of the Singapore Armed Forces, they have a special hotline for suicide at 1800-278-0022 which is available 24 hours a day every single day.
Counseling
You can also get some counseling from the following numbers at the designated times:
