Group offers online counseling to young people who need help but wish to remain anonymous

Singapore – Sandy (not her real name) started self-harming in her first year of middle school and was referred to a school counselor after a teacher saw her scars.

Under a promise of confidentiality, Sandy confided in her counselor about her feelings and the issues she was facing. To her dismay, her parents were informed that she had confided in a counselor.

Her parents were concerned that their daughter would get a permanent record if she sought help from the Institute of Mental Health and would not allow her to get the help she needed.

In 2019, at the age of 19, six years after beginning to self-harm, Sandy made plans to end her life. She confided in a friend of hers who introduced her to Limitless, a nonprofit that provides mental health her services to people aged 12 to her 25.

Sandy receives counseling from the group and is no longer in suicidal danger. She is currently pursuing a degree in psychology.

A social worker who spoke to The Straits Times said young people were hesitant about asking for help because they feared their parents would not understand and would react badly if they did. said there may be.

The founder of Limitless Asher Low says young people often have the lowest access to treatment and mental health services. They fear that others will know their needs, will not be able to pay for services, and will be stopped by parents who may abuse or ignore their mental health issues. maybe.

Persons under the age of 18 receiving mental health services from a social services agency require parental consent to be referred elsewhere for other treatment, in line with agency guidelines, Social said. Worker said.

Limitless runs a server on Discord, so users can talk to counselors while maintaining anonymity. Discord is an international social platform used by young people to chat.

server named hideoutprovides Listening Years to children 13 and older, in line with the minimum age limit for Discord users.

In 2021, 928 young people have contacted Limitless through mental health helplines and counseling services, up from 373 in 2020. His Discord server at the charity has around 664 members.

Seinendan i am friendly operates a website for anonymous counseling for young people between the ages of 16 and 35.

Users can visit the website and select an alias before requesting a chat with a trained peer supporter. Before volunteers become peer supporters, they undergo curriculum-based training developed with the advice of psychologists and counselors.