Chapter 1: Understanding What You’re Facing

Understanding Your Diagnosis.

Recovery is not a straight path. It ebbs and flows—there are moments of progress, pauses, and even detours. But each step, each reflection, each choice adds to the journey. One area that can be especially helpful early on is understanding your diagnosis.

When you first receive a diagnosis, it’s completely natural to feel overwhelmed. You might ask yourself:

“What does this mean for me? Will I always feel this way? Will others see me differently? Is recovery possible?”

These are important, human questions. And they deserve space.

Taking time to understand your diagnosis can help you:

• Separate facts from fears or myths

• Recognize how the condition influences thoughts, feelings, and behavior

• Explore available treatments and supports

• Realize you are not alone—many have walked this path and found their own way forward

Knowledge doesn’t fix everything, but it can offer a sense of orientation—a way to begin making sense of things.

There’s already a lot of information online about different mental health conditions. While you can always search on your own, it helps to start with trustworthy sources. We recommend checking out sites like the American Psychiatric Association (APA), UK’s NHS, Singapore’s Institute of Mental Health (IMH), and HealthHub for accurate and reliable information.

Explore Common Mental Health Conditions.

• Psychosis

• Understanding psychosis, myths and facts, treatment, and recovery

• Psychosis (Healthhub.sg) / Understanding Psychosis - National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

• Depression

• What depression is (and isn’t), how it affects daily life, and ways to heal

• Depression (Healthhub.sg) / APA Website on Depression

• Anxiety Disorders

• Types of anxiety, what causes them, and practical ways to cope

• Anxiety (Healthhub.sg) / APA Website on Anxiety

• Bipolar Disorder

• Understanding mood changes, treatment approaches, and living well with bipolar

• Bipolar Disorder (Healthhub) / APA Website on Bipolar Disorder

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• What OCD really is—beyond stereotypes—and how recovery is possible

• OCD (Healthhub) / APA website on OCD

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• How trauma impacts the mind and body, and ways to reclaim a sense of safety

• PTSD (Healthhub) / APA website on PTSD