Profound insomnia is one.
We used to have people check into a psychiatric hospital I worked at who hadn’t slept for three or four days. Some people would complain of feeling like insects are crawling over their bodies. Combativeness was not unusual.
There are a lot of other symptoms. We can break down them into three main categories: Physical, Emotional & Behavioral.
Physical Symptoms
- Sleep disruption – much longer periods of sleep or insomnia
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Breathing problems
- Migraine headaches
- Low libido
- Memory loss
- Disrupted menstrual cycle
- Extreme exhaustion/fatigue
- Feelings of persistent anxiety or panic attacks
- Significant changes in appetite, such as eating too little or too much (comfort eating)
- Visual/eye disturbances
Emotional Symptoms
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Agitation and restlessness
- Indecision
- Loss of confidence and self esteem
- Inability to stop crying
- Feelings of guilt, poor judgment
- Disinterest in social life and work or alienation from previously close friends and family
- Inability to pursue a normal life, normal activities or normal relationships
- Increasing dependence on alcohol or drugs
- Paranoid thoughts, such as the thought people are trying to harm you
- Seeing people who are not there
- Thoughts of dying or wish to die
- Thoughts of grandeur or invincibility
- Having flashbacks to a prior traumatic event
- Hearing voices
Behavioral Symptoms
- Mood swings
- Strange behavior such as odd body movements or undressing in public
- Exhibiting strong or violent anger
- Depressive symptoms, such as loss of hope and thoughts of suicide or self-harm
- Anxiety with high blood pressure, tense muscles, clammy hands, dizziness, upset stomach, and trembling or shaking
- Insomnia
- Hallucinations
- Extreme mood swings or unexplained outbursts
- Panic attacks, which include chest pain, detachment from reality and self, extreme fear, and difficulty breathing
- Paranoia, such as believing someone is watching you or stalking you
- Flashbacks of a traumatic event, which can suggest undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)
- People experiencing a nervous breakdown may also withdraw from family, friends, and coworkers. Signs of such withdrawal include:
- Avoiding social functions and engagements
- Eating and sleeping poorly
- Maintaining poor hygiene
- Calling in sick to work for days or not showing up to work at all
- Isolating yourself in your home how to recognize and treat the symptoms of a nervous breakdown
The first thing is not being able to carry out the usual activities of your life and having difficulty concentrating. You may have trouble eating, sleeping, and even bathing. You might respond in unusual ways to people around you, crying more or laughing more. You might be afraid to be in public spaces. You might not get joy out of the relationships or things that used to make you happy. You might feel helpless or like somebody died only nobody did. You might obsess over things that never bothered or irritated you before. You might think that you are not worthy or good. These are just a few things that you can speak with a nurse, doctor, psychologist, or social worker about. If you feel like you would like to hurt yourself or anyone else, go to an emergency room or call a hotline right away. If you have people in your family who have suffered from mental illness you may be more prone just as a diabetic history will make their people more prone. Do not keep your feelings to yourself. Medications and Behavioral therapy are getting better every day.
The concept of the ‘mental breakdown’ is summarized here in three stages: first, something departs, the ground slips under your feet. Second, you wonder why, how, why me, what is the reason, point of all this. Thus ruminating, I believe, ‘drive you crazy, as we say. Third, and this is where shit can get pretty damn serious, is that you feel like you cannot communicate ‘it’ to people. You cannot express your feelings, situation, perspective, problem. Stay calm. Even when it feels like the end of the world, or you, or both, a) it probably is not, b) if it is then we all go down anyhow, so why do you care, c) let’s say it is all shit and stuff, perhaps the rational thing to do is to chill the fuck out and talk to a medical professional.
I think that in many ways the mind works like a muscle and some failure is part of the growth process.
To me, there are some signs that there HAS been a breakdown, but that is not necessarily an indicator of if it will get worse or not. Some of these indicators for me are not remembering periods of time, feeling like I don’t have a handle on my life, or feeling various physical symptoms.
Example: I grew up having atopic dermatitis. I basically would itch myself. As a kid, it got out of hand many times. After my initial adulthood, I grew out of it though that pattern is still inside me. I just avoid thinking of it and using it. Sometimes when I’m stressed I find myself initiating that pattern of atopic dermatitis. Though sometimes it’s a soothing thing to help me get back in control it can also be an indicator that I’m falling.
I feel like some mental patterns are so compelling in how they relate to an old destructive behavior that if I encounter one and mishandle it then it can fuel old patterns that I used to do that aren’t good for me.
Your body and your mind will tell you.
Physical expressions of anxiety will make themselves known. Fast heart rate, palpitations, shaky hands or limbs, sweating, weight loss or gain, substance abuse.
Your thoughts will race and cognitive functioning will evaporate – the ability to apply critical thinking skills and to reason objectively will escape you entirely. All of which will give rise to hypervigilance, hypersensitivity, agitation, irritation, withdrawal, and most likely isolation.
If you feel any of the combinations happening seek help.
