December 31st, 11:59 PM,
As I looked out of the window—
Wow! The entire stretch of Dato Keramat Road in front of KOMTAR was packed with cars, and the sidewalks were crowded with people waiting to see the fireworks.
As you may know:
- Anxious people often feel uneasy in a sea of strangers.
- Depressed people often lack the mood to celebrate the new year.
So, as I gazed out the window at the massive crowd celebrating the new year,
my first reaction as a psychiatrist was:
“There really are so many people who aren’t depressed or anxious!”
Then, a thought struck me:
On New Year’s Eve, There Are Two Types of People
- Those who celebrate the arrival of a new year.
- Those who don’t celebrate New Year’s Eve.
Many Don’t Celebrate—And There Are Reasons
Many of the patients I see in my clinic are indifferent to New Year’s celebrations.
After all, those who are struggling or depressed often see the future in shades of grey:
- A new year simply carries forward the same old troubles.
- Their situation won’t improve just because it’s a new calendar year.
- They don’t dare to hope this year will be better than the last.
- The fear is: “If I hope, I might be disappointed.”
The higher the expectations, the stronger the disappointment later.
Unlike the average person outside the clinic,
they can’t feel excited about a mere change in the calendar date.
But Sometimes, A Spark Appears
During the first week of 2025,
a young woman who had been battling severe depression for several years
shared her 2025 resolutions with me during a follow-up appointment.
She said:
- She wanted to lose weight
- Read more books
- Reduce self-harm
These might sound like “typical resolutions” for a young person,
but to me, it was something more:
It meant her depression had improved.
She had started doing what “typical people” in better spirits often do. 😊
It made me feel genuinely happy for her.
What I Saw in 2024
As for me, reflecting on the patients I met in my clinic throughout 2024:
- Some finally managed to resolve their debt problems.
- Some finally left toxic relationships.
- Some finally moved on from heartbreak.
- Some hit rock bottom in their depression—only to climb back out again.
- Some stopped constantly thinking about ending their lives.
And many of them:
- Took steps toward growth.
- Slowly overcame anxiety.
- Started doing things they were once too afraid to try.
These were the same people who had no expectations for 2024.
Yet 2024, no matter how they felt, still carried them to a better 2025.
by Dr. Lim Po Ting
A Psychiatrist in Penang
