If you find yourself overwhelmed by anxiety, you may be suffering a nervous breakdown. This condition can be quite debilitating and may require professional mental health treatment. In this article, we’ll tell you what you need to know about this condition.
What Is a Nervous Breakdown?
A nervous breakdown is when someone becomes overwhelmed by anxiety or stress. It’s not exactly a medical diagnosis, but it is real. Health professionals today use the term “mental health crisis” to describe this condition.
The phrase “nervous breakdown” likely comes from older ideas of the nervous system being closely linked to emotions and mental health. You see remnants of this idea when people talk about “getting up the nerve” to do something unpleasant or describe their failure to do so as a “failure of nerves.” While it doesn’t literally involve the nerves in a biological sense, it reflects how people used to think about the body and mind being interconnected through the nervous system.
When a person has a nervous breakdown, they are unable to cope with daily life. During this time, a person might have trouble functioning—struggling to work, socialize, or even complete simple tasks.
Because “nervous breakdown” isn’t a technical diagnosis, it can be hard to find data on how many Americans experience one. However, if we take anxiety as a key aspect of the condition, studies indicate around 18% of American adults experience a nervous breakdown each year.
What Are the Signs of a Nervous Breakdown?
Here are some signs to look out for to recognize a nervous breakdown:
- Feeling paralyzed by anxiety or depression
- Frequent panic attacks or intense fear
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Social withdrawal—avoiding family, friends, and responsibilities
- Physical symptoms like headaches, stomach problems, or fatigue
- Sleep issues—either insomnia or excessive sleeping
- Feeling emotionally detached or numb
The breakdown itself often feels like a “crash” after a prolonged period of stress or pressure, leaving the individual unable to cope with normal routines.
Is a Nervous Breakdown the Same Thing as a Psychotic Break?
It’s not the same as a psychotic break, though there can be overlaps. A psychotic break involves losing touch with reality, often including hallucinations or delusions. A nervous breakdown, on the other hand, generally refers to an extreme reaction to stress or emotional strain without necessarily losing touch with reality.
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Call 866-881-1184How Are Nervous Breakdowns Treated?
Treating a nervous breakdown involves addressing both the underlying causes of stress and the symptoms that the person is experiencing. The goal is to help the individual regain control of their life, manage their stress, and improve their mental health. Treatment options may include a combination of counseling, medication, and lifestyle changes.
Counseling options for treating a nervous breakdown:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps people challenge negative or unhelpful beliefs and change them. It’s one of the most common therapies for treating anxiety, depression, stress, and other mental illness.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): This technique allows you to focus your eyes in a certain way while you work through distressing memories. Your recovery from trauma or other upsetting life situations is the aim of EMDR.
- Mindfulness: Mindfulness teaches you to stay present in the moment – to accept negative emotions without letting them impact you. This type of therapy is effective for people who experience overwhelming stress or anxiety by helping them cultivate a calm and focused mind.
There are also a variety of medications that can treat a nervous breakdown:
- Anxiolytics: These are anti-anxiety medications that can provide immediate relief for mental health conditions like anxiety or panic attacks. Types of anxiolytics include benzodiazepines or beta blockers. While habit-forming, when used correctly, they can provide much-needed central nervous system relief in moments of acute stress.
- Antidepressants: For people who are experiencing symptoms of depression, antidepressants such as SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) or SNRIs (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors) may be prescribed. These medications help balance chemicals in the brain that affect mood and can improve feelings of well-being over time.
Other drugs that can help with anxiety may include drugs like Xanax and Gabapentin. These are not anxiolytics. Xanax is a benzodiazepine; Gabapentin, while not technically an anti-anxiety drug (it was developed as an anticonvulsant), also has shown promise in treating anxiety symptoms seen in nervous breakdowns.
A comprehensive plan to treat a mental breakdown will often combine both of these approaches to address different aspects of the person’s mental and physical health. For example, someone might take medication to relieve anxiety while working through their stress triggers in therapy and making lifestyle changes for long-term stress management and improved mental health conditions.
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If you or a loved one are struggling with nervous breakdowns but wonder how long treatment takes or have other questions, call us at 866-881-1184 or contact us here. Our highly qualified staff will be happy to help you and give you an idea of what to expect.
