What's with the weird dreams lately? Psychologist explains pandemic's impact on mental health

Have you been experiencing strange, vivid dreams lately? Or maybe your sleeping patterns changed, or you find yourself waking in the wee hours of the morning?

A psychologist gave an insight as to what could be happening in our brains — specifically, how our brains are coping with the stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Elizabeth Canlas-Pineda said that the isolation in itself, that people are forced to undergo in these trying times, already has an effect on people.

"Pag ang isang tao ay in-isolate mo, maraming magiging epekto sa kanya lalo na kung alam niya ang reason bakit kaya siya biglang na-isolate. Kasi merong threat sa labas, may nakakatakot," she told GMA News Online.

Aside from depriving people of social connection, the isolation also causes frustration borne of helplessness, of not being able to react to the danger that lies outside our homes.

Pineda said because people can't act on their "fight or flight" instinct, the "rush" gets locked in the body.

"Dito na ngayon lalabas 'yong mga psychological effect. Dahil wala kang magawa and yet you are faced with the threat so ang mangyayari ngayon, mai-stress ka, right? 'Yong stress kailangan may action doon, eh. Pero itong stress na ito you cannot do anything. You’re just staying home," she said.

And this is where mental health problems start.

Do you experience headaches, or even stomach aches? Pineda said that could be a physical manifestation of mental health issues.

But the manifestations can also be as bad as cognitive problems.

"[Pwede] bigla na lang may trouble silang 'yong pagko-concentrate ba. Ang nangyayari nagiging parang mga tuliro ba," Pineda said.

Pineda said these are usually temporary. People get stressed out with their current situations that demand action. When you end a busy day, or finish a heavy report, with some rest, you usually recover.

The problem here is that there is no end in sight for the current stressful situation.

"Pag pinatagal mo nang pinatagal ang stress, 'yan ang magma-manifest 'yong mga anxiety, depression," she said.

"Pwede mong sabihin na 'yong stress is just a natural reaction pero kapag tumagal na stress out ka, kumbaga parang magiging sakit na ito," she added.

So how does this translate to dreams? Pineda said dreams are often a manifestation of your emotions. And in dreams, your brain does not register what’s real and what’s not.

“Kasi kahit natutulog ka, the brain is active. And then ang kinukuha lang niya na messages will be coming from your emotion,” she explained.

"Of course, understandably, ang nangyayari takot ka ngayon sa COVID. Ini-imagine mo 'yong mga nakakatakot na 'yan. So 'yong emosyon mo na 'yan na mas maha-higlight 'yan kapag natutulog ka na," she added.

What about the sleep pattern changes? Pineda said this boils down to stress and anxiety.

Even if at first you don't realize you're stressed or anxious, if the cause of these feelings are not addressed from the beginning, it can cause problems later on  — such as trouble with sleeping.

This is dangerous because it could lead to a sleep disorder, she added.

“Pag ang pattern ng 'yong pagtulog ay naaapektuhan na, in a way para bang nandoon ka na, papasok ka na sa sleeping disorder. Doon na papasok 'yong may mga disruption na sa iyong pagtulog, tapos nagkakaroon na ng mga psychological problems, tapos no'n nagkakaroon na ng trauma or phobia na dahil alam mong mananaginip ka nang nakakatakot, iiwasan mo nang matulog,” Pineda said.

Fortunately, she said there are ways to correct that.

She advised people to exercise, eat the right food, and make sure the body meets its needs.

She added that they should also moderate the amount of media they consume.

"Alamin mo lang 'yong mga tamang information pero hangga't maaari, huwag ka ng manonood ng mas higit pa sa nakakaya mong i-absorb kasi nakaka-depress kapag nanonood ka. 'Yong mga deaths, 'yong mga sine-share nilang namatay si ganito at si ganyan. Nakakaapekto 'yon so kung hindi mo rin lang kailangan na malaman pa kung ano 'yong mga balitang 'yon, then avoid," she said.

She even said distractions such as TikTok, which got a boost in popularity amid the pandemic, might help alleviate some stress.

Pineda also said that it would be good to do new activities at home — like doing arts and music — and have some quality bonding time with family.

"i-take advantage mo 'yong opportunity na magkakasama kayo ngayon. Bigla na lang kasama mo ang pamilya mo, 'yan 'yong mga bagay na na-miss mo noong nagtatrabaho ka pa. Ngayon i-appreciate mo nandyan na kayo ngayon. And you can do a lot of things together," she said.

—JCB, GMA News