‘I can’t keep this all in my head anymore’: Singaporean, 24, seeks help amid family crisis

A 24-year-old Singaporean woman is struggling to cope with a family crisis that has left her feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. She posted on the r/askSingapore forum, detailing how her family’s financial instability, the house remaining unpaid for, and her primary earner’s cancer diagnosis have taken a toll on her mental and physical wellbeing.

Her other parent, who has been unemployed for years, is also a source of stress due to their behavior and lack of support. The woman feels burdened by the household chores and responsibilities, as no one else in the family helps. She has been the sole caretaker, cooking and cleaning without respite. Moreover, her career has stagnated since she dropped out of polytechnic six years ago, and she plans to return to school in hopes of turning her life around.

However, this would mean juggling part-time work, school fees, and family expenses, while dealing with an ongoing conflict with her parent. The prospect of being tied down for the next three years fills her with despair. Hoping for advice, she turned to the community, asking for guidance on how to proceed. She received numerous responses, with one commenter advising her to focus on one problem at a time, such as securing a full-time job to support a helper and managing her finances.

Another suggested taking a step back and living for herself, emphasizing the importance of self-care and independence. A third commenter even suggested walking away from everything and starting anew, highlighting the need for self-preservation.