# Nervous breakdown: What does it mean?



## David Baxter PhD (Jan 24, 2007)

Nervous breakdown: What does it mean?

*Mayo Clinic psychiatrist Daniel Hall-Flavin, M.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.*

*Question*
What is a nervous breakdown? What causes people to have them?
- Linda / Minnesota​
*Answer*
The term "nervous breakdown" is used by the public to characterize a wide range of mental illnesses. Nervous breakdown is not a medical term and doesn't indicate a specific mental illness. Generally, the term describes a person who is severely and persistently emotionally distraught and unable to function at his or her normal level.

Often, when people refer to having a nervous breakdown, they're describing severe depression. Signs and symptoms of severe depression include:


Agitation or restlessness 
Difficulty or inability to stop crying 
Sleeping difficulties 
Dramatic appetite changes 
Indecision
The causes of mental illness usually aren't clear. But these factors may play a role:

*Stress 
Drug and alcohol use 
Coexisting medical conditions, such as thyroid disorders and certain vitamin deficiencies 
Genetics*


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## Into The Light (Jan 24, 2007)

also see wikipedia's entry on nervous breakdown.


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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 24, 2007)

Well done, ladybug.


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## Cat Dancer (Jan 24, 2007)

If someone couldn't/wouldn't speak for a week at a time could that be part of a nervous breakdown?


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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 24, 2007)

Hard to say, Janet, without knowing more about the circumstances. How old is the individual? What if anything has happened out of the ordinary to that person? etc. ...  etc.


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## Retired (Jan 24, 2007)

Nervous Breakdown is a popular term to describe the conditions that the first post in this thread listed.

Another frequently used "non-medical" term to describe the inability of an otherwise successful person to continue functioning at their previous levels is _*burn out*_.

Are there similarities or differences between a person reporting they are _burned out _and cannot work to a person experiencing a _nervous breakdown_.

Have you know someone experiencing either of these two described conditions and what were the manifestations that you observed in their behaviour and condition?


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## foghlaim (Jan 26, 2007)

for me.. burn out could mean... 
an otherwise successful person can burn out for a number of reasons.. I think the main one would be,  not having the back or support of peers in a similar job, not being able to debrief, talk about  the days stresses or highs even, feeling like one has to do eveything himself\herself to make sure it's right.  or maybe not having the support of the employer, (left to own devices all the time). (there's more just can't think them).  Constantly giving it (the job) all they have to give till they feel they have no more to offer,   it can get to a stage where a person can really dread going to work, even hate it so much that they can't decide what they are supposed to be doing there anymore. 
eventually quitting,  a person may well never work at the same type job again.   that to me would be specific job related burn out.  

I think i'm on the right track... ??????  or maybe I'm just thinking out loud again.


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## sister-ray (Jan 26, 2007)

burnt out to me means worn out due to  doing to much got no energy left to do anything people usually use it associated with work i think burnt out is due to stress but I dont see it as the same thing as a nervous breakdown, I think a nervous breakdown is more serious, ive heard people on tv saying theyre burn out and that they need a holiday and they come back revitilised, where as with a breadown recovery takes longer to recover from, im rambling just my thoughts on its


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## Into The Light (Jan 26, 2007)

i think burnout can lead to a breakdown. what struck me was the anger, no, the rage that surged up inside of me at the time. very frightening and confusing.


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