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eLearning Series: Mental Illness
Explain Mental Illnesses To Me
Are
You Experiencing a Nervous Breakdown?
Although it appears to be increasingly
falling out of the common lexicon, the term "nervous breakdown" was
once used to describe any number of mental health problems
that appeared to strike suddenly. Unfortunately, the term is
often used loosely or casually, and sometimes, as in films
and TV, for comic effect. But is there really such as thing
as a nervous breakdown? Well yes, and no.
Yes—a person can indeed 'break down' suddenly. The human body
is a fragile mechanism that, when put under too much stress,
will stop functioning normally. A person exposed to long-term,
unrelenting severe stress is particularly vulnerable to experiencing
a 'breakdown.' How does a breakdown manifest itself? The primary
characteristic of a breakdown usually involves some sudden
disintegration of the self. This means that an individual who
usually follows a set pattern of behaviors will suddenly break
away from their routine. Imagine this scenario: a person wakes
every morning, goes to work, seems to function normally, visits
with friends as usual, and then returns home. Imagine this
person suddenly waking one morning and unable to get up. They
have lost their drive, their ability to function normally,
to communicate with family or friends. Perhaps they are even
incapable of dressing or eating. This person is experiencing
a nervous breakdown.
What
other types of symptoms might be described as those associated
with having a nervous breakdown? Some
individuals might experience
the uncontrollable need to cry, loss of energy, withdrawal,
confusion, despair, inability to think clearly, sleep disruption
or insomnia, loss of pleasure in everyday activities, feelings
of worthlessness and depression. These "down and out" feelings
are characteristic of depressive disorders.
Some individuals have breakdowns that manifest symptoms of
psychosis. Breakdowns involving psychosis may involve hearing
voices, seeing visions, feelings of paranoia, feelings of being
pursued, feeling sensations that are not really present, grandiose
or delusional behavior, bizarre public behavior, feeling of
jealousy, and feelings of violence.
Whatever the nature of the breakdown, all breakdowns have
in common the inability to function as normal.
What
is a nervous breakdown really? A person who experiences
symptoms of a nervous breakdown is suffering from some sort
of mental disorder. That is, despite what we used to think,
a nervous breakdown in and of itself is not an illness or disease.
They are merely symptomatic of a larger problem. In fact, no
legitimate physician or mental health professional would ever
diagnose someone as having a nervous breakdown. The characteristics
of a nervous breakdown can be symptomatic of a large variety
of mental illnesses. The most common illness that resembles
these characteristics is a Major Depressive episode. Other
disorders that are related to what we think of as a nervous
breakdown include panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder,
post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma disorders,
acute stress disorder, schizophrenia, psychotic disorders,
bipolar disorder, depression, and mood disorders. All of these
mental disorders are characteristic of what many laypeople
would characterize as a nervous breakdown.
Who
is most likely to suffer from a nervous breakdown? Almost
anyone who is subjected to undue stress is capable of experiencing
a nervous breakdown. For instance, any person who has been
subjected to extreme stress and trauma is vulnerable to experiencing
a disorder that mimics the general perception of a nervous
breakdown. For instance, a young person returning from battle
may experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
A woman experiencing severe depression after the birth of her
child may experience post-partum depression.
How
can a person suffering any of the characteristics of a
nervous breakdown get help? Sometimes the hardest part of recovery
is getting the person to visit a doctor. For some kinds of
mental disorders, a nervous breakdown can be a blessing in
disguise. An individual suffering from severe anxiety or depression
may find her self speaking to a psychotherapist for the first
time. A person who suffered alone for long time may suddenly
find himself getting better with medical attention. In many
fortunate cases, the person who experienced the nervous breakdown
may emerge from therapy stronger and healthier than ever before.
Treatments can include antidepressant and psychotropic medications,
psychotherapy, and prescribed periods of rest.
Prevention of nervous breakdowns is an oft-ignored subject
that researchers are beginning to study. The characterization
of a nervous breakdown as something that happens very suddenly
can be misleading. In many cases, symptoms of the coming breakdown
are present, but either the individual or their family and
friends ignore them. Individuals who sense themselves becoming
increasingly stressed, depressed, angry, or violent are encouraged
to seek help immediately. # # # # #
SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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