A nervous breakdown (also called a mental breakdown) is a term that describes a period of extreme mental or emotional stress. The stress is so great that the person is unable to perform normal day-to-day activities. The term “nervous breakdown” isn't a clinical one.
Physical symptoms can include: insomnia — when you have a lot on your mind it can be difficult to sleep, or sleep can be disrupted. exhaustion — difficulty sleeping or anxiety can make you feel exhausted and lacking the energy to face routine tasks. frequent illnesses — exhaustion can leave you susceptible to ...
Hall-Flavin, M.D. The term "nervous breakdown" is used by some people to describe a stressful situation when life's demands become physically and emotionally overwhelming. It affects a person's ability to meet their own needs and do daily tasks and activities.
If you're headed towards a mental breakdown, you may experience episodes of feeling helpless or uncontrollable crying. You may also have emotional outbursts or feelings of uncontrollable anger.
The most common signs someone is having a mental breakdown are: Hopelessness. Thoughts of suicide. Sense of worthlessness.
People experiencing a nervous breakdown may dissociate or have suicidal thoughts. Unable to perform the activities of everyday life, they usually require treatment from a mental health professional. A nervous breakdown may last for days, weeks, months—even years.
Losing your mind may be experienced as extreme confusion, distress and/or dissociation from oneself. It may be so overwhelming that it leads to anxiety and panic attacks. You are not alone in feeling this way, and to answer the question again; it is highly unlikely that you're losing your mind.
Seek Treatment and Support
If you're experiencing an emotional breakdown or struggling to cope, it can be helpful to see a mental healthcare provider. They will be able to determine whether you have a mental health condition and offer treatment accordingly.
A mental breakdown, sometimes referred to as a nervous breakdown or ADHD meltdown, is not actually a clinical term,1 though it is considered a form or manifestation of an anxiety disorder. It arises from overwhelming stress and varies in symptoms.
Even so, this doesn't mean that a nervous breakdown is a healthy response to stress. In fact, it's quite the opposite, and it can sometimes indicate an underlying problem such as depression or anxiety. There is no one cause of a nervous breakdown. Anything that leads to excessive stress can trigger it.
It is triggered by excess stress and a lack of healthy coping mechanisms to manage that stress. The amount of stress that causes a breakdown varies by individual, with some being able to cope longer than others.
Secondly, the term emotional breakdown can be used to describe a personal meltdown of an individual who just doesn't know how to cope with present circumstances. This can include episodes of uncontrollable weeping, withdrawal from loved ones and an inability to connect with everyday life.
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.
Crying is a normal emotional response to many different factors. However, frequent, uncontrollable, or unexplained crying can be emotionally and physically exhausting and can greatly affect daily life. This type of crying may result from a mental health condition, such as burnout, anxiety, or depression.
Takeaway. Crying is a normal human response to a whole range of emotions that has a number of health and social benefits, including pain relief and self-soothing effects. However, if crying happens frequently, uncontrollably, or for no reason, it could be a sign of depression.
While people may feel as though they are going crazy, they are truly just experiencing a reaction to the surge of adrenaline (that occurs during anxiety and panic), and the activation of your fight or flight system.
Many things can make you feel lost, like the end of a relationship, missed opportunities, or an awareness of your life not moving in the direction you imagined. Sometimes, you aren't sure why you feel lost, but you can't shake the feeling of being utterly aimless, floating from random task to random task.
It's important to note that only a mental health professional can diagnose a mental health condition. Therefore, the only way to receive a definite answer to the question, “Do I have a mental illness, or am I overreacting?”, is to get in touch with a professional at an accredited treatment center.
50% of mental illness begins by age 14, and 3/4 begin by age 24. Major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder rarely appear “out of the blue.”