Sakit Mental, Jiwa dan Stigma Masyarakat

Kelmarin terbaca di Sinar Harian 23 Jun 2012, tajuk beritanya RAMAI PESAKIT MENTAL DI NS.  Memandangkan saya ada mengaji sedikit tentang sakit mental (masalah jiwa) atau mental disorder izinkan saya berkongsi serba sedikit maklumat. Tidak dinafikan memang wujud satu stigma dalam masyarakat tentang penyakit mental. Apabila berkata tentang pesakit mental, perkara pertama yang akan kita bayangkan adalah orang gila, aggresif, pakaian yang comot, suka meracau dan sebagainya. Namun begitu masih ramai lagi yang tidak tahu atau kurang jelas tentang kes-kes lain yang boleh dirujuk kepada Pakar Psikiatri seperti masalah ketagihan (addiction), kerisauan (anxiety disorder), masalah tekanan perasaan (depression), dan juga bipolar disorder.

Terdapat pelbagai faktor yang boleh menyebabkan seseorang itu mendapat masalah jiwa, sama ada disebabkan oleh penyakit semulajadi (seperti schizophrenia dan Alzheimer), kesan sampingan pengambilan ubat/dadah, atau pun faktor persekitaran (tekanan tempat kerja, di rumah, trauma). Oleh yang demikian, keluarga dan rakan-rakan harus peka dengan beberapa perubahan personality yang boleh memberi indikasi seseorang itu mengalami masalah jiwa:

Being Nice and Being Close

Being nice and being close to someone, is there any difference between these two? Bunyi macam sama je kan. It is easier for a person to be nice to everybody, but not everybody can be close to a person.  That is why we have to know the difference between being nice and being close. This is important for doctors especially because professionalism comes first before any emotional feeling, but that doesn’t mean we can treat our patients like a mannequins. 

Being nice is superficial, there is no emotional attachment involves. Everybody can be nice to other person, for example holding the door open for a person behind you, give up your seat to a pregnant woman, a warm smile to your customers, treat people for lunch or dinner, helping a friend, greet your friends and ask them “dah makan ke?” “buat apa semalam?” “banyak nyamukkan sekarang?”, etc. 

Being close to someone involves emotional attachment, kalau tak banyak pun, sikit tetap ada. Being close is a step further than being nice. You genuinely are interested to know about that person, about his/her problem. When she cries, you will cry, when she’s happy, you‘re going to feel happy for her too. 

Change, Why Wait?

In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, Most Merciful

We heard about it so many times, we watched it in many Malay dramas and it comes to me to ask this question “Why do we have to wait until the person who gives us advice is gone, only then we’ll change for good? Why?” Yes people this is the ugly truth about us.

Only after the parents had passed away the son will say, back then his parents had told him to do this and that. Alhamdulillah the son finally realized what his parents tried to teach him, BUT at that time the parents are not around anymore to witness his change, to be proud and happy for him.