Nervous Breakdown

The term "nervous breakdown" is used rather loosely in society. I have gone through several episodes of depression. I told my doctor that I felt like I was having a nervous breakdown. The other episodes of depression didn't feel like this. First, what does a nervous breakdown really mean? Second, can a person experience different things in each episode of depression? Being that it is more severe or that you just experience it differently. To me, it feels different to me this time around. Any input would be appreciated.

Kathy

I never really thought too much about that, it is a good point to bring to the forefront; nonetheless. I am not speaking professionally, so please do not take anything i say as being etched in stone, ok?
I have come to believe a " nervous breakdown" is that point when there is so much stress in your life, you just can't handle anymore. You are on the edge of cracking, you feel as though you are going crazy, but this is the pressure caused by stress. Perhaps we are being pulled in different directions all of the time, deadlines at work, our spouce needing us, and our children needing us, on a constant day to day basis, no relief in sight.
It is also fair to say this is not a permanent situation, you see I was though to believe with seditives, and / or a breif stay in a hospital, we can get better in a reasonable period of time. I think, this is what is different between a breakdown and depression, depression is more long term, and a breakdown is a short term condition that will vanish once the stressors are lessened. Working less hours, taking time off from work, taking on less stainuous projects, etc. I further believe our diet has " A Lot " to do with our mental health state, and how stress will effect us.
I know depression is a way of thinking all of the time, that negative thinking, par se. It comes with the phobias and all, whereas, I am not certain but i do not think a nervous breakdown has this with it, but I could be wrong here.
Maybe others know better on this, but this is kind of what I always believed a nervous breakdown to be, more or less.
Bob

Hi Kathy,

The term " nervous breakdown " is simply a coverall term used by society to cover a range of mental disorders. It is not in a coomon use as it was as nowadays we are becoming more inclined to say that " I have depression " etc rather than a vague term like nervous breakdown. In other words it is not a spcific medical term.

Yes subsequent episodes of depression can vary from the first. The tendency as you grow older is that it becomes stronger unless properly treated and monitored between bouts. As it gets stronger it will naturally feel different and do remember that you and the world is also constantly changing making a recurrence more likely to feel different.

Hope this is useful Kathy.

Centaur

I had a breakdown in June of this year ... the depression, anxiety, stress, etc. got the better of me & I crashed. I didn't want to live, but was not making actual suicide plans. I cried, I screamed, I injured myself & ended up at the emergency room. When I told my therapist about all of this, he agreed that I'd had a "good, old-fashioned nervous breakdown."

Yes, depression can take different forms. Sometimes when I'm really bad I can't sleep; other times I sleep all the time. Sometimes I can't eat; other times my appetite isn't affected. Sometimes all I do is cry; sometimes I want to cry but can't. Most of the time I just shut up & keep to myself.

I hope this helps.

Jan ^v^