It’s approaching Chinese New Year and it’s this time of the year where Chinese Restaurants are at their busiest period, whether it’s for reunion dinners, company year-end party, annual dinner or casual friends and relatives gathering dinners.

She’s in her 30s, a manager in one of a big Chinese Restaurants. Past few nights she hasn’t been sleeping well, under great stress and worrying about the bookings, menus, dishes, prices, ingredients, staff, part time staff etc. After few nights of poor sleep and poor performance at work in the day, one afternoon her family found her not gone to work but crying and laughing at the same time in her room, at times screaming, and at times talking about things that they can’t understand.

Her husband and mother admitted her into the general hospital, where she was put under anti-psychotic medication and injection. Though a lot more stable and spending more time in bed, she’s still screaming and at times talking nonsense. She then started to experience some side effects from the medication and injection, drooling, tremor, stiffness.

Upon discharge from the GH, the husband decided to bring her to see us. She has to come in in a wheelchair, still drooling and having stiffness, still screaming and non-responding.

She’s believed to have Brief Psychotic Disorder, triggered by great stress from work. There’s no history of mental illness running in her family. More about the illness on wikipedia here. It’s kind of difficult to believe that people actually get psychotic disorder just merely due to stress (oh well, what can stress not do!), it’s more usual depression or anxiety disorder.

So, well, guys and girls, do make sure you are aware of how much your body and mentality can take, not to put yourself under too great stress (hard!), and more importantly, always find healthy ways to de-stress yourself (e.g. exercise, hobbies, movies, outings with friends etc)!