Anatomy of a Nervous Breakdown

Heading For a Breakdown 

It Can Build Up Over Years

• MAJOR MOVE: I moved from the Northwest to the Northeast--a pretty big change in culture. I went from a very laid-back environment to an intense and fast-paced one and, yet, I had not anticipated a problem with it. Investigate these sorts of changes before you make them and be realistic about your expectations.
• LOSS OF JOB: I think this is one of the more difficult things for us all to deal with. It is such a major part of our perceived identity. So many of us go through it and, yet, we feel lost and alone. Its best to get back up on your feet as quickly as you can.
• CHANGE IN LIVING SITUATION: After living alone for many years out west, when I moved east I married and moved into a home with extended family. I did not realize how hard it would be and did not prepare myself for the change. Know your limits.
• STRESSFUL WORK ENVIRONMENT: Not only was my career itself inherently stressful, but the specific situation was, as well. I did not have the autonomy I was used to in previous jobs. In addition, I had a long drive. I tried, perhaps too hard, to be good, to please. The lesson here is to take care of yourself first and don't put up with others who treat you badly.
• NO OPPORTUNITY FOR A BREAK: I spent long hours during holidays at work and was not able to take breaks when I needed them. It would have been a good idea to get myself out of such a stressful work environment.
• DEATH OF A CLOSE RELATIVE: I spent 5 days and nights with my father by his bedside while he lay in a coma. I tried to do too much on my own. I felt honored to be there for him and thought I would have a very spiritual response to his death, but I was a mess. The lesson here was: don't try to do it all alone.
• NO LET-UP: Of course, there were other stressors in there as well, some big, some small, but it was really the constant presence of stress that did me in, as well as the feeling of lack of control at work. My body was constantly pushing out stress hormones and did not have time to fully recover. Finally, my system just shut down.

Watch for Symptoms 

Try and catch it early!

• Difficulty focusing on things.
• When shifting from one thing to another, getting disoriented and forgetting what you are doing.
• Feeling angry and irritable much of the time.
• No longer wanting to go out for those get-togethers with co-workers. Spending more time by yourself.
• Being frequently late for work. Finding yourself behind and stressing yourself out further by hurrying to get there.
• You may stop finding joy in anything. Oh, you may still laugh at times, but, somehow nothing at all really interests you.
• Trouble with sleep: getting to sleep, staying asleep and difficulty getting up in the morning.
• Being frequently sick and having headaches.
• This may finally happen to you: One day you may go to work and feel extremely depressed. You may not be able to pull yourself out of it. You might feel panicky and and become almost non-functional. At this point you could be placed on an 2 to 8-week medical leave. You may crash so suddenly that it takes you by surprise. Don't you want to avoid this?

How to Help Yourself 

• Know yourself: your limits, your particular stressors, what you can handle and can't. Don't fool yourself. (Sometimes, though, we learn the hard way, don't we?)
• Find a healthy outlet for stress. Exercise is a very good one. Get yourself out there in the world. See friends. Go for a walk. Even if you don't want to. Force yourself.
• Take time every day to create some calm in your life. Meditate. Try Yoga.
• Be familiar with your childhood fears. When irrational fears come to your head, talk to them as an adult with a rational response. Write it down.
• If you can keep a short diary every day, it will help you to see, on paper, what is causing you the most stress and how long it has been going on - shedding a little light of reality on the situation.
• When you find that a certain situation is causing you constant, unrelenting stress, find a way to get out of the situation or to minimize it somehow.
• If you need help, get it. Its not worth holding out and thinking you can do it all by yourself. If the kind of help you are getting or the person who is helping you is not right for you, find someone else. Don't give up. Don't let money be an obstacle. Try local medical clinics, social service organizations, support groups, churches.....
• If friends and family offer you help, take it. That is what we are here for - to help each other through this life.
• It takes time to recover, but you WILL recover. You may need to sleep A LOT. Get yourself out in the world as much as you can. Be patient and gentle with yourself.
• Consider helping other people. Studies show that this increases your own sense of well-being. Even if it is as simple as holding the door for someone and smiling, its a good start.

Well-Known People Who Have Had a "Nervous Breakdown" 

• Charlie Chaplin
• Walt Disney
• William James
• Annie Lennox
• Abraham Lincoln
• Sir Isaac Newton
• Sylvia Plath
• David Selznik
• Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky
• Brian Wilson
• Virginia Woolf