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by Astaroth on March 15th, 2005
For starters, the expression "nervous breakdown" is not a clinical term.
It was popularized because people would always prefer to have a physical (nerves) problem, than a psychological or psychiatric problem, but the truth is that most of the times what people call a "nervous breakdown" is really one of the following (among others):
-Panic disorder, panic attack, bipolar disorder, anxiety, traumatic stress, post-traumatic stress, psychotic disorder, depression, schizophrenia, mood disorders.
In short, independently of the specific mental illness, a "nervous breakdown" is a system overload. In other words, if one has one of the illnesses listed, an overload or shock can make it worse and/or make it noticeable (as in the case of a schizophrenia or a mood disorder). You can say then that some conditions make people prone to a nervous breakdown.
If you are perfectly healthy, the system overload or shock can trigger and become one the listed things (such in the case of a panic disorder or post-traumatic stress). In this case the nervous breakdown itself is the beginning of a psychological problem.
So, finally we could define a "nervous breakdown" as a very strong psychological experience that shocks the person consciously or unconsciusly and shows itself immediately, progressively or eventually.
Some examples:
-Being a survivor of a military unit, having witnessed the death of your mates (eventual post-traumatic stress or immediate traumatic stress).
-Being abused as a kid (progressive mood disorder or eventual depression).
-Learning that a loved one died in a terrible accident (immediate panic attack or progressive depression).
Well, you get the idea.
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Comments
Nicely put
by Andy Is Wicked Married to Penal Colony on March 16th, 2005
Nervous Breakdown was the term used before Dissociative Mental Break
by Researcher on September 5th, 2005