Mental illness after losing 20 billion VND playing mutant orchids

His family said he used to live a happy life and was in good health. Three months ago, he lost 20 billion VND playing with mutated orchids. Since then, he has fallen into a state of depression, anxiety, fatigue, disappointment, not wanting to work or interact with anyone, just staying in his room alone, and many times seeking death "for release".

This time he drank weed killer and was discovered by his family and taken to the Poison Control Center (Bach Mai Hospital) for emergency treatment. After being stabilized, the patient was transferred to the Institute of Mental Health for further treatment. The doctor diagnosed him with adjustment disorder with prolonged depressive reaction.

On December 25, Dr. Duong Minh Tam, Institute of Mental Health, said that symptoms of adjustment disorder begin within three months of the occurrence of the stressor. Stress is considered a factor that directly affects adjustment disorder. Without stress, this disorder does not occur.

"Adjustment disorders often appear after one or more traumatic events," said Dr. Tam, adding that risk factors for the disease include people experiencing significant stress in childhood or having other mental health problems, difficult living conditions, being physically or sexually abused or assaulted, having a broken family as a child or being overprotected.

Other common stressors that lead to adjustment disorders include divorce or changes in circumstances (retirement, having a baby or going away to school), loss of a job, loss of a loved one, financial problems, illness...

Like the patient above, the doctor said the cause was due to business failure and financial debt.

According to Dr. Tam, the prevalence of the disease is estimated at 2-8% of the population. Women are diagnosed with this disorder twice as often as men. The disorder can occur at any age, but is most often diagnosed in adolescents.

In addition, people with cancer are prone to adjustment disorders. A study in Japan found that 35% of breast cancer patients had adjustment disorders. According to a recent large-scale meta-analysis, adjustment disorders were found in 15.4% of adults with cancer treated in palliative care facilities.

The pathology of adjustment disorders varies depending on the severity of the trauma and the predominant symptoms. Most cases of adjustment disorders resolve spontaneously within 6 months of the trauma. Some, especially children and adolescents, may suffer long-term effects from the disorder.

Long-term effects include insomnia, social isolation, marital or family conflict, impaired work performance, alcoholism, drug use, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, self-harm, and suicidal ideation and behavior.

Therefore, doctors recommend that when there are clinical manifestations of the disease, it is necessary to go to a specialized medical facility for timely consultation and treatment. Symptoms such as reduced ability to concentrate and think, fatigue, insomnia, changes in taste, suicidal behavior; anxiety, nervousness, sweating, shortness of breath; frequent anger, blaming others, having a hateful attitude...

Treatment of adjustment disorders includes psychotherapy, medications, or both. Currently, psychotherapy remains the treatment of choice for adjustment disorders.

Mutant orchids are a hobby and business investment that has become popular in recent years. Mutant orchids are very expensive, up to tens of millions of dong per plant. Many people are said to have made a lot of profit from growing and trading mutated orchids, but many have failed to the point of bankruptcy.