Just recently I have been feeling really anxious and know that I am not 'myself'...Have just about been able to keep going but..am seriously wondering if this is it..what is called a breakdown...
I feel worried all the time bout what people think of me,,,really find it hard to think straight %26 often fear the worst...usually very optimistic bout stuff...feel really down in general and find it really hard to find the momentum to do anything.have lost the lust for life...
Does this sound familair to anyone? What did you do if you felt like this?
Answer:
The new diagnostic term is 'major depressive episode'. Typically having a distinctive onset, like a 'break' this period of extreme and life disturbing psychological pain typically lifts after 9-15 months. Major depressive episodes are different than severe depression in that the primary feeling is not of hopelessness or lackluster about life, but a profound sense of pain, of hurt feelings. This sense of hurt is paramont in the mind continuously around the clock and does not lift for periods, as may happen within a depression. The person having a major depressive episode eventually finds the fog of pain lifting and a recovering taking place that is outside the force of a decision making process. Although the person can fully recover, and never have another major depression the vulnerableness towards another one is always present and care must be taken to not allow great stresses to develop
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It is important to get a real understanding of what your diagnosis is. Having the correct diagnosis will enable you to receive good care toward healing. I strongly, strongly recommend you be evaluated by a psychiatrist rather than a psychologist or counselor. This is because psychiatrists are educated in the physiology of brain functioning and mental health and they can prescribe drugs for mental health problems, which psychologist cannot do. At the same time they can evaluate your counseling session information and work with you to conclude the root causes of what has made you have a break. This is important.
For diagnosis information and symptom recognition info, try going onto the National Alliance for Mental Health (NAMH).
btw, I would recommend you take some of the above answers from posters with a grain of salt, as they are inaccurate.
This sounds like dysthymia or possibly depression to me.
You would be well-advised to set an appointment with a psychologist for a thorough evaluation.
Medication may or may not be indicated.
Hang in there,
~M~
ya this sounds familiar... umm just do things that make you feel good such as listening to ur favorite song or hang out with ur friends and talk to them about this.
For some reason you are experiencing anxiety. This happens to most everyone at some time in their lives. See your doctor and explain what you are felling. He/she may suggest seeing a councilor to figure out where it is stemming from. And/or medication such as paxil, zoloft etc. Don't try and figure it on your own. We all need a helping hand from time to time.
A nervous breakdown is not a clinical term, but can apply to many different situations in which someone begins to exhibit symptoms of different mental illnesses, or heavy emotional stress. The term nervous breakdown dates from a much older diagnosis of particularly women who suddenly became unable to function in their lives. Usually first symptoms are or were ignored, prompting what is now known as a psychotic break from reality, or a psychotic episode. This may show up in the form of an attempted suicide, or extreme behavior that requires hospitalization.
Since many different illnesses can cause what many term a “nervous breakdown,” it is difficult to describe symptoms. Perhaps the greatest predictor of nervous breakdown is familial history of mental instability. Those who have family members with major depression, bipolar, anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, or schizophrenia are more likely to be at risk for these mental illnesses. Undiagnosed illnesses in family members from the past may manifest in alcoholism or abusive behavior.
Those undergoing high levels of stress, for example after the death of a parent, spouse, or child, or who have been through a messy divorce are more likely to have a “nervous breakdown” if they are predisposed toward certain mental illnesses. As well, even those who do not have a predisposition toward mental illness can have a nervous breakdown if they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can manifest years after a single traumatic event, and may be triggered by a situation that seems similar. With those who have undergone trauma, early counseling can help prevent a nervous breakdown.
Thus symptoms may differ for describing a nervous breakdown, but one can look for the following behaviors as possible symptoms that might precipitate a psychotic episode:
Disinterest in work or family life
Disinterest in social life or alienation from previously close friends and family
Sleep disruption or much longer periods of sleep
Significant changes in appetite, such as eating too little or too much
Paranoid thoughts, such as the thought people are trying to harm you
Thoughts of grandeur or invincibility
Feelings of persistent anxiety or panic attacks
Hearing voices
Seeing people who are not there
Thoughts of dying or wish to die
Exhibiting strong or violent anger
Having flashbacks to a prior traumatic event
Increasing dependence on alcohol or drugs
Inability to pursue a normal life, normal activities or normal relationships
The above list is only a few of the possible symptoms associated with what might become a nervous breakdown or psychotic break. Any and all of these symptoms suggest seeing a psychiatrist for diagnosis, and also possibly a therapist to talk over difficult feelings. All people, at one point or another, may experience extreme emotional changes due to grief or to life changes like losing a job. These are good times to get the assistance of a therapist, as talk therapy can be tremendously helpful in dealing with significant emotional overload.
The best thing to do if you are feeling depressed and/or anxious is to exercise. Just get out and take a walk. Walking and exercising helps release endorphins that promote well being. Below is an article that might help :)
I totally went through what you're going through now. I got diagnosed with clinical depression in my junior year. I saw a physcologist and got some antidepressants. Now I'm back to my old self again.
Sounds like you may have generalized anxiety disorder and you should probably see your doctor. I suffered from this ten years ago and like you, I was normally optimistic and happy. It started out with feeling anxious for no reason, paranoid about what other people thought and it then manifested itself with rapid heartbeat and dizziness. My doctor diagnosed the anxiety but also wanted to put me on antidepressants. I decided to forgo the meds and deal with the anxiety myself. Now I only have the occasional anxiety attack, but since I know what it is I am able to deal with it.
Yes after your first one if you study it and discuss the symptoms as on ByeDr.com you can become very accurate in your own analysis and even to some extent other people's mental health. Because this is not discussed in school or church or home there is a mystery involved. The true breakdown is a loss of reality . That only occurs when a psychotic event occurs . To get to the psychotic level of disorders requires severe depression . You cant be severely depressed until your belief system is overturned. Then the brain has so much waste chemical in the fluid a psychotic event will occur for sure. Since the auto brain can take over strange things will occur. Some of the auto brain actions are ended. First vision is limited to a tunnel, the upper brains are blocked from thinking out answers and solving problems. Language almost always deteriorates. I don't like to teach those studying this illness but for those in the pain of severe depression I am willing to devote my life. You will find some who have recovered willing to help. Any others don't know what is going on and can not understand. Oh yes the pills are to reduce you ability to think, feel and react.
i feel like this often... and i've worried that i'm finally losing it.
someone told me (someone that i trust with my life) that if you're worried you're losing it, you probably aren't... you're still that much in touch and that means there is hope.
find someone to talk to. seriously. it may seem impossibly difficult, but very few things that are worth doing are easy the first time we do them (learning to walk, learning a musical instrument...)
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