WHAT IS A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN? WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO HAVE THEM?

When I was first diagnosed with depression my mother-in-law termed my illness as a “bad case of the nerves”.  I always shook my head at that one, and questioned, what does depression have to do with bad nerves; an incredibly old belief or judgment perhaps?

The term “nervous breakdown” is used by the public to characterize a wide range of mental illnesses. Nervous breakdown is not a medical term and doesn’t indicate a specific mental illness. Generally, the term describes a person who is severely and persistently emotionally distraught and unable to function at his or her normal level.

Often, when people refer to having a nervous breakdown, they’re describing severe depression.

Signs and symptoms of severe depression include:

~~  Agitation or restlessness

~~  Difficulty or inability to stop crying

~~  Sleeping difficulties

~~  Dramatic appetite changes

~~  Indecision

The causes of mental illness usually aren’t clear. But these factors may play a role:

~~  Stress

~~  Drug and alcohol use

~~  Coexisting medical conditions, such as thyroid disorders and certain vitamin deficiencies

~~  Genetics

SOURCE:  MayoClinic.com