In today’s world, it is common to find yourself under stress for many reasons. But things are different when you actually talk about an emotional breakdown. When you take so much pressure that your mind and body cannot endure any further, you start to see specific emotional breakdown symptoms. The most common factors are unreasonable amount of stress, a traumatic family event, or a sudden change in a relationship. You need to learn about specific signs and symptoms of an emotional breakdown to be able to handle things properly.
What Is an Emotional Breakdown?
While most people know what stress is, they may not know the difference between stress and emotional breakdown. Differing from people who have merely negative response to stress, people who are experiencing emotional breakdown are not able to manage their day-to-day tasks due to the depression and anxiety brought by overwhelming stress.
What Are the Warning Signs of Emotional Breakdown?
Different people may notice different signs and symptoms of an emotional breakdown. Here are some of the most common signs you may witness.
1. Depression
A dramatic change in your weight and sleep is the most common depressive symptom. If it’s an emotional breakdown, you will also have thoughts of self-mutilation and suicide.
2. Isolation
You will feel like isolating yourself from even your family and close friends when you’re under serious mental stress. Sometimes, the time you spend alone helps to recuperate, but it may make matters worse and you may miss the chance of getting help from the others.
3. Anxiety
You may soon be dealing with an emotional breakdown if you’re noticing signs that are related to anxiety disorder, such as clenched muscles, increased blood pressure, dizziness, and clammy hands.
4. Memory Problems
When you suddenly have trouble remembering things and even lose short-term memory, you need to be careful since this could be a sign of an emotional breakdown.
5. Hallucinations
Hallucination is not only the unreal image. It affects all your five senses. The causes of hallucination include nervous breakdown, side effects of medicines, alcoholism and substance abuse. If left untreated, the patients may harm themselves or their care providers.
6. Paranoid
You may have to deal with paranoia, a condition that makes people think as if someone is watching or following them. If you don’t seek help to confirm that your fears are irrational and unfounded, your condition may become worse.
7. Hypochondria
During an emotional breakdown, you may suspect and worry that you have very serious physical diseases even if the diagnosis tells you that everything is all right.
8. Hyperactive
Sometimes, a stressful situation plays differently with your mind. Instead of making you feel sick, it makes you feel too aroused and energetic. You may have an emotional breakdown once you go beyond this point of feeling over-excited and hyper-aroused.
How to Deal with Emotional Breakdown
It is possible to recover from an emotional breakdown, but it is important to take initiatives and work with a professional. Here are some recommendations:
1. Look for Help
It is not always easy for the sufferer to reach out to others for help, especially when they have already isolated them from the others. But it’s important that you spend time with other people. You can talk with a colleague, friend, or a family member who understands your feelings.
2. Maintain a Healthy Diet
Avoid alcohol and junk food. Stick to high-protein foods and take vitamin-D supplement which is a known mood stabilizer when needed. Eat food rich in niacin and vitamin B6 because the deficiency of these nutrients may lead to some mental problems relating to emotional breakdown.
3. Exercise
Don’t leave someone with an emotional breakdown to lock him/her in a room. It is important to stay active and do exercises. You can talk to an expert to find out more about the exercises that help release tension from your muscles and make you feel relaxed through a muscular shaking process.
Here is a video to learn about the tension and trauma releasing exercise:
Talk to a Professional
Seeking professional help is sometimes the only way to break the vicious circle of stress, depression and hopelessness. A counselor may help you change the way you’re looking at things. They may adopt psychotherapies to help you recognize your condition, thoughts, feelings, moods and behaviors. Don’t shy away from trying a different one if you’re not seeing results after working with a counselor.
Medication
If you’re currently dealing with a severe emotional breakdown or have just recovered, you will have to take certain medications for some time. This may involve taking anti-depressants (tricyclics, monoamine oxidase inhibitor, etc.), anti-anxiety drugs (barbiturates, benzodiazepines, etc.), and psychotropic medications. Keep in mind that you should not be taking these medications on a long term basis. But do follow the instructions of your doctor strictly.