Summary

Myth 1: Stress lang yan, kayang tiisin

Fact: Chronic stress and burnout are clinical conditions. Hindi dapat ito tinitiis.

Stress is a normal part of life, but it’s essential to know what type of stress you have, especially if it becomes unmanageable. One’s stress can be short term, while others can have chronic or prolonged stress. With prolonged stress, it can lead to burnout, which should not be endured without proper management. 

Furthermore, it is crucial to know when to stop and rest. Ask the right questions like what Doc Jannah mentioned:

“Pagod lang ba ako or matagal ko nang pinipilit ang sarili ko beyond sa what I can sustainably handle?”

In short, stress and burnout doesn’t equate to just being physically tired, it’s a sign that you need rest in both mind, body, and emotional aspect. So the phrase “tiisin mo lang” should not be an automatic response.

Myth 2: Mahina ka lang kaya ka na-burnout

Fact: Burnout, anxiety, and depression are health conditions, not moral failure

Burnout stems from an exceeding demand, and your resources, support, and recovery can’t catch up. It becomes too overwhelming, leading to burnout. Furthermore, people suffering from mental health conditions like anxiety and depression may also experience burnout. These are mental health conditions, and must be dealt with proper assessment from mental health experts. That’s why it is not right to conclude a person is weak or strong because of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. 

Myth 3: Hindi naman ako “baliw”, bakit ako pupunta sa psychiatrist

Fact: Consultation with a psychiatrist is a medical care to address potential mental health crisis

This is the most common misconception of people about consulting with a mental health doctor like psychiatrists and psychologists. Booking a doctor consultation with a mental health expert is the same as when you consult with a high blood pressure doctor. That’s because your goal is to avoid potential crises by managing the symptoms early. 

In short, that should also be your goal when you have mental health symptoms like stress and burnout. Seek help to get psychological assessment, and get diagnosed for early management and prevention.

Myth 4: Basta makapag-pahinga ako sa weekend, okay na ulit

Fact: If there’s no recovery after resting, seeking help is a m

Resting as a stress relief is important to replenish your energy. However, if there’s a noticeable tiredness even after resting or dreading what’s to come in the week, there might be an underlying cause here. It could already be a burnout affecting your functionality as a stress response.

Some cases of burnout might have already developed into anxiety and depression, and you haven’t noticed it yet. In that case, rest is not the answer to your burnout. In that case, seeking help to your family members and to a mental health doctor is a must.

Five Ds to Watch Out For

An effective way to determine if what you have is short-term stress or chronic stress is by checking if you have the following:

• Distress: difficulty in coping up
• Deviance: changes in behavior and physical activity
• Dysfunction: daily functionality affected  
• Danger: thoughts of harming yourself or suicidal thoughts
• Duration: extended period of stress symptoms even after resting

Each of the Ds are already a red flag, especially if there’s passive or active suicidal ideation.Learn more about suicidal ideation and its types in this guide. 

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Resources Mentioned

• Psychologist and Psychometrician mentioned in the story – Book a doctor consultation with Jannah Trixie Cuevas, RPsy, RPM
• NowServing App for Online and In-person doctor consultation – Download the app to your device!
• NowServing Care Gift Cards for mental health consultations – Learn more how you can help someone to seek help from experts.
• National Center for Mental Health crisis hotlines – Call local 1553 or 0919-057-1553 for SMART/TNT or 0919-057-1553 or 0917-899-8727 & 0966-351-4518 for GLOBE/TM 

It’s Not too Late to Seek Help

Stress is common, but when it becomes unmanageable, it can affect your daily functioning due to exhaustion or burnout. When that feeling is constant you haven’t taken an action to manage it, it can result in the development of mental health conditions.

If you feel an overwhelming stress that doesn’t go away, that’s already a sign that it’s not just a normal stress. Seek help from your loved ones and consult with a mental health doctor as early as possible.

Ready to address your stress and burnout, and start stress management? Book a consultation with a psychiatrist, psychologist, and other mental health professionals on NowServing!

The post Kaya Mo ‘Yan, Pero Paano Kung Hindi Na? | A Psychologist on Burnout and Asking for Help appeared first on NowServing Health.