Overall Reflection

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, all volunteering activities at Institute of Mental Health (IMH) are stopped and IMHope would be postponed indefinitely till further notice. This news came really abruptly and I did not expect this journey end so soon. A few hours before the notice came, we were still discussing about the following week’s activity and did not realise the severity of the coronavirus situation. Looking back, I think there were many things to take-away from my first-time experience volunteering at IMH and interacting with a group of people facing mental health problems. There were 3 different wards that we could go to and the ward I most frequently visited is Ward 53 where the patients are more physically and mentally active compared to other wards.

Initially, I really did not know what to expect how IMH would be like as I had never set foot in there before. I was really nervous at that time and fear not being able to get along with them. I could still remember the moment we walked in; there was this patient shouting relentlessly, looking seemingly angry and his actions took us aback. Who would know this patient actually turned out to be one of the more friendly ones who would always look forward to our visit. Contrary to what I have expected, there were many of them who would always look forward to the volunteers coming and welcome us with a huge smile every single time without fail. Although there might be some patients who are reluctant to interact with the volunteers and would sit away from us, there would be a group of them who would take initiative and approach us. I feel really thankful for this group of people who are always excited to see us but at the same time, I do understand and respect the rest of the patients who do not wish to participate in the activities we had planned. As a volunteer, I have learnt that my role would be to befriend them but not to enforce my presence on them especially if they are unwilling to interact with me. Even though we have a duty to engage all of the patients there, we should also respect their choice (of not wanting to interact with us) instead of forcing everyone to take part.

Every resident has different personalities and enjoy doing different activities. Surprisingly, there were also residents who were around our age and they feel just like any of my friends. Usually, the younger patients are more bubbly and friendly compared to the older residents. I realised that through this volunteering journey, I was not just bringing them joy, but they were also bringing me joy and teaching me new things every time. During my time there, I had learnt simple skills like drawing and Chinese Chess from the residents. There was a particular resident who was really good at drawing and the volunteers would sometimes sit around him and learn drawing by following what he drew. Although he did not speak much, those moments when we tried to follow his drawings was actually another way I befriended him. I realised that we can befriend people through shared activities, certainly not just limited to conversations. Much as there were residents who did not like to converse, there were also some who liked to crack jokes and engage in conversations with the volunteers. Through their sharing of personal life stories, or even their beliefs, I got to know more about things in life.

I also learnt that my role as a volunteer would be to help them re-integrate into society, and not just to interact with them. For example, if they perform any actions that made me feel uncomfortable, I should be voicing out and reminding them that it cause discomfort to me and not keep it to myself even though they might be unhappy with it. This is such that they know that their actions are not appropriate and hence would learn to not do it to anyone else when they are outside IMH. I also treat them just like how I would treat anyone else outside IMH.

We are their point of contact from their "outside world'', and us volunteers are the only people they can communicate with other than their family members or the staff in hospital. This is an opportunity for them to learn how to interact with people from the vast society and also for us to understand and empathise with them better. They would always be my friends, and not just patients in IMH.