How to Recognize and Treat the Symptoms of a Nervous Breakdown?
It is what is an intense symptoms of stress and an inability to cope with life’s challenges.
What is a nervous breakdown?
A nervous or mental breakdown is a way to describe a period of intense distress which disables you to function in comfortable manner, it stops you doing and partaking in everyday life.
This term was once used to refer to a wide variety of mental illnesses, including
- Depression.
- Anxiety.
- Acute stress disorder.
Having said all of the above, it does not mean if you are diagnosed with one of the above that you are not having a nervous breakdown, on the contrary, it means that they are more defined ways to help you. This is viewed as a period when physical and emotional stress become intolerable and impairs one’s ability to function effectively.
What are the symptoms of a nervous breakdown?
This may give you an experience of different if not all the following symptoms when going through a breakdown.
- Physical
- Psychological
- Behavioural
The signs of a nervous breakdown vary from person to person. The underlying cause can also affect what symptoms you experience.
The most common signs of a nervous breakdown are:
- Depressive symptoms, such as loss of hope and thoughts of suicide or self-harm
- Anxiety with high blood pressure, tense muscles, clammy hands, dizziness, upset stomach, and trembling or shaking
- Insomnia
- Hallucinations
- Extreme mood swings or unexplained outbursts
- Panic attacks, which include chest pain, detachment from reality and self, extreme fear, and difficulty breathing
- Paranoia, such as believing someone is watching you or stalking you
- Flashbacks of a traumatic event, which can suggest undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
People experiencing a nervous breakdown may also withdraw from family, friends, and co-workers. Signs of such withdrawal include:
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Avoiding social functions and engagements
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Eating incorrectly
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Sleeping poorly
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Maintaining poor hygiene
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Calling in sick to work for days or not showing up to work at all
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Isolating yourself in your home
Risk factors that can lead to a nervous breakdown
A person may report having a nervous breakdown when stress is too much for them to bear. That stress can be caused by external influences. Some of those risk factors include:
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Persistent work stress
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Recent traumatic event, such as a death in the family
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Serious financial issues, such as going into foreclosure
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Major life change, such as a moving house, divorcing
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Poor sleep
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Not relaxing
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Personal history of anxiety disorders
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Family history of anxiety disorders
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Recent injury or illness that makes daily life difficult to manage
How to manage your symptoms ?
You can break out of the cycle of psychological or behavioural distress by:
Using talk therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Prescribed medications, such as antidepressants or antianxiety medication, to treat chemical imbalances
- Practising alternative treatments, such as acupuncture, Meditation, Excercise.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and on the verge of a breakdown, consider these strategies for managing your symptoms:
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Breathe deeply and count backward from 10 when you are feeling anxious or stressed.
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Cut caffeine, alcohol from your diet and replace it with herbal teas or simply water.
- Develop a sleep schedule and routine that will help you sleep well. This could mean
- Taking a bath
- Switching off electronic devices
- Reading a book before bed.
- Meditating
When to see a doctor?
It is natural to find oneself unable to cope with life’s demands and stresses at some time if not several times. You’re not dealing with the stress in a healthy way if you’re having difficulty doing your daily tasks. A nervous breakdown could be a sign of a mental health disorder. It’s important for you to go to the doctor, physician or even your community nurse as soon as you notice the signs of a breakdown.
Your doctor can help you treat the physical symptoms. They can also refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist. These mental health professionals can treat your emotional, mental, and behavioural symptoms. Caregivers, employers and work colleagues have a duty of care and it is every one’s responsibility to ensure they don’t ignore potential threat to any one’s welfare and should also contact a doctor as soon as possible if they’re worried about someone’s behaviour or mental state.
What Tips For Self-Care?
Lifestyle modifications can help you prevent a nervous breakdown. They can also help lessen the severity and frequency of them. These include:
- Regular exercise at least three times a week, which can be as simple as walking.
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Going to a therapist or counselling sessions to manage stress. Avoiding things that can heighten stress, such as
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Drugs
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Alcohol
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Caffeine
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Other substances
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Regular sleep and rest
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Incorporating relaxation techniques like deep breathing to your daily routine
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Reducing your stress level by
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Pacing yourself
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Taking mini-breaks
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Organize your environment and daily activities, and keeping a daily to-do list (keep it realistic)
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You can make these changes on your own, but it may be more helpful to come up with a treatment plan with your doctor.
Where Can You Get Help?
Anxiety UK. Charity providing support if you’ve been diagnosed with an anxiety condition.
Phone: 08444 775 774 (Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5.30pm).
Website: http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk.
SOS Help. is an English-language emotional support line for the international community in France
Phone 01 46 21 46 46 every day from 3-11 pm or “callsoshelp” via Skype
India
Banyan Facebook
Banyan Website
Phone +91 96 71 21 099 (Open 24*7)
Homeless person in the Greater Chennai Area who you suspect is suffering from mental illness?
Contact ADAA works to prevent, treat and cure anxiety
ADAA is an international non profit organization dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of anxiety, depressive, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma-related disorders through education, practice, and research.
8701 Georgia Avenue
Suite #412
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: 240-485-1001
Fax: 240-485-1035
information@adaa.org
Belgium CHS
The Belgian non-profit Community Help Service (CHS) provides emotional and practical support to people who find it easier to use English than one of the official languages. CHS operates a confidential 24/7 information and crisis telephone helpline. Community Help Service (CHS) is a non-profit organisation established in 1971 as a resource for the English-speaking expatriate population of Belgium.
Book an appointment phone 02 647 67 80
Phone help line 02 648 40 14 24/7
Phone 02 647 67 80 The Community Help Service Office is open to receive your calls 10:00 – 16:00, Monday – Friday.
Related to this topic
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
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Gemma Dupont 