A nervous breakdown is colloquially referred to when an acute mental stress situation leads to massive psychological complaints, which in turn can manifest themselves in the form of fits of anger, crying fits, depressive moods, states of exhaustion or physical symptoms.
Table of Contents
- definition
- causes
- Symptoms
- therapy
- Naturopathy for a nervous breakdown
definition
There is no clear medical definition of the colloquial term “nervous breakdown”. It is the response to a traumatic event which, according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), is most likely to be classified as neurotic, stressful, and somatoform disorders. Here, the nervous breakdown falls into the category of adjustment disorders and includes symptoms such as acute stress reactions (short-term nervous breakdown immediately after an event) or post-traumatic stress disorder (long-term psychological or social impairment due to traumatic events).
Those affected really slump in on themselves. It envelops a massive gravity. Patients report a feeling of massive emptiness. Triggers can be long-term humiliation, bullying, sexual assault or even violence. However, sudden events such as accidents or news of the death of close friends or relatives are often the cause. Those affected fall over, cry, and seem out of control.
causes
Traumatic events that can underlie a nervous breakdown are, for example, impressions of a serious traffic accident, a natural disaster or war experiences. But personal fates such as rape or kidnapping are also associated with such extreme psychological stress that those affected often suffer a nervous breakdown. Furthermore, the loss of loved ones, such as one’s own children, often has a traumatic effect. However, the nervous breakdown does not have to be based on corresponding extreme events, but sometimes supposedly more harmless experiences, such as persistent bullying or relationship stress, can trigger psychological overload. Whether someone has a nervous breakdown is therefore not only dependent on the events experienced, but is closely related to the individual requirements. Personal coping strategies and options play a key role here.
Severe strokes of fate such as the loss of close loved ones can cause a nervous breakdown. (Image: Osterland / fotolia.com)
Symptoms
A nervous breakdown can manifest itself through a variety of symptoms. For example, in the context of an acute stress disorder, a certain mental absence of those affected can often be observed and the patients tend to act irrationally. They also show strong emotional fluctuations, with an alternation of intense sadness, anger, aggression and indifference. Physical symptoms such as excessive sweating, racing heart , dizziness , nausea, and vomitingcan also be part of the symptoms. In the acute phase, some people begin to tremble uncontrollably all over their bodies and fall into crying fits. Even long after the stressful event is over, so-called flashbacks can still appear, in which the patients relive the situation. It is not uncommon for you to try to avoid comparable situations in order not to expose yourself to psychological stress again. This is usually associated with considerable restrictions in everyday life.
If the patients suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, long-term dissociations (lack of connection or association between perception, memory, sensory impressions, etc.) and changes in personality appear in addition to many of the symptoms mentioned. Those affected also tend to (auto) aggressive behavior and suicide attempts. Their ability to form personal bonds is permanently disturbed and they often develop accompanying depression. More unspecific complaints such as nightmares and sleep disorders may also be part of the symptoms.
therapy
While a nervous breakdown in the form of an acute stress reaction often subsides after a relatively short period of time (a few hours to a few days) without further therapeutic measures, post-traumatic stress disorder usually requires comprehensive therapy that helps those affected to process the traumatic events . Psychotherapy is quite promising here, although outpatient or inpatient treatment can be provided, depending on the extent of the symptoms. Furthermore, the approaches of psychotherapy differ depending on the individual situation of the person concerned.
In trauma therapy, what has been repressed is reprocessed. Image: WavebreakMediaMicro – fotolia
In the case of post-traumatic stress disorders, an essential component of the treatment is usually specially adapted variants of cognitive behavioral therapy, in which the traumatic experiences are also confronted (confrontation therapy). In addition, there are numerous other, mostly highly specialized, treatment approaches for the therapy of post-traumatic stress disorder, which are used depending on the individual symptoms. In addition, psychotropic drugs such as benzodiazepines (special sedatives) are sometimes used, although long-term use is to be assessed extremely critically in view of the risk of side effects and the risk of dependence. Trauma therapy is also used. This attempts to transport what has been experienced from the cold storage to the warm storage of the brain. In this way, what has been experienced is reprocessed.
Naturopathy for a nervous breakdown
Naturopathy offers some promising approaches, particularly for the relief of acute stress reactions, for example based on calming herbal preparations (valerian, hops) or the use of relaxation techniques ( autogenic training , progressive muscle relaxation ). These are also said to have a preventive effect. If patients feel close to a nervous breakdown, they can achieve a certain protective effect with the help of relaxation techniques and herbal supplements. With Kalium phosphoricum, homeopathy also offers a very effective prevention option. However, all of these naturopathic preventive options assume that an impending nervous breakdown is recognized at an early stage.
However, it is not uncommon for those affected to suffer a nervous breakdown relatively suddenly after an unexpected traumatic event. There is only the option of subsequent treatment. Which naturopathic procedures are used here depends heavily on the individual symptoms. Long-term complaints are often combined with psychotherapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
