Breakdown

[Dunce]

What exactly is a mental breakdown?

In class a while ago my teacher was telling us not to worry too much about exams and stuff because it's not worth worrying about. Then a girl in my class started talking about a girl she knows who had a mental breakdown because she was so stressed about her Junior Cert. She said that she can't hold object properly, and her mam has to pour her drinks, and I don't think she's even in school anymore.

I never really thought about what a breakdown actually is. I suppose to me it sounds like a bit of depression and random outbursts of crying, but it obvisouly isn't from the description I heard in class that day.

So what is it? Like, how would one know they were having a mental breakdown? And is it sudden, or does it happen over time?

[MadManWithaBox]

Well.... I don't know. It's interesting. I think a breakdown is different for different people. I was told what I had was a breakdown. But it was nothing like you'd think.

[Syvelocin]

Yeah, like Matt said, it varies from person to person. I know very well when I have one, when I just lose it. For me, I have trouble speaking coherently when I'm having a breakdown. Whether I'm slurring and mumbling or just not making sense in what I'm saying. I might not be able to think straight, or all I can think about is getting out of the situation or fixing the problem or whatever. It's like my brain just breaks. I might be completely silent or in tears.

I've had them over stress. Over loss of control, social anxiety, paranoia. And for no apparent reason whatsoever, as well.

[FullyAlive]

I have panic attacks quite often, but not all of them are breakdowns. When the escalate to full on breakdowns. Well I'm shaking, crying usually, I can't walk properly or hold anything or write. I start to feel sick and have a headache. My latest one I got a new "symptom" I couldn't speak. At first I couldn't bring myself to talk, then I just couldn't. Eventually I spoke but I'm a very loud person and that was barely audible.

But again like Matt and Rith said no one persons breakdown will be the same as anyone elses.

[Dunce]

Oh right I was just wondering... Because a doctor also said to me once that severe panic attacks can be mistaken as nervous breakdowns, which make them seem very dramatic and awful, but I also then read somewhere that breakdowns can be just small phases of depression or anxiety. I know those things are bad but they're not exactly on the same scale as severe panic attacks like :/
Thanks guys :P