Guest Writer

The following article was written by John Hoelzel, NAMI President of Grayson, Fanin and Cooke counties and is published with his permission.

Mental Health and You -What is a Nervous Breakdown?

What is a Nervous Breakdown? A "Nervous Breakdown" is a popular term, not a clinical term, having nothing to do with nerves, that was originally used to describe a mental disorder that a person experiences. It exists largely due to the stigma of mental illness (to be covered later in another mini-series) since some people preferred to have a physical (Nerves) illness as opposed to a psychiatric illness. It generally describes an experience like "snapping" under immense pressure, mental collapse or mental and physical exhaustion. This vague term can be used to hide a diagnosis; to avoid the stigma of a diagnosis; and also when the reasons for certain loss of functions are unknown or denied. There are many disorders that can fit within the criteria of "Nervous Breakdown", but modern psychiatry breaks the term "nervous breakdown" into more precise mental illness diagnoses (analogous to specific cancer diagnoses), covered in our next article. The specific disorder that mimics a vague "Nervous Breakdown" most closely is Major Depressive Disorder (Clinical Depression).

Very generally a "nervous breakdown" can be the acute manifestation of a specific mental illness and as such can sometimes lead to considerations of suicide, or attempts at self-harm. The sufferer can experience what they feel as the total breakdown of ability to deal with even the most minimal stresses of day-to-day living, and in extreme cases can become entirely non-functional and withdrawn.

Causes or triggers of "breakdowns" can include our prior topics on chronic and unresolved grief, including loss of job, academic or job stress, serious or chronic illness in a family member, divorce, death of a family member, and other traumatic life changes. Whatever the cause, the sufferer typically becomes aware of their limits and tolerance to stress.

Surveys show that about one-third of Americans feel on the verge of a nervous breakdown at some point. Studies estimate that 50-million Americans suffer some form of mental illness in their lifetime. Mental Illness treatment (a future article in this series) can include medication and counseling such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Peer group participation and "expecting recovery" (future topics) also provide remarkable hope for improvements in meeting life goals and restoration of more normal functioning.