The theme of the Journey to Psychological Wellness this year (A.P.P.L.E.) is "Permission to be Human". It means accepting limitations as a human being and facing negative emotions and challenges in life with courage.

Mr Tang How-kong retired in 2013 as Director of Management Services. During his 34-year service in the Force, Mr Tang had served at many important posts, deriving a lot of job satisfaction despite many challenges.

Mr Tang did not remain idle after stepping down from the peak of his career. He wanted to make a contribution to society. In the first year or so after leaving the Force, he devoted himself to voluntary service.

Being a self-styled "achiever", Mr Tang derived satisfaction from the challenges he had overcome and his experience of success. However early in 2015, he found himself "losing significance". And retirement brought him a sense of desolation, which made him lose his "directions". He was obsessed with "negative thought". He also suffered from insomnia and lost his appetite. Subsequently, Mr Tang was diagnosed with depression, which was a big blow to him. Thereafter, he seldom talked to others and stopped joining voluntary service projects.

Redefining "significance"

Undaunted by his illness, Mr Tang turned to medication for several months and later started seeing his friends again. Gradually he accepted his "imperfection and insignificance". He also redefined "significance" as "doing small meaningful things rather than big things".

Now Mr Tang is learning to live a simpler life and pick up his previous hobbies again, like sailing, playing piano and golf as well as Chinese calligraphy. He also spends more time with his family and friends and works for less demanding voluntary projects. Being a keen learner, Mr Tang is learning something outside the field of professionalism - Chinese wisdom of Tao Te Ching and I Ching.

Depression has prompted Mr Tang to face the limitation of being human and redefine "significance". His family and friends supported and cheered him up when he coped with his illness.

Concluding the interview with Psychological Service Group, Mr Tang pointed out that "psychological preparedness" is indispensable for a smooth transition after retirement. Sharing what he had learned from his depression, he noted: "If you can't move the mountain, build a road; if you can't build a road, take a turn; if you can't take a turn, change your perspective". He encouraged everyone to change perspective in face of obstacles in order to break down barriers.