Defining a Nervous Breakdown

Whatever Happened to Nervous Breakdowns? While this was never an official diagnosis, just a popular euphemism in the days when mental illness carried a huge stigma, shrinks say they frequently hear the term from patients who see it as a convenient catch-all for the inability to function due to psychological stress. "The term lives on in our culture, maybe because it seems to capture so well what people feel or go through when they are distressed," says one therapist. Melinda Beck has details on Lunch Break.

More from the Wall Street Journal:

[tnfpodcast]

I always describe having a nervous breakdown like this: imagine having a nightmare you never wake up from for several months.

[liz.]

Help is expensive. Being denied needed care because of money reinforces feelings of worthlessness.

[mandyduplessis]

People who come here to watch are in a fragile state. All the laughter and "mocking" of the term do more harm than good. Dont watch. Useless.

[flamingrobin]

a nervous breakdown is fried the body can't rest relax recoup from prolonged stressors it will take a physiological toll on your body and nervous system. there may be some relationship to Adrenal fatigue or nervous, sensitive personality types, and hypervigilance. sensitive people take on more emotions and nuance from their environment so they can over process stimilous to a state of distress. There could also be a connection to having poor boundary setting skills which leaves one feeling powerless to take back their life and protect themselves from aggressors, stressors, pressures and external demands.

[freedomofreligion]

If it hasn't happened to you, you really don't know. Like trying to describe NAUSEA to someone whose never experienced it. Try it.

[RosieBrownie]

Not much information, however the awful background noise almost gave ME a nervous breakdown 😑👎🔊

_trying to not sound too negative but I'm clearly depressed, so..._

[vintagelittleone]

Wow what an underwhelming and useless video with little to no information. The interviewer is not only lacking any sort of empathy but she also lacks information (let go of your insurance jokes please, it's not funny anymore). Also, nervous breakdowns are not just for the one percent, the elite or the posh, they happen to anyone. Not everyone tries to self medicate when experiencing a nervous breakdown, if anything they don't even know they are having one. If you're coming to the table to explain a complex mental illness with little information, maybe you should actually gather your stats better before you tout your expertise.

[charleshurstreinvention]

Key word--nervous. Today's world seems to be an abyss as I told my subscribers in this week's topic. People have a sense of feeling lost. Many are in the emotional depths so deep they feel they are about to be overwhelmed internally--aka the breakdown. I've been close to this twice in my life. Once at 22 for social reasons as I had no social ability with others especially the opposite sex. I was also at the bottom ranks of the enlisted military with no trade to my name. And once at 31 as I graduated college with a physical therapy degree, flunked the boards in a field that just went south with no jobs thanks to severe medicare cuts. I solved both with this simple task. It really is this simple. You take a piece of paper and on one side write the problem. On the other side the solution. In the middle you write the strategy to get there. Then at the bottom of the page you write each strategy and subdivide what you have to do to make that strategy happen. IE. Problem: no PT license. Solution: become a licensed therapist. In the middle : Strategy: pass the board test. Subdivide. 1 ) take a class for the exam 2) study for it for four months. This simple method visually puts in your mind--yes, this is what I need to do and here is what I do to get there. By being proactive the mind veers away from the breakdown point instead of spinning its wheels in panic which over time is what leads to the breakdown. And you can use this method for anything plaguing your life to climb out of the abyss. Hope this helps someone out there---Charles

[apsimmy]

What a shame they have socio economically politicized the term nervous breakdown. I've never heard 'nervous breakdown' being a term for the 'upper classes'. Ever.

[stagehand]

Why do tv personalities invite a professional opinion and then talk over them?

[TRADERSFRIEND]

This told me nothing??? I still don't know what it is. I had a friend today tell me that the doctor said his wife had a nervous breakdown over the weekend and I am trying to wrap my head around the term!!!

[i-am-very-real]

I just had a three month long nervous breakdown, not fun at all. It was horrible.

[strateshooter]

Thanks for posting.  Trying to understand this...

[Derk_Mage]

Judging My the comment section, Everyone who is here just came from a breakdown.
Madness just wanted to laugh but we couldn’t as the weeping was stronger

[sevencool]

I'm even more confused than I was before

[justynjonn]

That walking around in the background is giving me a nervous breakdown.

[countrygirl]

What if this is brought about by a 2nd year resident who decides to cause stress to a patient.

[iymgkdf]

Congratulations on your caring video "Defining A Nervous Breakdown" inspirational thanks for sharing. I care. 💖

[bumslayer]

I want to work at that location. I believe they were playing beer pong in the background?

[Raysmukbangs]

Tell us to not take drugs but to get medication okay makes sense. Give us some natural suggestions