Nervous breakdown: signs, treatment at home. What to do if a person has a nervous breakdown How to quickly get rid of a nervous breakdown

Content

An emotional breakdown is the peak of prolonged nervous tension in women and men, caused by various reasons - from the death of loved ones to problems at work and exacerbations of mental illness. The consequences of neurosis interfere with living a normal life, so intensive recovery is necessary. Depending on the cause, there are several ways to return to normal.

Reasons for the development of neurosis

Any emotional or physical stress leads to a nervous breakdown and diseases of the nervous system. The main reasons for the development of neurosis and exhaustion are:

severe grief, grief in the family, loss of loved ones;
traumatic emotional experience;
violence;
loss of interest in life;
high mental stress, emotional burnout, overload at work;
mental illness;
personal isolation;
military experience;
social conflict;
severe chronic illness or injury.

A nervous breakdown is a partial loss of a person's control over feelings, actions. During it, the will weakens, the patient is under the influence of stress, anxiety, anxiety. Pathology is characterized by maximum emotional stress, exceptional concentration, the inability to switch to something else. Decrease in working capacity, unpredictability of consequences is characteristic. To eliminate them, an appeal to a neurologist or psychotherapist is required.

How to deal with the effects of a nervous breakdown

To restore the nervous system, you must first recognize the cause of the breakdown, eliminate it, enlist the psychological support of loved ones. Helpful hints:

If the breakdown is caused by an event, it is necessary to be distracted and not constantly repeat the experiences of the recent past. This will help the support of loved ones, who should unobtrusively influence a person, interrupting isolation and withstanding aggression.
Mild forms of a nervous breakdown can be overcome on their own, but it is recommended to contact a psychotherapist to determine the cause of the pathology. Also, the doctor will prescribe an individual treatment with the help of physiotherapy or medication. The goal of therapy is to regain control over the emotional and physical state.
It is important to undergo a course of treatment for systems and organs affected by a breakdown. With frequent headaches, it is necessary to do magnetic resonance imaging, for pain in the heart - to make an electrocardiogram.
To prevent a relapse, it is recommended to adhere to a healthy lifestyle, eliminate stress, establish social contacts, actively relax, and change activities.

Priority measures

To quickly calm down, you need to enlist the help and support of others, because a person cannot cope on his own. Helpful Hints:

During an attack of aggression, let the patient shout or let off steam, offer physical activity - run, squat.
It is necessary to create a trusting relationship, a calm environment, not to be led to aggression, not to swear and reproach a person.

Give the patient water, tincture of motherwort or valerian, wash his face, hug him tightly.
With nervous trembling, it is necessary to hold the victim by the shoulders, talking during this, so that he does not perceive this as aggression. After that, you need to convince him to rest, put him to bed.
When hysterical, it is important to stop it abruptly - shout loudly, pour water over it, slap it in the face or drop some object. After you need to give water, smell the essential oil of lavender, help the person fall asleep.
Emotionally, you can’t get involved in a tantrum, you need to step back slightly, speak calmly and evenly, move slowly and smoothly. You can take a person by the hand, hug, advice will not be useful, but physical activity - a walk - will help relieve stress.

Restoring emotional balance

An important point of recovery after a breakdown is the return of the previous emotional balance. This will help:

A change of scenery - when overtired at work, you need to take a vacation, get rid of your usual environment for at least a week. It is advisable not to travel far, as acclimatization is also stressful, which leads to aggravation of the condition.
New hobbies and hobbies - it is advisable to choose active activities: cycling, walking, running, gardening, dancing.
Course of psychotherapy - conversational method. The cognitive-behavioral direction, interpersonal approach proved to be good.
Reducing work - remove unnecessary responsibilities, do not overload yourself.
Creativity - you can try to draw, write poetry or stories, take pictures.
Reducing the level of stress - you need to learn breathing exercises, yoga, normalize sleep patterns.
Proper distribution of time and responsibilities to avoid overexertion.
The practice of keeping a diary to analyze your condition. It is important to meet friends, go to the cinema, create occasions for positive emotions. Volunteering is useful - helping homeless animals, children from the shelter, the elderly, the disabled.
Physical exercise is effective in reducing stress.

Return of appetite

The state of the nervous system directly depends on nutrition. Vitamins and minerals from food contribute to the normal functioning of the brain, prevent exhaustion. To recover from a nervous breakdown, you need to restore your appetite:

start eating right - in small portions, but often;
include more vegetables, fruits, protein in the diet;
give up fast food, a lot of sweets, strong coffee, fatty foods, processed foods;
drink at least 2 liters of water a day to avoid dehydration;
to eat delicious, varied, if possible, learn how to cook - these are new emotions that overshadow the effects of stress.

Normalization of sleep

Sleep is important for the recovery of the body and immunity,

at this time, the brain is engaged in ordering information, memory improves, the nervous system is restored.

To reduce the effects of stress, you need to follow the rules:

Sleep at least 8 hours a day, start getting ready for bed from 21.00. At this time, the hormone melatonin is produced in the brain.
Before going to bed, you need to exclude phone calls, correspondence in social networks, watching news, movies, and refuse any sources of information. If this is not possible, you can read a light book.
You need to go to bed before 24.00 in order to restore the psyche and body as much as possible.
Relaxation techniques will help you from insomnia: lie down in bed, completely relax, feel warm, drive away unnecessary thoughts and emotions, breathe deeply. Before going to bed, it is advisable to ventilate the room.

Medicines for restoring the nervous system

If the breakdown was of a strong intensity, medications will help to cope with it. They are prescribed by a doctor from the following groups of tablets and syrups:

With a partial sedative effect (Valocordin, Corvalol) - relieve anxiety, stress on the heart, eliminate the effects of adrenaline rush.
Vitamins, dietary supplements, homeopathy (Tenoten, Stress-gran, Asparkam, Magnelis) - saturate tissues and cells with B, C, E vitamins, potassium, magnesium, calcium. It helps to generate energy, increase concentration, and normalize brain function.
Herbal preparations (Novo-Passit, Persen) - soothe, fight stress. The composition includes herbs of chamomile, St. John's wort, valerian, motherwort, passionflower.
Tranquilizers and antidepressants (Phenazepam, Tazepam, Desipramine, Amitriptyline) - are prescribed in severe cases, are dispensed by prescription. They are addictive and have side effects.
Over-the-counter complex drugs (Afobazol) - reduce the level of anxiety, irritability, tension, eliminate the effects of stress, slightly stimulate the nervous system, improve mood.

Content

There are moments when everything around infuriates, nothing brings joy, satisfaction. People who are in the immediate environment begin to suffer from your sudden mental breakdowns. All this can be accompanied by prolonged depression and hopeless disorders of the nervous system. What is a nervous breakdown is more or less familiar to every person, because everyone deals with stress. However, few people understand what it is fraught with and how to deal with it.

What is a nervous breakdown and how does it manifest?

A nervous breakdown is essentially a reaction of an organism tired of frequent stresses. A person at this time becomes unable to adequately relate to a particular situation, the circumstances around begin to put pressure both from an emotional point of view and from a physical point of view, control over one's feelings, the situation is lost. With a nervous breakdown, tremendous stress, nervous exhaustion, physical fatigue are experienced.

If this often happens to a particular person, then it is worth taking care of the psycho-emotional state, appointing a consultation with a psychologist, and start taking medications. But on the other hand, such a reaction in the form of psychological breakdowns is protective, used by our body during constant stressful situations.

Symptoms and signs

The manifestation of nervous tension can be expressed in the physical state, well-being, behavioral, and also emotional. The physical manifestations of a nervous breakdown include:

Insomnia or drowsiness
Constipation or diarrhea
Difficulty breathing to some extent
Severe headaches
Memory losses
Decreased sex drive
, elevated temperature
Violation of the periodicity of the menstrual cycle
Anxious feelings that are accompanied by panic attacks
Refusal to eat

Behavioral state:

Inappropriate behaviour.
Sudden change of mood.
Unexpected outbursts of anger.

Emotional:

Protracted depression.
Anxiety, anxiety, paranoia.
Excessive sentimentality, feeling of guilt.
Work and life around completely ceases to interest.
Increasing need for drugs and alcohol.
Suicidal thoughts.

Below, view an auxiliary video guide that clearly talks about some disorders of the nervous system, signs of human mental disorders, the causes of anxiety neurosis, emotional and nervous overwork, and treatment methods. Also, the video will help you learn how to act in a situation of a nervous breakdown of your loved one or relative:

Causes of nervous breakdown

The main cause of any nervous breakdown is constant stress. On one of these stressful days, the nervous system simply cannot stand it, an increased feeling of anxiety (anxiety neurosis) begins and ends with a serious nervous breakdown. Anxiety neuroses can be classified as follows:

phobias;
post-traumatic depression;
panic;
general anxiety disorder.

There are also other causes of nervous disorders, for example:

breakdown due to long-term use of certain drugs that affect the human psyche;
with the abuse of alcohol or any sedative drugs;
bad memories;
long-term stress, illness, etc.

In adults

Adults are most prone to nervous breakdowns, because every day they face stressful situations, experience certain negative events, try to solve intractable situations. For example, everyone is familiar with the situation: at work, a person does not keep up with deadlines, completing tasks, and then he transfers negative feelings into relationships with loved ones. Here are some causes of general nervous breakdown that are common:

An unexpected catastrophic event.
Difficult parting with a loved one or divorce.
Getting serious injuries.
Long-term events that upset (illness, work, family troubles).
Negative economic and political situations.
Violation of the daily routine.

In children and adolescents

In children, the occurrence of nervous disorders is due to global events in life associated with loved ones, or situations for which the nervous system of a young, fragile organism is not yet ready. This is often why a psychological breakdown occurs. Here are the specific causes and situations that can lead to nervous disorders in children of different ages:

An angry dog rushed at the baby, as a result of which he received a strong fright, began to stutter.
A mother who forces a two-year-old child to eat something that he cannot stand, but eats through force, can provoke anorexia and an aversion to food in general.
Divorce of parents and subsequent court history of who the children stay with.
Problems at school: study, relationships with classmates, teachers.
First unhappy love in adolescence.

The main cause of mental disorders in children is improper upbringing. The fact is that parents rarely understand all the mental, physiological, age characteristics of their child, do not always try to figure it out correctly, show indifference to the reasons for certain actions of children. As a result, the child's nervous breakdown does not keep itself waiting.

In women during pregnancy

Due to the tremendous changes in the body of pregnant women, nervous strain, frustration and breakdowns are not a rare case. The reason for this can be any insignificant situation, a trifle that a woman would not have paid attention to before. Literally everything starts to get annoying. Hormones in significant quantities, which the body produces to ensure the normal functioning of the fetus in the womb, simply do not give a quiet life. Here's how it goes:

In the first weeks, gonadotropin is actively produced, the concentration of which reaches its peak, provokes nausea, irritates the nervous system of women, and leads to a breakdown.
In the future, there is an active production of progesterone, which is responsible for the normal conditions of gestation and leads to increased fatigue.
The production of estriol occurs all the time during pregnancy, this hormone actively affects the emotions of the pregnant woman, making her sensitive to external factors.

Why a nervous breakdown is dangerous: possible consequences

A nervous breakdown does not go away just like that without consequences for human health, it necessarily manifests itself. Often these can be:

severe form of gastritis,
anorexia,
deep depression,
sexual disorders, etc.

The most dangerous consequence for a person who has suffered a nervous strain, a breakdown is suicide, physical attacks on other loved ones or strangers. Women (30-40 years old) are included in the group of increased risk and tendency to nervous disorders, because they are more emotionally dependent.

Ways to treat a nervous breakdown at home

If your loved one or you yourself begin to experience similar symptoms of a breakdown, approaching mental overstrain, you see that you are literally on the verge, try to take a few preventive steps, actions. The most important thing is to get away from the usual course of affairs, everyday life, for example:

Pull yourself or this person out of an environment in which he is constantly immersed and receives intense stress. A good panacea would be a vacation, at least without traveling, to give yourself the opportunity to sleep, take a break from work.
Traveling is a great option, changing activities and getting positive emotions.
Do not fall into melancholy, especially if you are a woman, stop reveling in self-pity, drive away all the bad thoughts that cause breakdowns.
Get out of your usual environment (home, office) and raise your head, inhale the air deeply into your lungs, enjoy the nature around you, disconnect from heavy thoughts.

Medical treatment: pills, injections

In advanced cases, medical intervention is simply not enough. It is necessary to undergo a special course of treatment, which should not last a strictly defined number of days. Therefore, it is important that the process of medical treatment of a mental breakdown is carefully monitored by a doctor in a hospital. As a rule, the following drugs are prescribed:

An antidepressant that treats a person's depression. It is important to know that not every depression can be treated in this way, in some situations it is contraindicated.
A drug to relieve feelings of constant anxiety (anxiolytic).
An antipsychotic drug is needed to treat a serious nerve disorder. In order to have a reason to appoint him, it is necessary to undergo a qualitative examination.
Vitamins to restore the cells of nerve tissues.

Folk remedies

Treatment of nervous disorders by folk methods involves taking sedative herbal decoctions, tinctures. The most from this disease is motherwort. From time immemorial, our grandparents have always prepared it in this way: a glass of dry grass is poured with boiling water and infused, and then they drink it three times a day. But other folk remedies for mental disorders:

Valerian root is poured with vodka and infused for two weeks. Drink it before going to bed, 100 grams.
In ancient times, mentally unbalanced people were suddenly doused with a bucket of cold water and forced to run, this was especially effective in the winter. From a scientific point of view, this is quite an adequate situation for breakdowns, because cold water acts on the muscles, causing them to contract. This is how the vessels are activated, the blood circulates faster and the person becomes adequate, correctly analyzing the situation.

Which doctor to contact

Most nerve disorders that require diagnosis and treatment are the specialty of a psychiatrist, psychotherapist or psychologist (depending on the severity of the condition). In many cases, a simple conversation with a psychologist is enough. Reception necessarily contains recommendations, advice.

When necessary, in addition to sessions of a conversational nature, in addition, this doctor can prescribe medications that will help to quickly relieve a depressive state and support the patient's psyche. If it is urgently needed, the psychologist will involve other colleagues in medical practice, for example, psychotherapists, etc.

Nervous disorder, although it does not have a term in medical practice, however, causes very serious diseases. It is dangerous not to react to it. In simple situations and forms of this mental state, a person is able to cope with the problem himself. In a situation close to a mental disorder, you should not be negligent about your health. Carefully monitor the state of your nervous system, help yourself and people in time!

Attention! The information provided in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give recommendations for treatment, based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

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A nervous breakdown or nervous breakdown is an acute temporary phase of a specific disorder that manifests itself primarily with signs of depression and neurosis. Usually this is facilitated by external stimuli, after which the person becomes almost unable to function normally in everyday life. To avoid a nervous breakdown, you need to learn how to deal with stress. Relapse is difficult to survive, so it is better to do everything so that it does not happen.

Steps

Part 1

Mental and Mental Health

You must understand that some things in life are beyond your control. Learn to distinguish between controlled and uncontrolled things and processes in your life. Most often, we worry about things that we can’t change and that we can’t influence. Such stress often leads to a nervous breakdown.

Ask yourself: is my reaction justified? Can this situation be avoided? Is there really cause for concern? Perhaps I worry too much and worry unnecessarily? Maybe I'm making an elephant out of a fly?
Try to look at yourself and the situation from the outside and analyze it objectively. Be calm.

Pay attention to your emotions, experiences and reactions. Share your feelings with other people. Look at how you react to different situations, how you express your feelings.
- Usually our ego does not allow us to share all our emotions with the people around us. You need to overcome yourself and not keep emotions, especially negative ones in yourself.
- If you feel like the situation is getting out of your control, take a step back. See if there is another way out and an alternative way to solve the problem. Try discussing your problem with a friend or loved one.
You need to be able to quickly adapt to circumstances. Perhaps you are asking too much of yourself? Most people become so obsessed with getting things done perfectly that they start to get needlessly stressed about it.
- Try not to be a perfectionist. This will lead to unnecessary stress and worries and can cause a nervous breakdown. Realize that there are no perfect people.
- No matter how hard you try, you can never do anything perfectly. Don't dwell on it.
Learn to say "No!". Do not work too hard, constantly do favors for other people. Learn to refuse people. Say "Yes" when you are sure that you can keep a promise and it will not be difficult for you. You need to focus on yourself and learn to say "No" to other people or "Not now".

Do things that please you. Find a new hobby, sign up for a circle or a club, take up painting, gardening, music, dancing.
- A hobby will help you take your mind off daily problems and anxieties. Entertainment will help you de-stress and get some rest before returning to work.
- Also, having a hobby will help increase your self-confidence.
Laugh as much as possible. Watch your favorite comedy TV shows and movies. Go to concerts, go to the theatre. You are more often in the company of friends and relatives.
- When a person laughs, the level of oxygen absorption increases, which reduces the level of stress, blood pressure, tension.
Spend more time with the people you love, the people who make you happy. Go on vacation or vacation. Spend time in nature, in the mountains, on the sea, near a lake or in a forest. It will fill you with new energy.

Think about the things you are grateful for. Surely God has blessed you with a good family or true friends, perhaps an interesting job or some kind of talent. Remind yourself that it's not so bad.

Try meditation. Various psychological exercises, such as meditation, help release stress and tension in the body, as well as increase the sense of self-esteem and enhance self-esteem. This helps prevent a nervous breakdown.

Try going for a massage. It will also help relieve stress. You don't have to go to a professional. You can simply ask a friend or relative for a back and neck massage. This will increase the levels and production of the hormones serotonin and dopamine, which improve mood.

Part 2
physical health
1. Exercise and exercise help increase the production of endorphins, which prevent depression. If you are on the verge of a nervous breakdown, the number of brain cells in the hippocampus decreases all the time. When a person starts exercising, their number increases. It also increases the level of endorphins - hormones of happiness.
  - If you start exercising, you will start to feel better. It will be easier for you to get rid of stress, and the level of stress hormones - cortisone and adrenaline will also decrease.
  - When you maintain physical activity, you begin to think less about the bad, you stop constantly thinking about your problems, which can make you depressed.
2. You need to get good sleep. If you feel stressed, you may find it difficult to sleep. Be sure to try to sleep as much as possible, but not too much - no more than 9 hours.
  - If you do exercises, it will be easier for you to fall asleep at night.
3. Make an appointment with your doctor to make sure that your bad mood is not caused by low levels of nutrients and nutrients in the body. Often, depression can be caused by low levels of vitamins D, B6, B12, as well as problems with the thyroid gland, which is responsible for the production of various hormones.
  - Go to the doctor for a checkup from time to time. Take tests, if the doctor prescribes medications, be sure to take them, do exercises and follow your diet.
4. Know that a lack of omega-3 fatty acids leads to a nervous breakdown. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids affect neuronal processes, leading to a nervous breakdown and depression. To increase the level of omega-3, you need to eat fatty fish - salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring. You can also eat nuts, such as walnuts.
  - When people are stressed and on the verge of a nervous breakdown, levels of a signaling molecule in the brain, also known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, drop significantly. There are various antidepressants that can raise brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Medications can be avoided by consuming large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and turmeric.
5. You need to consume amino acids to improve mental health. Amino acids play an important role in the symptom control processes that indicate and precede depression and nervous breakdown. The use of amino acids helps prevent a nervous breakdown. Amino acids make up most of the neurotransmitters in the brain. They are essential for maintaining a healthy mind. Proteins are also made up of amino acids.
  - You need to eat foods rich in proteins and amino acids - milk, dairy products, eggs, poultry, meat, legumes, peas, grains and beans.
  - Dopamine is a product of the amino acid tyrosine, and serotonin is a product of the amino acid tryptophan. Insufficient synthesis of neurotransmitters in the brain is associated with bad mood and mood swings.
6. Don't eat foods high in sugar. Sugar can contribute to inflammation in the body, which prevents the brain from functioning properly.
  - Do not eat semi-finished and canned foods, foods with a high content of food colors and preservatives.
  - Avoid foods high in sugar and carbohydrates (carbohydrates). This leads to the release of a large amount of insulin, which can cause hypoglycemia - a decrease in blood sugar. In this case, the brain produces glutamate in large quantities. This can lead to depression, stress, panic attacks.
7. Eat complex carbs, not simple carbs. Both forms of carbohydrates increase levels of serotonin, the feel-good hormone. But complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain bread or corn and oatmeal, allow this process to take place more quietly and gradually. Simple carbohydrates, such as sweets, candy, and sugary sodas, are high in sugar and are easily digested, resulting in too much serotonin.
  - Do not eat a lot of processed foods, foods high in sugar and gluten. They contribute to stress.
8. You need to eat foods rich in folic acid or vitamin B9. A lack of folic acid leads to a nervous breakdown and other mental health problems. Normal levels of folic acid in the body improve the effectiveness of antidepressants. Folic acid is found in spinach, citrus fruits, such as oranges.
  
  Eat more food rich in vitamin B. Eat foods that are high in calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and spices such as turmeric for antioxidants. This will help prevent depression and nervous breakdown. Vitamins B1, B2 and B6 are especially useful. They improve mood. Food rich in B vitamins:
  - Dark vegetables with green leaves.
  - Red meat.
  - Green pea.
  - Whole grain crops.
  - Nuts - almonds, walnuts, and lentils.
  - Milk, yogurt, cheese.
  - Bird, fish, eggs.
  - Peanut.
  - Seafood.
  - Bananas.
  - Potato.
9. Eat more zinc to avoid stress. Many studies show that zinc helps prevent stress, as people who are depressed have low levels of zinc.
  - You can eat foods containing zinc or supplements to help increase the effectiveness of pills or antidepressants.
  - Zinc contains: seafood, nuts, whole grains, pumpkin seeds, spinach, mushrooms, beans, meat.
10. You need to consume a lot of selenium. It reduces stress levels. Low selenium content leads to mood swings, anxiety and mental disorders. Eat American and Brazil nuts, seeds, poultry, mushrooms, lean meats, fish, and eggs.
11. Eat foods rich in iron, iodine and chromium. Iron, iodine and chromium play an important role in preventing a nervous breakdown. The lack of these substances leads to fatigue, depression, mood swings.
  - Iron is found in red meat, dark leafy vegetables, egg yolks, dried fruits, poultry, beans, lentils and artichokes.
  - Iodine is found in cow's milk, yogurt, strawberries, seaweed, eggs, soy milk, sea fish and cheese.
  - Chromium is found in whole grains, meat, brown rice, seafood, broccoli, mushrooms, beans, legumes, dairy products, eggs, milk, cheese, poultry, corn, potatoes, fish, tomatoes, barley, oats, herbs.

The resources of the human psyche are great, but not unlimited. And at some point she gives up, expressing her "surrender" through a nervous breakdown. How to distinguish it from the usual hysteria? Why does it happen and what can be done to cure it?

What is a nervous breakdown?

A nervous breakdown (nervous breakdown) is a sudden outburst of emotions associated with excessive stress on the nervous system. The state is always:

acute ("stormy");
transient;
accompanied by signs of neurosis and depression;
provoked by external stimuli.

Nervous breakdowns in women occur more often than in men. Although the peculiarities of the psyche in this case become more important than gender: weak, vulnerable, overly emotional people lose their temper more easily and give in to an attack. But with prolonged negative impacts, strong personalities, who generally have a stable character, can break down.

It is interesting that nervous breakdowns are not mentioned in the generally accepted diagnostic systems, that is, they are not associated with mental illness. Sometimes a breakdown is only a condition in which the patient loses the ability to function normally.

A nervous breakdown is always associated with excessive pressure on the psyche. Such a disorder is a defensive reaction to what is happening around. The causes of nervous breakdowns usually turn out to be all sorts of unpleasant incidents:

separation, divorce, failures in personal life;
problems at school or at work;
difficulties with money;
serious chronic diseases;
joining a new unfriendly team;
physical and mental overload;
excessive feelings.

Anything can be a factor that provokes a breakdown. Basically, a cumulative effect works: the longer the impact of an event on the psyche, the higher the likelihood of an acute nervous breakdown.

Nervous breakdown: symptoms of a developing disorder

Although the attack itself is quite "spectacular", it does not occur out of the blue. So, it manages to go through several stages of development. They are distinguished by three:

The first stage is "preparatory". During this period, a person experiences an unreasonable rise in strength, begins to look at things with hypertrophied optimism, and works a lot. How to understand that this is not a normal situation, but a sign of illness? If such a surge occurred after a serious shock (death of a loved one, dismissal, relocation) or occurred against the background of general fatigue, then it is almost certainly a “calm before the storm”. The most interesting is yet to come. By the way, at the first stage, complaints of insomnia, fever, anxiety, trembling in the hands are possible.
The second stage is "depressive". Vigorous activity is gradually replaced by passivity: the body cannot withstand the rhythm and gives up. The main characteristic of the period is physical and nervous exhaustion. As a result - depression, apathy, disappointment due to unfulfilled expectations. In addition to blues and melancholy, memory lapses, unreasonable panic attacks, headaches, irritability are possible.
The third stage is the "peak". When an organism exhausts the resources available to it, it can no longer continue to exist in its former rhythm. He needs rest. On the physical level, this is expressed through regular dizziness, nausea, increased heart rate, pressure surges, eating disorders, constipation or diarrhea. Libido may decrease, and in women there is a failure in the menstrual cycle. It is at the third stage that what usually happens is what is called a nervous breakdown - a sharp emotional outburst of a destructive nature.

You can stop the development of the disorder at any stage. But, as practice shows, the majority ignores the signals of the body, fearing to “fall behind”: not getting a promotion, not earning the approval of loved ones, not becoming a good enough parent, etc. As a result, sooner or later, symptoms of a nervous breakdown appear out of nowhere, causing bewilderment of relatives and friends who believed that everything was fine.

Nervous breakdown: signs of an attack

An attack is a signal that the psyche has reached an extreme point. She can't take much more, and the signs of a nervous breakdown are her last way to communicate the problem. The following symptoms appear:

Non-stop sobs.
Violent hand trembling.
Cardiopalmus.
Screams.
Breaking dishes, throwing objects.

An attack can start for any reason: a broken glass, a lost TV remote control, a child’s incomprehensibility ... Usually it’s just a trifle that infuriates a person. It becomes the last straw that overflows the cup of patience of the psyche. From the outside, a nervous breakdown often seems somewhat inadequate: a woman who is hysterical because of coffee dripping on her dress is perceived by others as strange. For her, such an insignificant incident is the last proof of her worthlessness, insolvency, and failure.

A nervous breakdown happens when you can't take it anymore. Moreover, if women mostly fall into hysterics, then men prefer the manifestation of open aggression. They can destroy the furnishings of the house, hit the wife or children, in a mild case - throw something off the table or loudly hit the wall with their fist. But feelings are not alien to men, and tears, sobs, sobs are quite possible.

What symptoms of a nervous breakdown will appear in a particular situation depends on the person himself: his upbringing, character, habits. Nevertheless, in any case, the internal state will be associated with a feeling of hopelessness and despair.

Nervous breakdown: consequences

A nervous breakdown never goes unnoticed. Of course, the acute phase is not endless and is replaced by a chronic disorder, accompanied by prolonged depression, constant anxiety, and general discontent. Almost always, after a nervous breakdown, one of the following occurs:

Somatic diseases affecting physical health.
Hypochondria and attempts to find some kind of disease in himself.
Psychoses and neuroses, neuropsychic exhaustion.
Short temper, frequent mood swings, deterioration of character.
Formation of destructive habits that cause addiction (smoking, alcoholism, gambling, overeating, drug addiction).
Problems in relationships with friends, relatives, acquaintances, colleagues.
Closure, unwillingness to communicate, unauthorized isolation.
Lack of career advancement, loss of interest in work.
Aggression towards children, animals, sometimes adults.
Suicide.

The consequences of the attack are associated with the lack of a crisis. If a person does not know what to do in case of a nervous breakdown and how to behave competently to minimize the consequences, he can simply endure an attack and continue to live according to a destructive scenario. After some time, the disorder will worsen again, but it will be more difficult to recover from it. Each attack throws a person back psycho-emotionally: a nervous breakdown impoverishes the psyche, making it less flexible and adaptive.

Nervous breakdown: how to treat?

The surest tactic is to visit at least a psychologist. It is quite possible to find a specialist not only in your region, but also anywhere in the world, using the Internet. In this case, it will be possible to maintain maximum anonymity and you will not have to worry that personal problems will become public in a small city. Although not always talking with a psychologist helps. In advanced cases, a visit to a psychotherapist who has permission to prescribe medications is required.

The following drugs are widely used to prevent recurrent attacks:

Ordinary sedatives. This is the mildest option, since you can buy drugs without a prescription. Usually it is advised to take Glycine, Corvalol, Valoserdin. The funds are relevant for quick calming and improving sleep, but a serious effect cannot be expected from them.
Herbal preparations. This includes tinctures (motherwort, peony), as well as more modern Novo-Passit or Persen. Medications work quite strongly, inhibiting cognitive and emotional reactions. They also reduce the ability to concentrate and provoke drowsiness.
Vitamin and mineral complexes. They are used as an addition to the main therapy. Magnesium preparations, as well as multivitamins Gerimaks and Supradin, have proven themselves well.
Over-the-counter anti-stress medications. They are prescribed to reduce anxiety, relieve tension, stimulate the functioning of the nervous system. It is often recommended to take Afobazol.
Antidepressants, tranquilizers and other potent drugs. You can only buy them with a prescription. For example, Phenazepam or Pyrazidol. Use such drugs only in critical cases, when other methods do not work.

The success of drug therapy mainly depends on how competently the drugs are combined with each other and how well they suit a particular patient. Therefore, before treating a nervous breakdown, a specialist may advise a person to undergo a medical examination.

Nervous breakdown: treatment at home

Not all people are ready to go to psychotherapists and restore their mental health with the help of a specialist. If a person maintains a clear mind and feels strong in himself, he may try to do self-therapy. So - how to treat a nervous breakdown at home?

Body work. Sport is indispensable for nervous disorders. You should sign up for a gym, start attending yoga classes, or join a dance group. Even a simple exercise reduces the level of stress, "unloading" the psyche, and the load on the muscles helps to speed up the metabolism and normalize emotional well-being. In addition, sport disciplines and does not allow you to become limp: the main thing is not to allow yourself to miss training “only today”.
Breathing practices. The developed ability to control breathing makes it possible to always remain calm. At the moment of stress, it is enough to take a few deep breaths and count to ten - and the level of anxiety will immediately decrease. Breathing exercises can be combined with meditation: it also has a calming effect.
Relaxation. With a stressful rhythm of life, it is recommended to devote at least fifteen minutes a day to relaxation: take a foam bath, go for a massage, listen to pleasant music, enjoy your favorite aromas ... Regular relaxation will help the body constantly relieve tension, preventing it from accumulating and developing into a nervous breakdown.
Eliminate as many stressors as possible from your life. A person on the verge of a nervous breakdown does not need processing, conflicts with friends, thoughts about a lack of money ... It must be accepted as a fact that nothing can be solved now and you just need to slow down. You should live at the minimum “speed” and perform only necessary tasks until the situation returns to normal. Additionally, it is required to limit the viewing of news, horror films, thrillers and other content with a negative theme.
Talking about your problems. You can talk with a loved one or with yourself, sitting in front of a mirror. Some are helped by recording their monologues and then listening to the audio "from the side." A good option is to keep a diary and analyze what exactly provokes a deterioration in the psychological state and how you can deal with it.

You need to listen to your inner voice. Often it is he who shows the way out of the current situation.

Each person can face a sudden surge of their own emotions, completely uncontrollable. This is a nervous breakdown, the treatment of which is better not to delay. Mental health is just as important as physical health.