What exactly is a "nervous breakdown"?

[Zelenius]

It seems that science has little to say about what is commonly called a "nervous breakdown". Science and psychiatry in particular have a lot to say about many other mental disorders that interfere with living, but the "nervous breakdown" isn't one of them, to my knowledge.

Now the reason for this may be due to nervous breakdowns normally being a brief, episodic event and not a chronic condition like depression or schizophrenia. Still, I find it odd that little research has been devoted to it, to try to explain it better and help those who experience this kind of thing.

Another problem is that we lack a good, clear cut definition of what a "nervous breakdown" even is. Many people have them, often only once, but a few may experience them many times. Some people under a lot of stress will claim they feel they are on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Here is what the dictionary says:

"nervous breakdown
noun
Definition of NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
: an attack of mental or emotional disorder especially when of sufficient severity to require hospitalization

This seems vague and not all that scientific, but it is clearly related to stress, anxiety, or an inability to cope as well as depression. But it usually has a sudden onset, sort of like the mental version of a heart attack. It may or may not require hospitalization. Lacking a good clinical definition of what this is, if a person is taken to a hospital with a "nervous breakdown", how do doctors treat him? While a long period of rest or reducing stress might help, can drugs be prescribed for something this vague? It seems "nervous breakdown" is seldom if ever used by psychiatrists or psychologists, and is used more by people outside of medicine.

Are there ways of measuring what is happening in the brain of someone who suffers from a "nervous breakdown", or do they test his blood? I imagine their blood pressure would be high, as well as cortisol levels, among other things.

 

[blutoski]

I think the problem is that 'nervous breakdown' is a colloquial term; I've never heard a psychiatrist use it.

That's why it's "vague and unscientific."

Certainly in the West, if a patient is being hospitalized, there would be an exam and usually a diagnosis will follow. Examination procedure and ultimate diagnosis will vary from patient to patient.

 

[tesscaline]

"nervous breakdown" is not a scientific term. It is not a term that doctors use. It is a generic catch-all term used by laypersons to describe a myriad of severe emotional disturbances.

Doctors use actual diagnoses.

 

[drkitten]

It seems that science has little to say about what is commonly called a "nervous breakdown". Science and psychiatry in particular have a lot to say about many other mental disorders that interfere with living, but the "nervous breakdown" isn't one of them, to my knowledge.

Now the reason for this may be due to nervous breakdowns normally being a brief, episodic event and not a chronic condition like depression or schizophrenia. Still, I find it odd that little research has been devoted to it, to try to explain it better and help those who experience this kind of thing.

Lot of research has been devoted to it, but one of the outcomes of the research is a realization that "nervous breakdown" isn't a good enough description for medical purposes. Just like you'll rarely hear the doctor say you have "the sniffles," because there are lots of actual diseases that can cause that.

This page describes some of the major actual diagnoses associated with "nervous breakdown"; the list includes "psychotic break, schizophrenic episode, manic break, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attack and (most commonly) major depressive episode." All of these are real diagnoses as listed in the Bible of psychological disorders, the DSM, 4th Edition, Revised (DSM-IV-R).

Lacking a good clinical definition of what this is, if a person is taken to a hospital with a "nervous breakdown", how do doctors treat him?

They'd start by figuring out what exactly was wrong with him; if it's PTSS, the treatment would be different than if it's depression.

 

[Bikewer]

For many years (you don't hear it so much any more...) a common, colloquial term for various types of mental illness was "nerves". "I take medicine for my nerves."
I don't know if this was just from general ignorance on the subject, or it was more of a euphemism. "Nerves" being more acceptable than say, "bipolar disorder".

 

[Emet]

I think the problem is that 'nervous breakdown' is a colloquial term; <snip>

Non medical folks use non medical terminology all the time, and often confuse medical vs. non-medical terminology.

I've had people tell me they fractured a bone, but did not break it. I suppose they envision a complete fracture as broken, and anything else as a fracture.

 

[Cainkane1]

It seems that science has little to say about what is commonly called a "nervous breakdown". Science and psychiatry in particular have a lot to say about many other mental disorders that interfere with living, but the "nervous breakdown" isn't one of them, to my knowledge.

Now the reason for this may be due to nervous breakdowns normally being a brief, episodic event and not a chronic condition like depression or schizophrenia. Still, I find it odd that little research has been devoted to it, to try to explain it better and help those who experience this kind of thing.

Another problem is that we lack a good, clear cut definition of what a "nervous breakdown" even is. Many people have them, often only once, but a few may experience them many times. Some people under a lot of stress will claim they feel they are on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Here is what the dictionary says:

"nervous breakdown
noun
Definition of NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
: an attack of mental or emotional disorder especially when of sufficient severity to require hospitalization

This seems vague and not all that scientific, but it is clearly related to stress, anxiety, or an inability to cope as well as depression. But it usually has a sudden onset, sort of like the mental version of a heart attack. It may or may not require hospitalization. Lacking a good clinical definition of what this is, if a person is taken to a hospital with a "nervous breakdown", how do doctors treat him? While a long period of rest or reducing stress might help, can drugs be prescribed for something this vague? It seems "nervous breakdown" is seldom if ever used by psychiatrists or psychologists, and is used more by people outside of medicine.

Are there ways of measuring what is happening in the brain of someone who suffers from a "nervous breakdown", or do they test his blood? I imagine their blood pressure would be high, as well as cortisol levels, among other things.

I had a nervous breakdown due to factory noise. When the job ended which is a horror story in and of itself the breakdown didn't go away. I had to take meds for several months and years later when I thought I was having another one I had to go on meds to sleep. To this day I have to go to a psychiatrist. Like you I can't understand why this subject is so hard to define when a sufferer can explain it perfectly.

Mine started with panic attacks which would come and go until I took valium and later on thorazine and stellazine and cogentin for it. I'd rather be sick than try to treat this with those phenothiazides. The valium was ok but those other two made a zombie out of me.

My breakdown was my fault in that I stayed on that horrible job too long when I should have left.

 

[Zelenius]

Lot of research has been devoted to it, but one of the outcomes of the research is a realization that "nervous breakdown" isn't a good enough description for medical purposes. Just like you'll rarely hear the doctor say you have "the sniffles," because there are lots of actual diseases that can cause that.

This page describes some of the major actual diagnoses associated with "nervous breakdown"; the list includes "psychotic break, schizophrenic episode, manic break, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attack and (most commonly) major depressive episode." All of these are real diagnoses as listed in the Bible of psychological disorders, the DSM, 4th Edition, Revised (DSM-IV-R).





They'd start by figuring out what exactly was wrong with him; if it's PTSS, the treatment would be different than if it's depression.

Very informative link. That pretty much answers my question on this subject.

 

[Tacita]

Okay, so what I had was a "major depressive episode". I had been calling it a "breakdown" because I wasn't sure what a nervous breakdown technically was.

Ironically, the episode was the direct result of taking antidepressants. (Looking at YOU, Zoloft.)

 

[drkitten]

Okay, so what I had was a "major depressive episode". I had been calling it a "breakdown" because I wasn't sure what a nervous breakdown technically was.

Nothing wrong with that; medical terminology is for professionals, and the rest of us are permitted -- in fact, encouraged -- to speak normal understandable English (or language of choice, anyway).

I don't think I've ever had influenza in my life, but I caught "the flu" as a child many times. At least where I grew up, any bad cold, especially one that came with nausea and vomiting, was likely to be labelled the flu by Doctor Mom.

 

[Zelenius]

I had a nervous breakdown due to factory noise. When the job ended which is a horror story in and of itself the breakdown didn't go away. I had to take meds for several months and years later when I thought I was having another one I had to go on meds to sleep. To this day I have to go to a psychiatrist. Like you I can't understand why this subject is so hard to define when a sufferer can explain it perfectly.

Mine started with panic attacks which would come and go until I took valium and later on thorazine and stellazine and cogentin for it. I'd rather be sick than try to treat this with those phenothiazides. The valium was ok but those other two made a zombie out of me.

My breakdown was my fault in that I stayed on that horrible job too long when I should have left.

That's terrible. Mind if I ask what kind of factory you worked in?

 

[Loss Leader]

At the turn of the century and for a good while afterwards, it was popularly believed that all types of psychoses were degenerative - that they invariably got worse with age and even from generation to generation.

It was believed that nervous conditions, on the other hand, could be treated and the individuals cured. Thus, all polite and monied people had "nervous" disorders and "nervous" breakdowns. Psychosis was reserved for people whom nobody cared about.

The term "nervous breakdown" persists today.