Table of contents:
- What is a nervous breakdown?
- Signs of a nervous breakdown
- Things to do if experiencing nervous breakdown
Stress is actually the body's way of protecting itself from harm so that it keeps us focused and always on alert. However, this self-protective response is not easy for the brain to control and can cause mental stress in the long run. When you are under constant stress, you may not be able to carry out your normal activities as usual - perhaps even making you do risky things, such as drinking or driving recklessly at high speeds. This condition of severe mental stress is called nervous breakdown.
What is a nervous breakdown?
Today, stress caused by social problems, romance, or work is often considered normal. Although it does not always have a direct impact on physical health, allowing the mind to continue to be haunted by severe stress has the potential to cause serious mental problems that often go unnoticed.
The reason is, heavy stress over time can affect the structure of the brain which causes a decrease in the brain's ability to process information.Nervous breakdown usually occurs when a person can no longer cope with stress.
Nervous breakdown experienced by Kanye West some time ago right in the middle of his concert. Kanye suddenly went berserk and stopped the concert after singing two songs, before finally getting off the stage. After being taken to the hospital it was discovered that Kanye had an experience nervous breakdown triggered by a combination of fatigue, dehydration and severe stress due to a mountain of problems in his personal life.
Nervous breakdown or mental breakdownitself is not a medical term, but rather a popular term to describe the phases of the onset of intense physical and mental symptoms and behavioral changes as the culmination of negative reactions related to severe stress, panic, and excessive anxiety.
Episode nervous breakdown can appear in people who experience:
- Constant stress at the office.
- Recently lost a family member.
- Stress due to financial problems.
- Big life changes, like just going through a divorce.
- Have a history of mental health disorders, both personal and family.
- Experiencing illness or injury that causes difficulty with activities.
Signs of a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdowns can produce a variety of physical, mental, and emotional symptoms that can last a few days.
The most common signs and symptoms are difficulty carrying out even simple daily activities; change in appetite (usually tends to be higher than normal as a reaction to an increase in the stress hormone cortisol); difficulty sleeping or insomnia; volatile emotional changes aka mood swings; less sensitive to one's own body conditions, such as being less concerned with appearance and neglecting personal hygiene; to lose enthusiasm to do activities that were previously considered fun.
Some people may also show symptoms similar to anxiety attacks and / or panic attacks as part of nervous breakdown experienced.
Severe stress can make your brain “foggy” which makes it difficult for you to think clearly. That's why people who are under severe stress are at a very high risk of engaging in risky behaviors, such as drinking excessive alcohol to using illegal drugs, to being paranoid (thinking that something bad is bound to happen, when in fact there is nothing to worry about. ) and suicidal thoughts.
Especially in people who already have certain mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders or depression, nervous breakdown can cause the condition to recur.
Things to do if experiencing nervous breakdown
While experiencingnervous breakdown, try some of the following strategies to stay relaxed:
- Take a deep breath and exhale slowly as you count down from 10.
- Avoid consuming caffeine and alcohol.
- Take time to be alone and rest, such as taking a nap. Get up to 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
- Establish a routine and schedule for sleeping well.
- Meditate to clear your mind.
- Exercise routine for at least 30 minutes 3 times a week, for example yoga and pilates.
- Doing various activities that are fun and relaxing, such as acupuncture, body massage, listening to music, laughing, and laughing.
Nervous breakdown is not classified as a mental illness or disorder, but can be an early sign of depression or a serious mental health crisis.
If it persists, consult a trusted doctor or psychologist. Your doctor may recommend psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), possibly in combination with medication, to treat your condition.
