5 Signs Of A Nervous Breakdown

Have you ever just felt overwhelmed by a stressful situation? Like a tsunami of problems about to crash over you?

You may be experiencing a nervous breakdown. A nervous breakdown is a loss of the ability to function in everyday life. While a nervous breakdown isn’t classified as an actual psychological term, nor is it a mental health disorder, experiencing it can be debilitating.

Here are five signs of a nervous breakdown.

Extreme Exhaustion

Do you feel like you don’t have enough energy, no matter how much you rest?

One common symptom of a nervous breakdown is when you feel a neverending sense of sluggishness when doing everyday things. A combination of present stress and a feeling of chronic exhaustion can worsen your overall mood. Unlike temporary stress, you can’t sleep this type of exhaustion away. It’s the type that would linger and limit you from doing daily tasks that you once could do.

Hallucinations

Do you sometimes see or hear things?

When hit with severe stress levels, your brain may trick you into believing that there are things that are present but are just illusions. These hallucinations could manifest in different ways, and they could be attributed to a nervous breakdown. Hallucinations may also be an underlying symptom for actual mental health disorders, like schizophrenia, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease. If you suspect to have this, find the right professional to give you the medication and lifestyle advice you would need to remedy it.

Panic attacks

Have you ever had panic attacks when you feel a tightness in your chest and a more shallow breath?

A panic attack can seem like a nervous breakdown at first, but it’s not exactly the same. A panic attack is a condition that’s a sudden, intense bout of fear that triggers severe physical reactions even when there’s no actual threat. Although it’s always temporary, panic attacks can make you feel extremely uncomfortable, feeling as if you have lost control over your body. It’s a sense of impending doom, and the best way to prevent it from happening is by distancing yourself from the root cause.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Do you feel apprehensive over a test, an interview, or a difficult conversation?

A common underlying cause of a nervous breakdown is the presence of anxiety disorders. Anxiety stems from low self-esteem, withdrawal from friends and family, and feelings of helplessness. While it’s no surprise that anyone can feel anxious, severe anxiety can cause you to do things like avoiding friends or engaging in constant self-loathing. These coping mechanisms, in turn, increases your stress levels and may lead to a nervous breakdown.

Unbearable Mood Swings

Do you easily switch from being irrationally angry to uncontrollably sad sometimes?

Rapid and regular shifts in your mood can be a sign of both a nervous breakdown and also an underlying medical condition. While other changes like hormones, substance abuse, and other health conditions can pose even greater issues, unexplainable outbursts can also be a sign of a nervous breakdown. To snap yourself out of these mood swings, watch for the triggers, and regulate your mood with improved lifestyle changes.

Closing Thoughts

We hope you have learned about the different signs of a nervous breakdown! Consult a professional if you constantly feel on the verge of a nervous breakdown. They can guide you through talk therapy, give you prescriptions, and heal through alternative ways as well.

That’s all for now, Psych2Goers!

References

Scaccia, A. July 30, 2020 How to Recognize and Treat the Symptoms of a Nervous Breakdown Retrieved at https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/nervous-breakdown#treatments

Silver, N. December 5, 2019, What Can Cause Rapid Shifts in Mood? Retrieved at https://www.healthline.com/health/rapid-mood-swings#outlook

Brennan, D. MD October 08, 2020 Signs of a Nervous Breakdown Retrieved at https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/signs-nervous-breakdown

Bhargava, D. June 25, 2020 Anxiety Disorders https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders

Mayo Clinic Staff May 04, 2018. Panic attacks and panic disorder Bhargava, H. June 25, 2020 Anxiety Disorders Retrieved at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021

Goldberg, J. July 13, 2019 Hallucinations Retrieved at https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/what-are-hallucinations#1