Seven Signs of a Nervous Breakdown

I stood there, frozen, like a deer caught in the headlights. My hands and feet had gone cold, and I could not feel my body anymore. It was as though I was trapped in a moment, paralysed, unable to escape.

And then, without warning, everything hit me all at once. The floodgates opened, and every emotion, pain, and past hurt rushed back, overwhelming me in a tidal wave. I howled, unable to control its raw intensity.

It was as though the weight of all that I had carried for so long had suddenly become too much to bear—and I was drowning in it.

A nervous breakdown is a mental health crisis. It is triggered when a person's stress and emotional strain become so overwhelming that they can no longer function in their day-to-day activities.

While stress and worries are every day, they usually remain manageable. However, when stress becomes unmanageable, it can lead to a mental breakdown, leaving you feeling paralysed and unable to carry out your daily tasks.

Even so, a nervous breakdown is not a healthy stress response and often signals an underlying mental health condition, like depression or anxiety. Our cognitive faculties are so spent that they reach a state of complete exhaustion.

There is not just one specific cause for a nervous breakdown. It can result from a sudden traumatic event or build up over time due to factors like:

• Financial distress

• Unemployment or homelessness

• Abuse

• Sudden tragedy

• Lack of sleep

• Slow build-up of stress or burnout

• Major life changes

• Lack of social support

The term ‘nervous breakdown’ is not a medical term. However, it is used to describe a severe emotional collapse and inability to cope with the stresses of life.

When the stress overwhelms you, it could affect you in different ways.

1. Feeling symptoms of depression or anxiety

You may start to feel depressed or anxious, and the symptoms to watch out for are -

• Low self-esteem

• Fearfulness

• Difficulty breathing

• Clammy hands

• Irritability

• Restlessness

• Poor hygiene

• Uncontrollable crying

• Fatigue

• Dizziness

• A feeling of helplessness

• Getting angry easily

• Thoughts of self-harm

• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies

2. Trouble Concentrating

There’s research that shows stress can affect both your mind and body. Exposure to long-term stress can lead to structural changes in your brain and impact your cognitive function.

This can affect your memory and cause difficulty concentrating. In some extreme cases, it may also lead to memory loss.

3. Sleep Problems

Extreme stress can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. For some, it may cause them to sleep more than usual. You may have a hard time getting out of bed and facing reality.

Sleep disorders are usually a telltale sign of specific mental health conditions like depression or anxiety. When you can’t sleep, your body and brain cannot recover from stress, affecting your ability to function and worsening your mental and physical health.

4. Extreme Fatigue

Too much stress can leave you completely drained, leading to intense fatigue and a constant feeling of tiredness. Other factors like sleep deprivation or sleeping too much can contribute to low energy levels and feelings of exhaustion.

You might feel exhausted because you’re not getting enough rest or quality sleep or tired because you are sleeping too much. Over time, chronic exhaustion, along with persistent stress, can also cause a mental breakdown.

5. Changes in Appetite

Stress can affect appetite. People deal with stress differently. Some deal with stress by overeating. For others, stress can lead to a loss of appetite, which also impacts energy levels and contributes to exhaustion.

6. Digestive Issues

You are stressed and anxious and that can take a toll on your digestive system. It could lead to a plethora of stomach issues like cramps, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea.

If you suffer from conditions like irritable bowel syndrome(IBS), the stress could trigger flare-ups, causing more digestive discomfort.

7. Hallucinations

In certain extreme cases, stress can cause delusions or hallucinations. You might see or hear things that are not even there.

Treating a nervous breakdown often depends on identifying and addressing the underlying causes. Common treatments may include :

• Medication

• Psychotherapy

• Community support programs

While it's not always possible to prevent a nervous breakdown, learning to manage stress and making specific lifestyle changes can significantly reduce your risk and improve your overall well-being.

Here are some strategies that may help :

• Maintain a balanced, healthy diet

• Prioritise quality sleep

• Avoid too much caffeine

• Exercise regularly

• Avoid using drugs and alcohol as a coping strategy

• Practise relaxation techniques

• Build emotional resilience

Above all, try to recognise the signs that you may be struggling to cope. By acknowledging when you're overwhelmed, you can seek help before reaching a breaking point.

A nervous breakdown can be overwhelming and debilitating. However, it often serves as a signal of deeper, underlying mental health issues that we may have been ignoring or suppressing. When we fail to address our emotional struggles, they tend to resurface, often in more intense and challenging forms.

It's also important to acknowledge the stigma that surrounds mental health. Talking about your struggles, whether with friends, family, or a professional, can be incredibly healing.

Opening up about mental health should be encouraged, not feared. It’s a step toward understanding that we all go through tough times and seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

By taking the time to recognise, confront, and manage our stress and mental health, we can protect our well-being and prevent things from escalating beyond our control. Mental health matters, and it’s okay to talk about it.

Q. What medicines help a nervous breakdown?

A. To manage symptoms, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, or mood stabilisers may be prescribed by a health professional.

Q. Can a nervous breakdown be prevented?

A. A nervous breakdown may not be entirely prevented, but learning how to cope with stress and anxiety and making lifestyle changes can help improve your quality of life and even avoid a mental breakdown.

Q. How long can a nervous breakdown last?

A. A nervous breakdown can last a couple of hours, or it could leave you dysfunctional for a few weeks.

Q. What is the first stage of a mental breakdown?

A. There is usually a stage when you recognise that some days are more stressful than others. You can see your productivity diminishing, you feel the symptoms of anxiety or depression, or you start to withdraw from social interactions.

Q. Can lack of sleep cause a nervous breakdown?

A. Yes. Sleep deficiency has also been linked to depression, suicide, and risk-taking behaviour. Lack of quality sleep, along with stress, can lead to a nervous breakdown.