It is very likely that we have all experienced nerves or anxiety at some point. When these symptoms are of considerable intensity, it can be said that we have suffered a nervous breakdown
A nervous breakdown occurs when the environmental situation exceeds the resources we have to deal with it. In this article we will learn what this type of crisis consists of, what its usual symptoms are (and its types), its causes and the treatments that can be applied.
We use the term “nervous breakdown” to refer, in a non-medical way and in everyday language, to anxiety crises Nervous breakdown can appear both in healthy people (without any mental disorder) under highly stressful conditions, and in people with some type of mental disorder. In this second case, many times the nervous breakdown is one of the underlying symptoms of the disorder.
Broadly speaking, a nervous breakdown It can last from minutes to hours (most common), days and even weeks
But what exactly is a nervous breakdown? In ordinary language, we use this concept to refer to elevated states of anxiety and nervousness that appear when we are overwhelmed (or overwhelmed) by circumstances; that is to say, our resources are insufficient to meet the demands of the environment
Many times these demands are highly stressful, and lead to a series of characteristic symptoms, which we will see later.
Environmental demands
Broadly speaking, we can anticipate that a person who suffers a nervous breakdown manifests a series of anxious and/or nervous symptoms. All of this means that their ability to respond to the demands of the environment is drastically reduced, and therefore, their functioning is altered and ends up becoming dysfunctional or maladaptive.
The demands of the environment in which the person is involved, which They can include work, social, personal situations …are perceived by the individual as too demanding and impossible to manage.
This perception can change from one person to another, and that is why the causes or triggers of a nervous breakdown (environmental demands) will never be the same for one person or another. However, they will share a common element, which is their perception of uncontrollability or the impossibility of managing.
Symptoms
There are a series of characteristic symptoms of a nervous breakdown However, it is worth mentioning that these can vary considerably from one person to another, depending on their personal characteristics, situations that trigger the crisis, environmental demands, etc.
Thus, the most frequent symptoms in a nervous breakdown are of three types: psychological symptoms, physiological symptoms and behavioral symptoms. Although the three types of symptoms are related and often overlap with each other, we are going to see some of the symptoms that each of these categories groups together:
1. Psychological symptoms
Psychological symptoms refer to the person’s psyche and their mental processes. These include the following:
1.1. Feeling uneasy
The person with a nervous breakdown may have a constant or intermittent feeling of uneasiness She may feel nervous, tense, like “about to lose control.” This sensation is very psychological, but it can end up having an impact on other types of symptoms, such as physiological ones.
1.2. Cognitive alterations
Alterations may also appear on the cognitive level, such as difficulties in evoking memories (memory alterations), attention and concentration difficulties, slowness in decision making (or inability to take them), etc.
In general, and as a comment, it is known that mental disorders frequently lead to cognitive alterations (e.g. depression, generalized anxiety disorder, etc.). We should not confuse a cognitive disorder (for example dementia) with pseudodementia or depressive pseudodementia.
1.3. irrational fear
Another psychological symptom that can appear in a nervous breakdown is an irrational fear, which is often disproportionate or does not have a clear trigger.
Physiological symptoms correspond to the most corporal terrain, and include physical alterations such as the following:
2.1. Fatigue
Fatigue involves a high feeling of tiredness, like heaviness, which makes it difficult to carry out activities of daily living. This fatigue can be caused by continued stress, psychological factors, or both.
2.2. Loss of appetite
Weight loss is another physiological symptom of a nervous breakdown. This can be caused by the chronic stress to which the person is subjected, or by the constant feeling of nerves in the stomach.
23. Sleep disturbances
Anxiety (and psychological factors in general) and sleep are closely related; Thus, a person who suffers from anxiety (or a nervous breakdown) is very likely to also have sleep disturbances, which make it difficult for them to get a restful and satisfactory sleep.
These alterations can translate into difficulties falling asleep (onset insomnia), difficulties maintaining sleep throughout the night (maintenance insomnia) or the presence of early awakening (terminal insomnia).
2.4. Headaches
Migraines and headaches are also common during a nervous breakdown, as part of the physical or physiological symptoms. These symptoms also appear in various anxiety disorders.
3. Behavioral symptoms
The behavioral symptoms of a nervous breakdown cover the most behavioral terrain of the person. Some of these symptoms translate into:
3.1. Social isolation
The person may end up isolating themselves socially, avoiding meeting friends or a partner, stopping seeing their family, etc. All of this is usually caused by the discomfort caused by the other symptoms and the fear of having a nervous breakdown again in social situations
3.2. Aggressive behaviors
Sometimes uncontrolled or exaggerated anger may appear, which translates into aggressive or defiant behavior, which only aggravates the discomfort and tension that the person feels.
3.3. excessive crying
Finally, Another characteristic behavioral symptom of a nervous breakdown is crying which is usually excessive (sometimes without a clear trigger) and inconsolable.
The causes of a nervous breakdown can vary from person to person. Normally these crises have a multifactorial origin and as we have seen, they appear as a consequence of a demanding environmental situation or environmental demands in the face of which the person is unable to act.
Thus, the main cause of a nervous breakdown is a highly stressful situation; Examples of these are situations of divorce, loss of a loved one, high volumes of work, work problems, financial problems, etc.
At a biological level, there has also been talk of a genetic predisposition to suffer this type of crisis, which, added to the stressful situation, triggers a nervous breakdown. Heredity is also likely to play an important role.
Finally, another possible cause is an underlying mental disorder, such as an anxiety disorder, a psychotic disorder, a depressive disorder, etc. It will be important to discern the symptoms well to correctly diagnose the nervous breakdown. On the other hand, temperamental, suggestive and personality factors can also play a key role in its origin; For example, neurotic people are at greater risk of developing one.
Treatment
The most appropriate treatment for a nervous breakdown is one that involves a multidisciplinary approach. Psychotropic drugs may offer some short-term benefits, but In the long term, the ideal will always be a comprehensive treatment that includes psychotherapy
Psychological techniques that can be used include cognitive restructuring techniques to treat dysfunctional thoughts, relaxation and breathing techniques that reduce anxious and physical symptoms, and psychoeducation that helps the patient understand the origin and maintenance of their nervous breakdown.
In addition, offer the patient tools and adaptive coping mechanisms in stressful situations, They will also help eliminate these symptoms
