The Duration of a Nervous Breakdown Varies by Individual These mental health crises are highly variable, lasting a few hours for one person or weeks for another. There are many risk factors for having a nervous breakdown, and the more an individual has, the greater the chance is that a breakdown will last longer.
Recovery from a nervous breakdown
Some restructured their lives and jobs to make them less stressful, and started therapy. People who have had treatment and therapy after a nervous breakdown often emerge more resilient and better able to cope with life than they were before.
This crisis will leave you unable to function normally, to go to work or school, to take care of children, or to do any of your usual activities. Symptoms of a nervous breakdown may include emotional distress as well as physical effects, like chest pains and difficulty breathing.
Tips for Self-Care After a Nervous Breakdown
This includes changes to your lifestyle that will help you manage your stress, such as: Getting regular exercise at least three times a week. Attending counseling sessions to combat stress. Avoiding drugs, alcohol, and other substances that stress the body.
feeling anxious, depressed, tearful, or irritable. feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. experiencing agitation and muscle tension. sleeping too much or too little.
Drugs such as Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Valium (diazepam), and Ativan (lorazepam) work quickly, typically bringing relief within 30 minutes to an hour. That makes them very effective when taken during a panic attack or another overwhelming anxiety episode.
A nervous breakdown can last from a few hours to a few weeks. If your breakdown has been going on for a while, and you need some relief, the following ten tips are for you. They will help you not only survive this difficult time, but they might even help you grow from this difficult experience.
Some event or change in your life is causing you an intense amount of stress, which is causing symptoms such as fear, anxiety, worry, nervousness and depression. You may feel “stuck,” overwhelmed or incapacitated, which makes you unable to cope and function with life.
According to recent studies, Emotional Trauma and PTSD do cause both brain and physical damage. Neuropathologists have seen overlapping effects of physical and emotional trauma upon the brain.
A nervous breakdown is not a diagnosable mental health condition, and that means there are no official criteria to describe it, including duration. These mental health crises are highly variable, lasting a few hours for one person or weeks for another.
A nervous breakdown is ultimately caused by an inability to cope with large amounts of stress, but how that manifests exactly varies by individual. Work stress, mental illness, family responsibilities, and poor coping strategies are all things that can lead to a nervous breakdown and the inability to function normally.
A psychotic breakdown is any nervous breakdown that triggers symptoms of psychosis, which refers to losing touch with reality. Psychosis is more often associated with very serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, but anyone can experience these symptoms if stress becomes overwhelming, triggering a breakdown.
A nervous breakdown, in some cases, may require a hospital stay to stabilize and treat you. The reason for your hospitalization may include talking about suicides or death, violence toward others, self-harm, psychosis symptoms like hallucinations and delusions, and complete functioning instability.
If you're having a mental health emergency, it's important to get help right away. Though the thought of going to the emergency room (ER) might be daunting, it's often the best way to keep you safe during the crisis. Visiting the ER can connect you with resources that will help you manage and overcome these issues.
“Self-harm, suicidal or homicidal thoughts are very clear-cut cases where you should go to the emergency room. And if you are experiencing severe physical manifestations of a mental health condition, anything that is a threat to bodily function or well-being, that's a good time to go, too,” he says.
“Rest is perhaps the most curative 'home remedy' for a nervous breakdown.” Hamlett recommends limiting daily obligations and engaging in stress-reducing activities such as watching pleasant television shows, spending time with pets, exercising, spending time in nature, meditating or doing deep-breathing techniques.
A nervous breakdown results from a sudden or prolonged period of stress, often rooted in underlying mental health conditions. A panic attack, in essence, is a type of nervous breakdown. Panic attacks are episodes of overwhelming anxiety and fear that often arise out of the blue, sometimes without explanation.
Treatment for a nervous breakdown may involve therapy, medication, and self-care or lifestyle changes. Working with a therapist can help someone manage negative emotions, explore the causes of those feelings, and change thoughts and behaviors to minimize stress and better cope with it.
As long as you are containing well, aren't creating anxiety by unidentified and unaddressed underlying factors, and erring on the side of deep relaxation, rest, and good sleep, your body will pull out of this recovery phase and will move toward normal energy and health. That's typically how this last stage works.
Most people with anxiety disorders never fully eliminate their anxiety. However, they can learn how to control their feelings and greatly reduce the severity of their anxiety through therapy (and medication if needed).
You Have a Positive Outlook on Yourself
You also know you have recovered by attending therapy sessions, taking medication, and no longer feeling ashamed of your mental health. As a result, you now feel comfortable talking about your anxiety or depression since you are proud of doing something about it.