How to Overcome A Nervous Breakdown
88What Is a Nervous Breakdown?
A nervous breakdown is a term generally used to describe when someone's mental health deteriorates to a point where he or she can no longer function in daily life. "Nervous breakdown" is a non-medical, unofficial name for acute attacks of anxiety or depression, and does not refer to an official diagnosis by a doctor or psychiatrist. However, if you or someone you know is suffering from the mental, social, or emotional deterioration that is usually referred to by this term, it can be helpful, and sometimes necessary, to seek professional help.
Possible causes include, but are not limited to:
- Death of a loved one
- Illness of a loved one
- Illness of self
- Loss of job
- Loss of friends
- End of relationship
- Divorce
- Traumatic event
- Sexual identity crisis
- Gender identity crisis
- Career crisis
- Financial stress
- Academic problems
- Social problems
- Relationship problems
- Pregnancy
- Abortion
- Birth
- Marriage
Whereas clinical depression and anxiety disorders can be triggered by life events, they often have causes linked to biological, genetic, neurological, or childhood causes, and extend beyond what is generally accepted as a "normal" time frame in reaction to the trigger. In contrast, a nervous breakdown may describe the sudden onset of a mental illness, or may simply be your body and mind's way of processing a life event. While inconvenient and upsetting, a nervous breakdown is not necessarily a reason to panic, and panic in addition to the stress of the breakdown itself does nothing to resolve the situation. A nervous breakdown is your mind and body's way of bringing your attention to the feelings you are ignoring, or incompletely processing.
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Recovering from a Breakdown
Consequently, the key to preventing or getting through a nervous breakdown is actually the opposite of what you might expect. Attempting to "fight it off" can only serve to postpone and even exacerbate the breakdown. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, instead of pushing past those feelings, look for places in your life that you can scale back some of your stress. As soon as you recognize a feeling of loss of control or helplessness, the human reaction is to try to take control of the situation. Realize that taking back power in cases of stress is actually to seek out rest and peace. By forcing yourself to continue beyond what you can mentally or physically take is only feeding into your panic, giving the anxiety more power, more control. By giving yourself grace and space to feel your feelings and to empower yourself by acting on them, you offset the reasons your mind and body have for bringing you to the point of nervous breakdown.
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If you are already past the point of non-functioning, it is sometimes necessary to seek help, in the form of a support group, individual therapy, and/or consultation with a psychiatrist. "Getting help" can sometimes feel like a failure, but keep in mind that, in context, making that step is just another way of you being capable and taking care of yourself. If you suddenly found yourself hacking up a lung, you would make an appointment with a doctor, and follow his or her prescribed treatment plan until you were better. Similarly, seeing a therapist does not have to be a life sentence, but can be thought of in these instances as a treatment regimen, the same as taking antibiotics for pneumonia would be. When you have flushed out the initial cause of the infection, and have tools for future prevention, you no longer need to take the medication. However, if you did not see the doctor and continued to let the infection brew, you might need more serious intervention later, and end up with lasting damage. A nervous breakdown is not the end of the world, and does not need to lead to a lifetime of mental illness-as long as you take care of yourself responsibly if or when it does happen to you.
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Comments
Excellent - thanks Maddie. I had, frankly, heard of Mariah Carey having one and didn't really understand what it meant. Excellent explanation.
Wonderful! I have been working thru a a breakdown, & this is the best discription I've found. Thanks!
I may be heading for one, will be my 19th !!!
Sorry I couldn't resist.
(Rolling Stones)
Good hub with some helpful resources.
Will definitely be heading over to self affirmations, and procrastination when I get some spare minutes.
You've pinpointed it, Maddie. Attempting to gain control over something you can't combat only makes the problem worse and the sense of disempowerment more acute. Much better to look for alternatives and focus on reducing stress. But then letting go is so incredibly hard. A very humane hub. It already seems to be helping a lot of people.
Excellent Hub Maddie.Will certainly help a lot of people.
Hey Friend , Very well written Hub. I come from India and I know about meditation. It really helps people to overcome depression.Everything starts from expectation...I am not saying you shouldnt have expectation but we should be ready to accept things in life as they come. For the same one can attain mental peace by reading spritual books and also doing meditation everyday.My best wishes to you friend for writing a very nice article.
Nice hub thanks for nice tips
Wow Maddie You area terrific Hubber. this is so good. I just wanted to come by and support your hubs too and I find you have 600 fans and are incredible at this. You write about SO MANY subjects too. Wow. Blown away.
Wonderfully written Hub. I have experienced hospitalization due to a major depressive episode, had to quit my job of $65K per year, now on disability retirement at the rip old age of 40. You described it very well. Part of my life purpose now is to help others that may be struggling with the same or similar issues, illness. I am here to help if anyone would like to talk to me about what they are going through.
Nice of you to put up a hub like this. For sure a lot will be aware after reading this article.
i guess i have to find professional help huh? today i started to feel so depressed and i dont know i cant sleep or eat im panicking every freakin moment so thanks for that it really helped and im informed thank you
Maddie, thank you so much for sharing this valuable information. One of my best friends, age 23, passed away this past wednesday morning, and another friend of mine who was close to them has experienced this type of breakdown several times. I have been doing much better myself having researched things and using my writing as a therapy. Do you have any suggestions as to how I may help out my friend without coming across as interfering too much? I want to be there to help, but I don't want to get in the way of that space needed for her to get through this naturally.
Thanks again for sharing! :)
After experiencing several life changing events within about a weeks time, my brother is finally having his own nervous breakdown. This has really helped me figure out what should be done to help him. Thank you.
People getting faster and faster pace of life, work pressure, stress, family problems, the relationship between superiors and subordinates, the relationship between family members, friends, relations, these relations are complicated to deal with really bad nervous breakdown! Optimistic about life, all things have a normal, good thing happen! I am a teacher, students naughty, disobedient, and sometimes because some things out, not really deal with each disorder. Sometimes I feel tired !
Life is a great tool for lessons and a sharp weapon we all get cuts from.
I word of help I recognise in the text is worry about only what we can effect not which affects us... I learnt that just from worrying about customer service for 20 odd years...
had one recently, well been happening for a while, i just started feeling uptight and not able to control my thoughts, currently seeing someone about it but i find myself making excuses and lying to cover things up that were avoidable in the first place, i have lots of friends but pushed them all away, thinking this is a never ending cycle
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thanks for the information
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I am definitely agree with you when you said, "Attempting to "fight it off" can only serve to postpone and even exacerbate the breakdown." . This is the trap that most people fall into and man, I was guilty about this too. The more we fight it, the more we become what we already are during that time.
It's the energy that we channel at that time that make it even worst.
Seeking from doctor is a good decision but totally depending on the medification is a surest sign to kill the body.
Thanks for all the info.
I think using friends as a support group helps. But essentially one has to overcome their issues alone. Doing stuff you enjoy is a good way to push through.
Also leaving a situation that is causing the unhappiness is a good solution.
Mine started when I was unable to sleep for more than two weeks because of a sudden health problem. Now, that problem had been addressed, but the stress of what I have gone through remains. It's clear to me just what is bugging me now. Thanks for the info.
This is a really sad article. There is no such thing as a "nervous breakdown". It is all perspective. Calling it a "nervous breakdown" is to lead that people astray. Every person experiences grief in their life for whatever reason. Depending upon what your Spiritual Beliefs are, you may or may not experience depression. Depression is a phenomenon that comes from within a person. Many people with strong Spiritual beliefs have been misled into thinking that they have depression, when, in actuality, they have OPPRESSION. Oppression is caused from outside your body and is caused by other people.
It is interested that the person with MetaPhysician as their name, would agree with you. It doesn't indicate a response from a Spiritual person. A metaphysicist if VERY Spiritual and would realize that events within the Spiritual realm affect our lives and we don't see it so many people don't take those events into consideration before following the crowd in what they believe.
I agree with Breezzy, you have to live through the circumstance and overcome whatever is attacking you. In other words, get a grip on Reality.
From one who is recovering, I've learened, rest is the key, avoid stress, take as much time as you need, do things you enjoy, good exercise, mental rest also this can be in terms of avoiding stresfull tasks, meditation, listening to easy relaxing music,never mind what others think.
salut
i'm not sure why i'm writing this except to be able to express myself with others who might understand. I used to have bad "episodes", but learned to take better care of myself and for years have been better. Lately though "it's" been coming back. I've been feeling so emotionally overwhelmed, and even my deep spirituality has felt distant.... it;s what I usually count on and what has always helped me. Latley though, I feel like I can't take any negativity... and I've been "breaking down"... freaking out... crying and horrible self talk. At times like this I feel so alone... but I know it's all in my mind. Today is a little better and I will go to work to try to snap myself out of it... it's sad that there is such a taboo against, what I see, as natures call to healing and rest. Thanks for the article and everyone's posts. I haven't heard anyone acting like I do when I feel most extreme, but maybe that's just because people don't want to talk about it. Wishing everyone peace.
informative tips....
djtphn1 says:
2 years ago
Maddie, very well written. This actually happened after I had a miscarriage a while back. I becamse so depressed that I could not work. Medication can sometimes be very helpful when things just get you so down like that, and you are right, it does not mean forever. this is a very well written, easy to understand hub. I have not heard the term nervous breakdown for awhile, and just thought I was depressed, but often wondered, hey, maybe I am having a "nervous breakdown"! tHanks for clairfying it, and I am feeling much better now.