What is a nervous breakdown
A nervous breakdown is a temporary phase of a disorder, the symptoms of which are depression and neurosis. A breakdown is not static, it is rather an indicator that the nervous system is on the verge and urgently needs help.
Almost always, after a nervous breakdown, a person becomes convinced that he is unable to control his emotions. He is under the power of his own fears, illusions and anxieties, which not everyone can overcome on their own.
In itself, a nervous breakdown is more necessary for the body than harmful.
When a person is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, tired and driven, the body tries to relieve excess tension for further normal functioning. This is exactly what happens as a result. Thanks to the emotional outburst that has occurred, the psyche can preserve itself and not collapse. Similar protective functions of our body are activated during certain types of fainting, severe fear, shock, coughing and other conditions.
Causes of nervous breakdowns in women
Identifying the exact cause of a nervous breakdown is very difficult. It arises due to a strong shock in a person’s life, and since shocks can be different, the reasons can be completely different from each other. However, there is still a list of possible causes of nervous stress:
- Drastic changes in an established personal life. Women, as is right, react more sharply to such events. This could be a divorce, problems with a child or with parents;
- A difficult, tense atmosphere in the family - constant quarrels at home not only with the husband, but also with the children, quarrels and disagreements with parents, etc.;
- Uncomfortable working conditions – poor relationships in the team at work, conflicting demands from superiors and constant emotional pressure. Inconvenient and irregular work schedule;
- Financial difficulties - loss of a favorite job, low earnings, availability of loans. Loss of any property and subsequent financial expenses.
In addition to external factors, the causes of a breakdown are also influenced by a person’s internal genetic code. A woman is by nature more impressionable than a man, so her internal predispositions to disorders play a special role. It can be:
- Deficiency of vitamins and amino acids necessary for the body;
- Exposure to viral infections that affect the nervous system;
- Self-medication and taking psychotropic medications, as well as drug use and frequent alcohol consumption;
- Character traits, excessive care from parents, lack of acceptance by others. Too sharp and violent reaction to traumatic events.
Character plays a key role in mental stability . Therefore, people with certain character traits are more prone to breakdowns than others. It could be:
- Suspiciousness, excessive vulnerability, impressionability;
- Selfishness, egocentrism, ambition, power, impatience with the opinions of others and their criticism;
- Uncompromising, excessive straightforwardness;
- Excessive punctuality, perfectionism.
As you can see, it’s quite easy to have a nervous breakdown. And it will not always be clear what exactly caused this illness.
Mental symptoms of a nervous breakdown
- Intense and sudden reactions to minor changes or stimuli;
- Increased hearing sensitivity and irritability;
- Irritability from bright light;
- Absent-mindedness and lack of concentration have a detrimental effect on performance;
- Inability to concentrate on anything;
- Impatience, indecisiveness or unjustified hyperactivity;
- Constant feeling of restlessness and anxiety;
- Mood instability, with sudden changes in emotional background from overly active to passive;
- Contradiction of life values, rejection of one’s own opinion in favor of the views of others;
In especially severe cases, thoughts of suicide may appear, or thoughts about the worthlessness and uselessness of oneself as an individual. This happens, for example, when separated from a loved one. It also happens the other way around, when a woman elevates herself to the level of superman and convinces herself of this. With hormonal changes, panic attacks are possible.
Drug treatment of aggression in the clinic
The main treatment of aggression, depending on the pathology with which it manifests itself Aggression is a behavior by which many psychopathy are classified today.
Effective drug treatment of aggression depends on the rational use of drugs from various groups: antipsychotic, anticonvulsant, psychostimulant, MAO inhibitors, serotonergic, and lithium. Aggression in rare cases is also a sign of psychosis developing against the background of psychopathy.
This occurs in cases where the patient faces an obstacle that he cannot overcome due to his inability to adequately respond to external stimuli. In this case, treatment of aggression is possible with the use of antipsychotics, which reduce the intensity of psychosis. They eliminate aggressiveness due to a nonspecific sedative effect.
As a result of taking antipsychotics during inappropriate behavior, the number of aggressive outbursts and other forms of uncontrolled behavior is noticeably reduced, especially in street people prone to schizophrenia.
Treatment of aggression with such drugs in this particular case is effective. An independent study found that psychopathically aggressive people experience an acute deficiency of serotonin.
Serotonergic drugs are widely used in the treatment of aggression in such individuals.
For example, a drug such as fenfluramine is indicated for the presence of suicidal motives in behavior, and fluoxetine is indicated for borderline psychopathy, which is accompanied by impulsive behavior and self-destruction. Often, aggressive people have a developmental defect or acquired organic damage to the nervous system, which is manifested by an inability to adequately perceive internal and external stimuli.
In such cases, psychostimulants are widely used. When aggressive behavior is accompanied by epileptic abnormalities on the EEG, and there are corresponding anamnestic data, anticonvulsants are used in treatment. To replace the old drug phentoin, carbamazepine has become widely used, which inhibits attacks of aggressiveness, suicidal thoughts, and also helps to maintain self-control. For emotional instability and a tendency to aggressive behavior, lithium preparations are used.
Such conditions are considered a precursor to borderline psychopathy. Its effectiveness has been proven experimentally, as a result of its use in a closed group of people in prison.
Not recommended medications for treating aggression
The use of tricyclic antidepressants is not recommended.
It has been reliably proven that their use in the presence of impulsiveness and aggressiveness of various origins in a person’s behavior, as a manifestation of any type of psychopathy, will only contribute to the intensity of the increase and manifestation of symptoms of these pathological conditions.
In people with this disease, when prescribed drugs of this series, for example, amitriptyline, antisocial aggressive behavior may increase, and thoughts of suicide may appear.
Therefore, it is first necessary to accurately establish the true causes of the development of psychopathy with the manifestation of aggressiveness. To do this, the doctor must carefully and comprehensively examine the person and constantly monitor the treatment, noting all changes in behavior, mood and thought processes. It is especially important to carry out monitoring at the beginning of treatment, when the body is adapting to the prescribed drugs and there is an increased risk of an unexpected patient reaction to the drug being used.
In any case, treatment should be selected only individually and only in a face-to-face consultation with an experienced psychotherapist after a thorough diagnosis of the person’s condition.
Impulsive Behavior Disorders
The Brain Clinic has all the means and conditions for the treatment of various types of psychopathy, which manifest themselves with both a pronounced degree of aggression and manifestations of hostility or increased irritability.
Signs of a nervous breakdown in women
- Frequent headaches, hallucinations;
- Irritating discomfort in the abdominal and chest areas;
- The appearance of “smudges” when blinking before the eyes, dizziness;
- Violation of the vestibular apparatus;
- Autonomic disorders – incl. surges in blood pressure, difficulty urinating with frequent urges, profuse sweating, etc.;
- Problems with the digestive system;
- Delays in the menstrual cycle;
- Sleep problems - restless dreams and nightmares, late falling asleep, etc.
Physical symptoms are much more noticeable than mental ones . If you experience any of the above symptoms, you should immediately consult your doctor.
Psychological reasons
- Fatigue. The pace of modern life is very fast, you need to manage everything at work and in your personal life. Sometimes there is no time left for proper rest or sleep. In order for the body to function properly, it is necessary to take breaks from work and be able to relax properly. Increased fatigue can also cause mood swings and irritability in women.
- Aggression, tearfulness, and nervousness can also manifest themselves in significant stressful situations. Stress is a major factor in mental disorders. You need to learn to perceive everything calmly and judiciously. We shouldn’t waste our nerves and energy on resolving situations that are beyond our control. If there is an opportunity to solve a problem, solve it; if there is no opportunity to solve the problem, don’t think about it. After all, nothing will bring back wasted nerves.
- Poor family relationships often cause breakdowns. The husband is always dissatisfied with something, finds fault with every little thing, does not express gratitude where you try, etc. A family psychologist will help resolve problems. Family relationships greatly influence a woman’s psycho-emotional state.
- If your husband is a real tyrant, aggressive, and disrespectful, think about it: it might be better to break up with such a person.
- Low self-esteem often leads to psycho-emotional surges. Girls always strive to be perfect, have a good figure, hairstyle, look good, and shine. They sometimes spend incredible efforts, but still fail to achieve the ideal. You shouldn’t chase imposed beauty standards, you need to initially love yourself and accept your appearance. Under no circumstances should you scold yourself for anything. Remember, you are a real jewel, a bright shining diamond.
Behavioral symptoms
When a nervous breakdown occurs, the behavior of both women and men changes dramatically. It is difficult for a person to concentrate on any activity, which means a decline in performance will be noticeable. When communicating with his family, he will lose his temper with insults to prove his opinion or point of view.
Quite often, a woman can simply walk away from the conversation, noticing that her person is not receiving enough attention. Often there are manifestations of cynicism, nervousness and irritability. There is a risk of addiction to alcohol or drugs, which is especially difficult for women to get rid of. It looks very noticeable.
If you see that your wife or girlfriend has similar symptoms, then you need to immediately convince her to seek help from a doctor.
Because this can pose a danger not only to the person himself, but also to those around him. Especially if it is a woman with a small child. Young mothers who suffer from postpartum psychosis, and subsequently from postpartum depression, often find themselves in such a tense situation.
Here are 15 reasons why your wife has become so angry and irritable
Do you feel like your wife is constantly stressed? It’s better to try to figure out the reason yourself rather than resort to outside help, Diply recommends.
By identifying the underlying causes of her anxiety, stress can be alleviated.
You are not the first to find yourself in this situation. Experts have identified 15 main reasons that create tension in relationships. Here they are:
You don't talk to each other.
Undoubtedly, you communicate with each other. But when was the last time you had a good conversation?
If all you talk about is tomorrow's obligations or how hard your day was, you're probably stressing her out. Spend some time together and just talk about abstract topics.
You don't change.
At least the way she wants. How many times have you discussed responsibilities in the home? How many times have you committed yourself to doing your best work?
It's no wonder she's annoyed because you're not making any effort to deliver on what you promised.
You're not asking the right questions.
Undoubtedly, couples communicate, but mostly the conversation is about obvious and everyday things.
You don't want to try to find out more, but you still want to know what's going on in her head. If you don't know what she's thinking and feeling, how can you be a better husband to her?
You don't support romance!
You are interesting to each other when you are in love. But after a few years, you will have to make more efforts to maintain this excitement and interest in each other.
Special dates, gifts, special moments and surprises - it never gets old.
She's the only one who cooks.
Every family needs three meals a day. It’s great when you can just sit back and have someone cook for you all day, and even set the table.
No one will force you to create culinary masterpieces. But you can cook something very simple to distract your wife at least a little from the routine of daily cooking.
You don't clean.
It's not that hard to keep track of things. You can simply put scattered items back in their place, throw dirty dishes in the dishwasher to keep things looking neat and tidy.
The process of cleaning the house is also important. From time to time, some people need to vacuum their house, while others need to wash their entire home with cleaning products. But if you still divide the work unevenly, this leads to another stress.
She feels like the only parent.
Your children have two parents, so it makes sense that you should divide your responsibilities evenly.
If child care falls entirely on one partner, especially when there is a second one who is constantly resting, this creates dissatisfaction and stress.
She doesn't feel cared for.
When was the last time you asked your wife what movie she would like to see or where she would like to go for dinner? Everyone needs love and care, and chances are your wife isn't getting it as much as she used to.
Make an effort to show her how much you appreciate her.
She needs time.
We all know the feeling of not having enough time in the day to get everything done.
You can help her: finish what she is already doing. Or clear up your schedule a little and help her with something. She will definitely be grateful to you for this.
She needs space.
Everyone knows how important it is sometimes to just lock yourself in a room and be alone. If you have children, constant noise can be very tiring, and sometimes you just need a little rest.
You can also give your wife some free time and space. Take the kids for an outing while your wife can relax a bit in the bath and read a book.
Your priorities are wrong.
Many men give 110% that they only come home to spend the night. If you do this too, trust that your wife notices it too.
When you devote yourself completely to work, your relationships at home noticeably deteriorate. Consider whether you are doing enough for the benefit of your family.
You dominate the arguments.
Disagreements will surface, that's a fact. In arguments, do you listen to her? Or do you go straight with your arguments?
When a person cannot solve his problems with his loved one, it only causes discontent and stress.
She is responsible for everything.
Your home definitely has its own obligations, expenses, problems, etc. Of course, someone has to deal with all this. And, as a rule, it falls on women's shoulders.
Don't be just another roommate in the house. Become her assistant, not her hired worker.
She's depressed.
You are stuck in your daily routine day after day. You feel it just like your wife.
Talk to her, ask her about her feelings and help her around the house. Be a good husband because that's what she deserves.
She does everything.
Have you ever felt like your wife is constantly busy while you are just relaxing? Unfortunately, this is true.
Even when you are tired or stressed, go home if possible. And if she wants to share something that's bothering her (even if it's just a sigh), listen to her
Source: binokl.cc
Treating a nervous breakdown at home
Professional treatment is carried out by a psychoneurologist, but below we present tips with which you can try to calm down on your own:
- Try to depict on paper the changes happening to you. All the worries and fears. After which you need to add positive emotions to the picture - moments of joy and happiness;
- The misfortune that happened should never be forgotten - it needs to be thought about, or even better, talked to someone;
- In order not to burden yourself with negative emotions, you need to eliminate their sources. Get rid of hated objects, limit communication with unpleasant people, stop engaging in uninteresting activities;
- Take a short break from work and go on a trip. Such rest will be very useful for recovery;
- Take sedative pills or medications without overdosing.
The main thing is to remember that any nervous breakdown is a natural reaction to mental stress in the body , and to draw the right conclusions in time.