19yo asks for help after his parents disowned him for getting discharged from NS due to depression but his parents “don’t believe in mental illnesses”

SINGAPORE: A 19-year-old male crowdsourced for help from fellow Reddit users after his parents kicked him out of the house.

He wrote that his relationship with his parents has been difficult since he was young. He got into trouble for misbehaviour, such as smoking and did not perform well on his A-Levels.

But what may have set his parents over the edge was that he was discharged from National Service (NS) after being diagnosed with severe depression.

He added that his parents are traditional and don’t believe in mental illness. After he was discharged, they kicked him out of their home.

“I tried to persuade MO prior to this to downpes me to E9 instead, so I can continue serving under a different capacity – be it through an ASA or whatnot. Simply because I didn’t want to be looked down upon or disappoint my parents any further,” he explained.

At present, he is shuffling between his friends’ homes, leaving after a night or two. He can’t rent his own place because he has no savings, as he went directly from junior college to National Service.

“Seeking advice because I’ve no idea what to do,” he wrote.

Many kind commenters gave him good advice for food, shelter, work, and even education.

The post author expressed his gratitude to them, adding that he has received “a ton of messages offering food, job offers, advice and all.”

His main priority is to find part-time and, eventually, full-time work, but he’s also considering studying again one day.

“I also saw one comment about working onboard a ship. This is currently my biggest consideration since I can skip the worry of finding accommodations. It pays decently well, and meals are provided.

I’ll probably try to find a job like that to stabilise my situation for minimally the next year or so, then proceed to upgrade myself – be it through Diploma, etc,” he added.

One commenter wrote that the post author can ask for help from his Member of Parliament, who may be able to find ways to get assistance for the young man.

“Decide if you want to reconnect with your parents. If not, you are on your own, and your life is in your own hands now,” a Reddit user told him, acknowledging that it will be a “tough road” ahead for him. /TISG

Read also: SG parental burnout: Are modern Singapore parents reaching their breaking point?