12 signs you might be heading for a nervous breakdown

Definition:

nervous breakdown

noun

a period of mental illness resulting from severe depression, stress, or anxiety.

“Joe nearly had a nervous breakdown”

A friend on mine has a nervous breakdown last week. He told me he it could have been avoided if he’d spotted the signs and taken action sooner.

This article is designed to help you realise if things have gone too far for you or someone you know, and that’s it’s time to do something to improve your mental health.

“Nervous breakdown” is a rather nebulous term, but it usually refers to someone reaching a crisis point with regard to their mental health. It can culminate in passing out, a stroke, a heart attack or just feeling you can’t carry on like this any more.

It’s caused by a prolonged period of cumulative stress and anxiety, that results in life feeling less and less manageable.

A healthy person will experience stress and anxiety from time to time, perhaps even daily. But they will have ways to release the pressure so that it doesn’t build up and they can reset.

Here 12 signs you could be heading for a nervous breakdown:

1. You have no downtime

You feel like you’re rushing from one thing to the next, with no space to catch your breath. (OK, I know, this is most people in London!)

2. Normal life feels unmanageable

Struggling with things like what breakfast cereal to choose or unloading the washing machine are a sign of cortisol overload. This can go hand in hand with lack of concentration and focus.

3. You’re withdrawing socially

It’s logical to want to isolate yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed. You want to avoid further stimulation or anything that feels like effort. Maybe you also don’t want other people to know how you’re feeling.

5. You can’t sleep

The body metabolyses stress hormones when you sleep, so insomnia pervents you from ‘resetting’ your stress levels.

This means it takes very little to tip you into the stress-overload or panic zone.

6. Escape fantasies

You’re caught in a cycle of thinking this is all too much to cope with, and you need a way out, while another part of your brain is telling you “I must carry on, I can’t give in, if I just try harder I will get on top of it”.

6. You’re having panic attacks

Prolonged feelings of anxiety can lead to overwhelming feelings of fear that seem to come out of the blue.

Once you’ve had an attack, worrying about having another one can be worse for your mental health than the panic attacks themselves.

7. Extreme mood swings

One minute you’re feeling good, then something small makes you snap with rage or worry incessantly.

8. You’re self-sabotaging

This could be abusing drugs or alcohol, the way you treat people around you or the way you do your job.

9. You feel like a failure

You may know at some level it’s not your fault, but emotionally, you feel like you’ve failed.

You’re putting a negative filter on everything and struggling to remember anything you’ve done well or succeeded at.

10. Loss of hope

You might experience thoughts of suicide or just feel helpless.

11. You feel numb

Some people on the cusp of a breakdown report not feeling much of anything. You might stop caring how you look, lose interest in activities you used to enjoy, and isolate yourself from family and friends.

12. You feel isolated

You have a sense of having to deal with all your problems by yourself.

What to do if you recognise these signs in yourself:

The most important thing you can do, is ask for help. You’ve tried handling this on your own and it’s not working, so it’s time to be honest about your state of mind.

Contact your GP, or perhaps start by talking to a friend or loved one.

In order to take back control of your life, here are some things you can do on a weekly or daily basis to get into better shape mentally, emotionally and physically:

• Exercising at least three times a week, which can be as simple as walking 30 minutes to get to work instead of using the bus or tube
• Meditating regularly and using breathing techniques to help you relax
• Spending more time with your friends and family
• Reduce the time you spend working and make sure you properly disconnect from work in evenings, weekends and during holidays
• Going to a therapist or counseling sessions to manage stress
• Avoiding drugs, alcohol, caffeine, and other substances that create stress on the body
• Improving your diet — fewer takeaways and more veg
• Getting regular sleep and sleeping 7–8 hours a night
• Not taking on so much at once, doing one thing at a time and prioritising the most important tasks

They’re all simple things that we know are good for us, but are you actually doing them regularly?

If you are really struggling at the moment, take action now. There are many people who will help, if you’re just willing to ask.

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If these signs resonate with you then it might be time to reach out for support. I offer mindfulness-based coaching that gives people the skills to manage their emotions, feel calmer day to day and regain a sense of control over their lives.

Click here to book a 30-minute free consultation, to see if I might be able to help.