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Nervous breakdown symptoms treatment. Nervous breakdown symptoms and consequences

Women are more prone to nervous breakdowns, as they are more emotional by nature. The most dangerous age is from 30 to 40 years. The most common reasons for this condition are failures in close relationships, divorces, problems at work and prolonged exposure to some kind of conflict. Currently, financial problems are often the causes of failure, for example, loss of a job, business, or a situation where there is no way to pay off debts. The symptoms of a nervous breakdown always depend on the person’s personality.

Provoking factors

The causes of a nervous breakdown are chronic lack of sleep and overwork, wrong nutrition, lack of vitamins, consumption alcohol and psychotonic drinks. The main manifestations of this condition are sudden changes in mood; some people may develop a breakdown of the hysterical type, when the disorder is accompanied by strong emotional manifestations - sobbing and screaming, while others may experience a depressive breakdown. In the latter case, a person becomes indifferent to his surroundings, depressed, nothing makes him happy, he is not interested in previously favorite activities, he often begins to move away from his family and his loved ones, and any request for help can lead to aggression.

Ailments

A nervous breakdown may be accompanied by somatic symptoms such as increased blood pressure pressure, pain behind the sternum, headaches, sweating and rapid heartbeat. Insomnia, weight changes up or down, and digestive problems are also common. People in this state are irritable, touchy, anxious and suspicious, and are visited by hypochondriacal thoughts. Almost everyone is characterized by a hostile attitude towards other people and embitterment.

Behavior

A nervous breakdown is a short-term condition in which a person always is critical about what happened, often later feels guilt and shame. This is the main difference between a neurological disorder and a mental illness, which requires the help of a psychiatrist. Experts believe that a nervous breakdown is a protective reaction for the human nervous system. It helps relieve nervous tension accumulated over many months and sometimes years. Consequently, in this way the nervous system is freed from negativity, and the person receives a signal that something needs to be changed in his life and attitude towards the environment.

Threat

Frequent nervous breakdowns are quite dangerous for the body and can lead to the development of various negative consequences. First of all, physical health deteriorates - it can develop peptic ulcer and other internal diseases. Often the result of breakdowns is depression, various phobias, alcoholism, drug addiction and addiction to card games. In more severe cases, patients become asocial, it is possible suicide attempts.

How to cope

For the treatment of nervous breakdowns, especially repeated ones, it is better see a good psychologist. He will help you understand the problems and the cause of this condition, and if necessary, a prescription will be prescribed. drug treatment to relieve somatic symptoms. We must not forget about prevention, learn to relax and rest, because preventing a nervous disorder is easier than treating it.

A nervous breakdown is a protective reaction of the body to overwork and exhaustion. This is a breakdown of the internal safety valve. A nervous breakdown gives release to emotions that have been suppressed for a long time. At the moment of an attack, a person throws out physical and mental energy that has been accumulating for a long time. A nervous breakdown is dangerous for the individual and those around him.

A nervous breakdown, although it looks like an explosion, is not one. It does not appear in a second; signs of its approach can be noticed in advance. The human condition changes in three stages:

  1. and the experiences persist, but the person becomes suspiciously active, optimistic, and sometimes remains in a state of unreasonable euphoria. Increases productivity, performance and endurance. But at the same time, problems with sleep and periodic tremors of the limbs arise. There is a slight increase in temperature.
  2. Optimism is replaced by a feeling of frustration. Excessive activity results in psychophysiological exhaustion. If at the first stage a person was ready and could cope with any difficulties, now every little thing drives him crazy. Sleep problems are getting worse, headaches and heart pains, arrhythmia, hypertension, and tachycardia are added. Concentration weakens and memory deteriorates. There are mood swings and an inability to rejoice. There is a feeling. Panic attacks occur periodically.
  3. The individual becomes completely disappointed in himself, admits powerlessness, and gives up. Falls, apathy occurs, which often turns into. Previous somatic symptoms persist and worsen: dizziness, loss of appetite, stool disorders, abdominal pain, decreased libido, absence of menstruation or cycle failure.

The stages take several months. If you pay close attention to your health and listen to the signals, you can prevent a nervous breakdown. But as you can see, most of the signs are internal. It is not easy for an outside observer to suspect that someone is about to have a breakdown. The only indicator is a change in behavior, euphoria replaced by apathy, complaints of poor health.

The peak of a nervous breakdown is usually represented by hysteria, which is difficult to miss. Symptoms of a breakdown:

  • tearfulness, hysterical laughter, their alternation;
  • guilt, suicidal tendencies;
  • heightened feeling of loneliness, uselessness;
  • twitching of the arm, leg, head, shoulder;
  • , irritation, aggression, rage;
  • shouting, insults;
  • inappropriate demonstrative actions;
  • collapse of surrounding objects.

A nervous breakdown manifests itself in different ways. One person closes in on himself, breaks down in tears, moves from hysteria to hysteria, and sits inhibited in the corner. And another person, at the moment of breakdown, vomits and rushes, capable of injuring someone.

Consequences

A nervous breakdown cannot be left unnoticed, as its consequences are dangerous:

  • fears, phobias, chronic anxiety;
  • panic attacks;
  • obsessive thoughts;
  • chronic cephalgia;
  • cardiovascular diseases;
  • metabolic disorder;
  • hormonal imbalance;
  • sleep disorder;
  • addiction care;
  • psychosis.

The consequences continue to haunt us for a year after the incident. A person who has suffered a nervous breakdown needs full rehabilitation, recovery, and rest. You can’t pretend that nothing happened and continue to live in the old stressful regime.

The moment of breakdown itself is dangerous due to the subject’s rash actions, words, and reactions. Family, business, and friendly relationships come under attack. Some people around you take what happened personally. In this case, they form.

The consequences of a breakdown vary: from screaming to murder. The severity of the attack implies the scale of the consequences for witnesses and the person who broke down.

Prevention of a nervous breakdown

The best thing that can be done is to increase it, identify negative factors in a timely manner and eliminate them. In practice, this is not always easy, for example, if the problem is an internal contradiction or old ones influencing from the subconscious. In this case, if something is bothering you, but you don’t know what exactly, or you know, but you can’t handle it yourself, I recommend contacting a psychologist.

What to do to prevent a nervous breakdown:

  • Follow the work and rest schedule.
  • Make a daily routine, a life plan.
  • Follow your diet.
  • Exercise regularly. Physical activity relieves tension, relaxes muscles, normalizes oxygen and blood circulation, improves brain function, and strengthens memory.
  • Take a maintenance vitamin complex periodically.
  • Treat illnesses in a timely manner.
  • Change unsatisfactory conditions.
  • Learn methods and ways to express emotions.
  • Get rid of bad habits, reduce or eliminate the consumption of alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, and other psychostimulants.
  • Give yourself at least 20 minutes every day.

A nervous breakdown is preceded by. This is what we need to fight against. A lasting effect of therapy can only be achieved by changing lifestyle, working on oneself, and solving internal problems. Eliminating symptoms will not give the desired result.

A nervous breakdown is a nervous disorder that is associated with psychological stress, prolonged or some kind of psychological trauma. For example, worries about being fired from work, severe overwork, everyday life that is not pleasing, grievances, unfulfilled desires. The reasons may be different, but the main criterion for nervous overstrain is a long stay in a certain situation that does not please a person and depletes his strength and energy.

Prevalence of neurotic breakdowns

This disorder can occur in both men and women, but the weaker sex is more prone to emotional problems. Women, as a rule, face more stressful moments and cannot cope with the avalanche of negative experiences that hit them. Women aged 30–40 years are especially predisposed to severe breakdowns.

Stages of a nervous breakdown

There are three stages. At first, a person feels inspired. He is full of energy and devotes himself to some activity, without listening to the body's signals about the excessive consumption of his nervous forces.

At the second stage, exhaustion of a neurotic nature is noticed, fatigue, anger, and irritability are felt.

At the last stage, apathy and a pessimistic attitude appear. A person becomes indecisive, embittered, lethargic.

Signs and symptoms

There are several main symptoms of an emotional breakdown - mood disorders, sudden mood swings, some may experience stupor, some may experience hysteria. There are also autonomic disorders and disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Signs of a breakdown vary. Here are the main ones:

1. Internal tension that occurs constantly.

2. There is no interest in various activities, no desire to have fun and enjoy life.

3. Someone's requests can lead to aggressive behavior.

4. Insomnia.

5 Weight gain or loss.

6. State of depression, fatigue.

7. Hypochondriacal thoughts, anxiety, suspiciousness

8. Touchiness and irritability

9. Hostile attitude towards others

10. Insomnia.

11. Pessimism, apathy and depression

12. Inattention and absent-mindedness

13. Headaches

14. Obsession with a person or situation, difficulty in switching.
15. Digestive problems.

Consequences of a nervous breakdown

There can be many consequences. This is a deterioration in physical health. Problems with blood pressure, headaches, heart rhythm disturbances, ulcers and other diseases may appear. Phobias, anxiety disorders or other mental disorders may develop. Some people have worsening relationships with society, conflicts, and addictions - drugs, nicotine and alcohol. A person may take rash actions, be more angry and touchy. In the worst case scenario, suicide attempts are possible.

How to cope

If you have a nervous disorder, it is advisable to consult a good specialist. It is always easier to cope with psychological problems with the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist than alone.

It is also worth paying attention to prevention. After all, it is better to prevent dangerous situations than to deal with them. Every person can avoid a nervous breakdown. If he learns to follow certain recommendations.


A nervous breakdown is a disorder caused by psychological overstrain, stress, or psychological trauma. Nervous breakdowns are characterized by a strong emotional reaction to situations. The cause of the breakdown may be worries about personal life problems, overwork, resentment, unfulfilled ambitions, unfulfilled desires. Despite the differences in the causes of the disease, the main feature of the human condition is his prolonged stay in a situation that causes depletion of strength and energy and causes negative emotions.

Nervous breakdowns are a common phenomenon in both men and women. But the fairer sex is more susceptible to this problem, especially in a midlife crisis (30-40 years old). The reason for this predisposition is the tendency to experience negative situations emotionally.

Women are simply not able to cope with the avalanche of problems on their own. In addition, the female psyche is structured in a special way: representatives of the weaker sex are more likely to experience not the problems themselves, but their experiences of these problems.

A nervous breakdown goes through three main stages:


It is not at all necessary that a breakdown will be characterized by sharp emotional manifestations. A completely opposite clinical picture is possible, characterized by a complete lack of activity, activity, passivity and lethargy.

Signs and symptoms of a nervous breakdown

The main symptoms of a nervous breakdown:

  • mood disorder: sudden changes, stupor, hysteria;
  • autonomic disorders: disturbances in the functioning of cardiovascular disease;
  • disorders of the nervous system, including problems with brain activity.

Signs of a nervous breakdown:

  • nervous internal tension;
  • lack of interest in life, activities, events, people;
  • aggressive reaction to requests or appeals from people;
  • sleep disorders, including insomnia;
  • sudden change in weight: loss or gain;
  • state of fatigue and depression;
  • anxiety, suspiciousness, negative thoughts;
  • irritability;
  • touchiness;
  • aggressiveness and hostility towards others;
  • pessimism and apathy;
  • headaches;
  • absent-mindedness and inattention;
  • fixation on an object, person or event;
  • Digestive problems.

Nervous breakdown in middle-aged women

Psychological portals are full of articles about the midlife crisis in men, avoiding this topic in women, which creates the impression that the fair sex is completely unaware of this condition. However, this is not true.

It’s just that, unlike men, whose crisis is characterized by self-searching and feelings of unfulfillment, women 30-40 years old experience a certain fatigue. The fact is that that period is active in working life for building a career and strengthening one’s position. Also active in raising children, most of whom are in adolescence, requiring special attention and control.

As a rule, the first signs of illness in the parents occur during this period, which causes additional anxiety and worry.

In addition, taking care of your appearance requires a lot of effort.

All together requires a woman to spend a lot of energy and leads to overwork, which can cause a nervous breakdown.

The body of a pregnant woman undergoes enormous changes. The consequence of these changes may be overstrain, which can develop into nervous breakdowns. Even a minor situation or minor problem can cause a surge of emotions, negative reactions and somatic disorders.

A pregnant woman is irritated by literally everything: loud voices of people, smells, sounds, taste characteristics. What is not normally an irritant for a pregnant woman is a cause or offense.

The reasons for this behavior are in a special hormone - gonadotropin, the concentration of which reaches its peak already in the first weeks of pregnancy. It is this hormone that provokes nausea, irritability and can lead to a nervous breakdown.

Subsequently, the situation is balanced by the production of progesterone, which is responsible for the normal conditions of fetal development in the womb. This hormone, in order to care for the fetus, leads to increased fatigue in the pregnant woman.

Another hormone that influences behavior is estriol. This hormone is responsible for the emotional state, causing increased sensitivity.

After childbirth, these hormones are produced in smaller quantities, but the body gets used to their constant presence and also begins to react inappropriately. For this reason, postpartum depression occurs, which can also lead to a nervous breakdown.

Danger of a nervous breakdown

A nervous breakdown is not an emotional outburst, as most people mistakenly believe. It is a severe disorder that can have a range of profound negative consequences.

The most common are:

  • deterioration of human health: headaches, cardiovascular disorders, changes in blood pressure, ulcers and gastritis;
  • depression;
  • phobias and anxiety disorders;
  • mental disorders of various types.

At the same time, relationships with people around you are disrupted: family, friends, colleagues. It is these relationship violations that are irreparable. Many people find comfort in various types of addictions: alcohol, drugs, nicotine. These addictions themselves can become a serious consequence of a nervous breakdown.

Mental disorders can include anger, resentment and even suicidal attempts.

If you have a nervous breakdown, you need to consult a good specialist. You should not self-medicate with various sedatives and medications. You need to understand that each group of drugs affects specific manifestations and cannot be universal. In addition, treatment alone cannot lead to positive results.

Treating a nervous breakdown is a long process. Even with the first improvements, it is necessary to continue taking the medications and all the doctors’ recommendations. The reason for the need for long-term treatment is the possibility of relapse of the disease. Visible improvement does not mean cure.

Particular attention should be paid to preventing a nervous breakdown.

  1. Control your emotions during important activities. At the first signs of tension and irritability, try to change the type of activity.
  2. Learn to “listen” to your body, noticing the first signs of its disorder.
  3. Try to be outdoors more. This will saturate the body with oxygen.
  4. Move more, forcing your body to experience physical activity.
  5. Do not self-medicate.
  6. Dose work and rest.
Author of the article: Maria Barnikova (psychiatrist)

Nervous breakdown

20.11.2015

Maria Barnikova

A nervous breakdown is a clear indicator indicating serious problems in the functioning and interaction of body systems.

Moderate, periodically occurring emotional stress is an important component of human life, motivating active activity and stimulating new achievements. Low-intensity and tamed, they allow you to maintain interest in life and encourage self-knowledge. Just as excessive and unbearable physical activity can cause muscle injuries, chronic and intense mental stress can cause serious negative consequences for the state of all systems. One of the most common mental health problems is the curse of modern times: a nervous breakdown.

Nervous breakdown– a pronounced indicator indicating serious problems in the functioning and interaction of body systems. A nervous breakdown is not a static phenomenon over time, but acts as an indicator of an acute initial phase in a developing pathological process in the sphere of a person’s mental life. A nervous breakdown informs about the likelihood of an approach:

  • psychogenic reversible states – ;

The result of such an acute crisis is the individual’s persistent conviction that he cannot control and manage his emotions, feelings, and behavior. During a nervous breakdown, a person is at the mercy of the ideas of his own worthlessness that have absorbed his thinking, which the person cannot resist by force of will.

Although a nervous breakdown is a specific reactive state that is often recorded in patients in clinical settings, the term does not have a precise scientific definition in official diagnostic classifications DSM-IV And ICD-10. Most doctors make an assumption about the fact of a nervous breakdown in a patient based on the subjective symptoms that the patient describes, confirmed by the immediate environment if the influence of negative external stimuli is obvious. Special situations have been described when a person’s history of a nervous breakdown appeared after the person had lost the ability to fully function in society.

Despite the painful symptoms that appear, a nervous breakdown is a kind of positive mechanism used by the body for protection. A nervous breakdown is a specific lever, by using which the body manages to relieve the accumulated exorbitant burden of fatigue and tension. A nervous breakdown is similar in nature to other protective tools of the body, for example: increased lacrimation, coughing, increased temperature in response to exposure to harmful factors.

Causes of a nervous breakdown

The factors that led to an acute crisis can be absolutely any events that occurred in a person’s life, which he interprets as significant phenomena. The causes of a nervous breakdown include both large-scale, sudden stress that is intense in its impact, and minor, chronically ongoing stressful situations.

According to research conducted by the American Mental Health Association, The most common causes of nervous breakdowns are:

  • sudden problems in a person’s personal life (divorce or breakdown of relations between spouses, separation from a beloved partner or his betrayal);
  • prolonged exposure to an unfavorable climate in the family (quarrels, difficulties in raising children, forced separation of spouses, long-term illness of a close relative);
  • uncomfortable working or training conditions (unfriendly atmosphere in the team, excessive or incomprehensible requirements, difficult schedule);
  • financial difficulties (low income, job loss, large loan obligations, sudden loss of personal property).

The causes of a nervous breakdown may be related to congenital characteristics or be the result of a person’s unhealthy lifestyle. Among these factors:

  • genetic predisposition to emotional disorders;
  • organic diseases of the central nervous system and thyroid gland;
  • deficiency or disruptions in the metabolism of neurotransmitters;
  • lack of vitamins, microelements, amino acids;
  • exposure to viruses and infections, in particular those affecting the brain;
  • insufficient rest, disruption of sleep-wake patterns;
  • alcohol abuse, drug use, self-medication with psychotropic drugs;
  • personality traits, total parental control, social isolation, incorrect mechanisms for responding to events.

It has been established that people with certain accentuated personality traits are predisposed to the development of psychogenic disorders and nervous breakdowns, such as:

  • impressionability, vulnerability, suspiciousness;
  • authority, intolerance, egocentrism, inability to take into account the wishes of others;
  • straightforwardness, uncompromisingness;
  • excessive punctuality, conscientiousness, responsibility.

Women are more prone to nervous breakdowns, since their emotional sphere is more intense, dynamic and unstable. Often a nervous breakdown is the result of unresolved internal conflicts: dissatisfaction of a person’s needs, discrepancy between what is desired and what is actually there, and the opposite of motives.

Symptoms of a nervous breakdown

Every person needs to know the symptoms of a crisis in order to take timely, comprehensive measures that can prevent the worsening of a psychogenic disorder. Symptoms of a nervous breakdown occur at three levels: physical (somatic and autonomic), mental (emotional and cognitive), and behavioral. As a rule, the disorder debuts with changes in the emotional sphere.

Mental symptoms

  • increased excitability, severe irritability;
  • intense reactions to a minor stimulus;
  • dissatisfaction and irritation from the slightest noise;
  • sensitivity to bright light;
  • decreased performance due to absent-mindedness, lack of composure, and inability to concentrate on the actions being performed;
  • fatigue and feeling of exhaustion;
  • impatience and fussiness;
  • indecision;
  • touchiness, vulnerability, suspiciousness;
  • feeling of restlessness and anxiety;
  • fixation on experiences;
  • mood instability;
  • tearfulness up to hysterical fits;
  • underestimation or overestimation of self-esteem;
  • contradictory life values.

In difficult situations, symptoms are intensified by ideas of guilt and one’s own worthlessness, or, conversely, paranoid thoughts of greatness and invincibility appear.

Physical symptoms

  • frequent headaches, especially of a compressive nature (“neurasthenic helmet”) or hallucinatory (psychalgia);
  • discomfort in the chest and abdomen;
  • dizziness, “floaters before the eyes” arising from surges in blood pressure;
  • vestibular disorders;
  • change in eating habits (lack of appetite or overeating);
  • persistent sleep disturbances (difficulty falling asleep, waking up early, frequent awakenings at night, nightmares);
  • excessive concern about health conditions, similar to hypochondria;
  • autonomic failures (increased sweating, heart rhythm disturbances, fluctuations in blood pressure, digestive organ disorders, frequent urge to urinate);
  • decreased libido and deterioration of potency in men;
  • disruptions in the menstrual cycle in women.

Behavioral symptoms

During a nervous breakdown, a person is unable to mobilize himself to perform activities, which is why he is forced to give up his usual responsibilities. When communicating, he easily loses his composure and cannot contain his emotions, shouting at his interlocutors, using harsh insults. Due to the lack of active attention, an individual may turn around and leave without explaining his behavior to others, which is why he seems very strange. Some people, during a nervous breakdown, are especially cynicistic, aggressive, and take out their anger on loved ones. There is also a possibility of increased dependence on alcoholic beverages (alcoholic depression) and the risk of starting to take narcotic drugs.

Nervous breakdown: treatment

Treatment for a nervous breakdown is chosen based on an analysis of the specific factors that provoked the crisis, as well as based on which symptoms dominate the patient.

  • Step 1. If the intensity of passions has reached its climax, it is necessary to urgently relieve mental stress. To overcome a nervous breakdown, relaxation techniques will help, the essence of which is to achieve a reduction in emotional intensity by eliminating muscle spasms. To do this, psychologists recommend trying to strain all skeletal muscles simultaneously or sequentially as much as possible. After severe tension, muscular and then mental relaxation will certainly occur.
  • Step 2. If you experience a nervous breakdown, you should definitely free yourself from aggression and release negative energy. This can be done by having a “battle” with a punching bag or by running for several kilometers. Any intense physical activity can cool down your ardor.
  • Step 3. Dousing yourself with ice water can instantly sober you up from negative thoughts. Those who do not dare to use such an extreme measure can take a cool shower or wash their face with cold water.
  • Step 4. To relieve the symptoms of panic attacks, you need to resort to breathing exercises, performing them in a well-ventilated area. You can close your eyes and slowly count to one hundred.
  • Step 5. Warm baths with aromatic oils or pine extract will help achieve relaxation. As a general strengthening remedy, it is recommended to undergo a course of therapeutic massage.
  • Step 6. When you feel the peak moment approaching, you should switch your attention to some significant circumstances that bring thrills. For example: watch the latest news, play paintball, attend a concert of your favorite band.
  • Step 7 Remember that you cannot accumulate destructive emotions in your soul: resentment, anger, rage, jealousy. It is necessary to study your feelings, change negative experiences to positive emotions. At the initial stage, it will be useful to engage in self-knowledge and adjustment of thinking under the guidance of an experienced psychologist. A nervous breakdown can be overcome with the help of hypnosis. Hypnotherapy sessions can completely “reboot” the brain, after which a person seems to be reborn.
  • Step 8 In order not to aggravate negative experiences, the source of such feelings should be eliminated or minimized: avoid contact with unpleasant people unnecessarily, get rid of objects that irritate, and do not engage in activities that do not bring joy.
  • Step 9 If an unpleasant event occurs, you should not try to forget it: you need to rethink its meaning. You can do this by talking openly about your worries with a close friend or psychoanalyst.
  • Step 10 Try to depict your emotions on a piece of paper: draw your anxieties, grievances, anger. After which it is necessary to supplement the picture with positive images of joy, happiness, kindness.

In some situations, a nervous breakdown requires the use of medication. Depending on what symptoms bother a person, the doctor prescribes treatment with drugs from the following groups: antidepressants, tranquilizers, nootropics, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, vitamins.

Council of psychologists: Don’t bring yourself to nervous breakdowns, learn to live in harmony with yourself and the world around you.

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