When I was 15 years of age, my world had fallen apart. I had just come back to Singapore from the USA to find that my parents were going to get divorced, that I had lost my best friends, and my grades were slipping. In the grip of a crippling depression, I wanted to end my life.
I almost did. But then I watched an anime called Neon Genesis Evangelion, and I decided not to.
That, and many other things, gave me the strength to survive the ensuing years in which things did not get better, but worse. But at the age of 33, as the final blow in a lifelong battle against abuse and debilitating mental illness, I decided to write my life story. Which is what you see before you now.
I no longer have any mental illness of any kind whatsoever. (certified by my kind doctors who have been with me for much of the way.) My family, once torn and twisted almost to pieces, is on the mend. But from the ashes of that war of almost two decades was born a new dream, a purpose forged from sorrow and despair.
I want to share my story in the hopes that it may prevent its recurrence. To inspire and educate and tell others that they are not alone. To make you laugh, cry, learn and grow. To light a flame of hope that will spark eternal against the tides of shadow.
And yes, like the title states…video games and anime really did save my life. If you want to know how, you’re going to have to read the book 🙂
Please also do check out the Glossary for any terms that you may want to know more about, and the Mental Health Addendum if you suffer from any mental illnesses. The former is intended to help you get more out of the text, and the latter is what I have learnt in about two decades of coping with various forms of mental illness.
I wrote this without the intention of making a single cent from it, but the reality is that we all have bills to pay. I have many times been in dire financial straits, and as such I would not dream of asking for money where there is none to give. Generosity is though of course appreciated.
The book is also available on Amazon if you wish to purchase it.
https://www.amazon.com/Journey-So-Far-Transcultural-Spirituality-ebook/dp/B07FDNF3CH
A final note : some of the content of the work is sexually explicit in nature. Some descriptions and section may also be triggering.