Sleep Problems, Loss of Focus May Be Signs of Mental Illness

Chronic difficulty in sleeping and inability to focus at work, school or in any other aspect of life can be early signs of an impending mental illness, and people who experience this are advised to see a psychiatrist immediately.

Dr. Dreiza Hakim Castillo, a psychiatrist at the Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) advises people who experience these symptoms that include severe depression to immediately seek professional help.

“There is nothing to be ashamed of,” she explains. “Most people would think that these signs are normal, but slowly, cumulatively they can become very damaging.”

Meanwhile, the medical society has grown more and more concerned over the rising cases of suicides especially among the youth, including in Zamboanga City.

Based on doctors’ opinion, teenage suicide and depression are serious issues that families and school authorities need to look into, particularly on the preventive side.

Dr. Castillo explains social media, for its part raises certain personal standards, sometimes to extreme levels. Social media could influence teens to create unrealistic expectations of themselves and intuitively amplify strong negative emotions such as loneliness, jealousy, anger and others.

As such, Dr. Castillo calls for more mental health-sensitive schools. “We need to educate the teachers to evaluate and help their students who show early signs of mental illness.”

Meanwhile, adults who experience the above signs must learn to draw the line when it comes to stress. “Stress is normal. But there has to be a balance like for example with work and relaxation.”
In cases when people lose the ability to do work that they can normally do, they must immediately go to a psychologist or a psychiatrist, Dr. Castillo advised. Otherwise, the problems may recur and may lead to mental illness.

The crafting of Republic Act 11036 or the Philippine Mental Health Law is a big help to lessen the stigma on mental illnesses and give better access to mental health care to Filipinos, Dr. Castillo said.

October 8-12 is National Mental Health Week, and the Department of Health (DOH) and the City Health Office (CHO) seek to advocate the importance of a mentally-sound society for a better quality of life. (ALT/DIS/MLE/PIA9-Zamboanga City)