Nervous Breakdown: Causes and Signs

Nervous breakdown is commonly known as mental breakdown, however, both of them are not medical terms and also do not refer to any specific mental illness. Nervous breakdown is often used in the context of severe depression and anxiety that can lead to an emotional and psychological collapse. However, a certain level of anxiety and stress is felt by almost everyone when faced with any work related or personal problem. But our body can usually cope with such kinds of mental stress and anxiety. However, in certain instances, extreme stress and anxiety can overwhelm a person and he or she may not be able to overcome the situation. This can disrupt mental and emotional stability, leading to a nervous breakdown.

Causes

There can be several causes for mental or nervous breakdown, and they can differ from individual to individual. Therefore, causes for a nervous breakdown are individual specific. However, some causes like extreme stress, severe anxiety, depression, drug or alcohol abuse, problems in personal relationship, emotional trauma and isolation are often associated with mental illnesses and hence, can cause nervous breakdown.

Signs and Symptoms

Like the causes of nervous breakdown, the signs and symptoms can also be individual specific. Sometimes, an individual can experience several symptoms, while at other times, only one of them can be observed in an exaggerated form. This is because, the symptoms of nervous or mental breakdown depend on the history of mental disorders and the mental stability of a particular person.

Extreme anxiety or stress, which are some of the common causes of a nervous breakdown, usually cause depression. Depression can be an important sign of mental breakdown. Among the physical signs, lethargy, extreme tiredness, weakness, continuous pain and aches, persistent gastrointestinal problem and inflamed skin can be some of the important indicators of an impending mental breakdown. As far as social behavior is concerned, a person may exhibit antisocial behavior like vandalism, alcohol or drug abuse and gambling. Out of these, drug abuse can be considered a significant sign. A change in social behavior can also be observed among people on the verge of nervous breakdowns. Such behaviors include the inability to initiate social interaction, loss of interest in social activities and developing an introvert behavior pattern, which can eventually lead to isolation.

Amnesia, characterized by loss of memory, confusion, especially over the sequence of past events can be another important sign of nervous breakdown. If not treated on time, these conditions can lead to frustration and then to violent behavior or outbursts. An individual on the verge of mental breakdown can also experience disorientation or delirium and hallucinations, such as seeing or hearing things that actually do not exist in reality. Besides this, a feeling of worthlessness or low self esteem, constant crying without any reason, agitation, despair and restlessness, can also be the symptoms of nervous breakdown.

Nervous or mental breakdown, is often diagnosed by physicians after excluding all the possible medical conditions that can give rise to these signs and symptoms. However, methods of treating nervous breakdown can vary significantly from person to person. Besides proper treatment, a healthy and nutritious diet, adequate exercise and other methods of relaxation like meditation and yoga, can be beneficial in strengthening the body and the mind to cope with mental stress and anxiety.