What Is a Nervous Breakdown?

A nervous breakdown is an intense set of emotions a person experiences in a wide variety of mental illnesses, including depression, stress disorder, and anxiety.

A nervous or mental breakdown is a general term used to describe a period of overwhelming mental distress. This term is usually used to refer to an intense set of emotions a person experiences in a wide variety of mental illnesses, including depression, stress disorder, and anxiety. Below are common symptoms of a nervous breakdown: 

• Feeling alone and separated from others. A constant feeling that others are not able to understand him or her. A feeling of detachment. 
• Feelings of guilt or extreme sadness for no apparent cause. 
• Unable to concentrate on work, school, or daily activities. 
•  Mood swings, feelings of emotional outbursts, extreme anger. 
• Extreme burn out. 
• Disturbance in sleep pattern: A change in the sleep cycle is a symptom of a nervous breakdown. They may either sleep too much or maybe sleep deprived. 
• Extreme tiredness: Activities that were previously handled with ease may become increasingly difficult. And things that used to bring you joy may lose their appeal due to extreme tiredness and weakness due to stress and a nervous breakdown. 
• Change in appetite: When a person is in the middle of a breakdown, they become less motivated with their diet, leading them to skip meals or overeat. 
• Physical pain: Headache and stomach aches are the most commonly physical pain experienced during a nervous breakdown, which can hamper the process of digestion. 
• Trouble breathing: Breathing difficulty is a classic symptom of a nervous breakdown and anxiety. 

Few factors might increase a person’s likelihood of experiencing a nervous breakdown. These include: 

• Personal history or a family history of anxiety disorders. 
• Stressful job profile and extreme work pressure. 
• Anxious personality. 
• Recent injury or illness may have an impact on daily life. 
• The recent emotional event, such as a death in the family or a divorce. 
• Poor sleep and inability to relax. 
• Severe medical conditions. 

A nervous breakdown can be prevented and treated using a few common strategies that include: 

• A person may need to discuss with doctor regarding medications (antidepressant, antianxiety or antipsychotic medications). 
• People may need to avoid excessive use of caffeine, alcohol, illicit drugs, and nicotine. 
• Setting healthy hygiene, sleeping, and eating schedules and sticking to them. 
• Creating a distraction-free sleeping environment to encourage quality sleep. 
• May need to reduce or resolve sources of stress, such as conflicts at home or workplace demands. 
• Developing new hobbies especially outdoor activities. 
• Scheduling at least 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 10 minutes of high-intensity exercise daily. 
• Seeking counseling and participating in behavioral therapy. 

Depression can strike at any time, but on average, it first appears during the late teens to mid-20s. Symptoms must last at least two weeks for a diagnosis of depression. Below are a few common symptoms seen in patients with depression: 

• Sadness 
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed 
• Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting 
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much 
• Loss of energy or increased weakness 
• Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing) or slowed movements and speech (actions observable by others) 
• Feeling worthless or guilty 
• Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions 
• Recurring thoughts of death or suicide or