Nervous (Mental) Breakdown Symptoms

A nervous breakdown, or a mental breakdown, is an overwhelming reaction to stress. What happens during a nervous breakdown, exactly? You may be unable to sleep, become irritable, feel helpless, have trouble thinking, or lose your appetite, among other symptoms.

Learn the signs and symptoms of nervous breakdowns and what you can do if you or someone you know may be experiencing one.

What Is a Nervous Breakdown?

"Nervous breakdown" is an outdated term describing an overwhelming reaction to stress. As a result, you may be unable to complete your daily activities. "Mental breakdown" is another term for "nervous breakdown."

"Nervous breakdown" is not a clinical term. Healthcare providers do not consider it a mental illness, Erin Engle, PsyD, an assistant professor of medical psychology in psychiatry at the Columbia University Medical Center, told Health.

Symptoms vary between people and cultures because a nervous or mental breakdown is not a specific medical diagnosis.

"Our bodies and minds respond to stress in different ways," said Engle.

1. Anxiety and Depression

Prolonged stress, like during a mental breakdown, may increase your risk of anxiety and depression.

"Anxiety and depression are common, common reactions [to stress]," said Engle. "Where you get into problems is when that stressor is ongoing and persistent, and the person's coping resources are overwhelmed."

Anxiety causes emotional symptoms like feelings of dread, fear, and nervousness. Physical symptoms include sweating, tension, and quickened heart rate. Those symptoms are a normal reaction to stressful situations and typically go away after a short period. In contrast, people with anxiety disorders have chronic overwhelming stress.

Depression causes persistent feelings of sadness. Some people with depression often feel anxious, guilty, hopeless, or irritable.

2. Brain Fog

Over time, stress may cause a wide range of emotional and physical symptoms, including brain fog. Brain fog causes cognitive difficulties, including forgetfulness and trouble focusing.

According to Engle, other brain fog symptoms that may occur with mental breakdown may include:

• Difficulty with problem-solving
• Feeling disorientated
• Indecisiveness
• Memory loss

3. Changes in Sleep Patterns

A mental breakdown may affect your sleeping habits, such as sleeping too little or too much.

You may develop insomnia, or trouble sleeping or staying asleep, if your brain is in overdrive. You may lay awake at night ruminating, "mentally rehearsing situations over and over again that have no solution," added Engle.

Research has found that high levels of the stress hormone cortisol link to decreased sleep duration. A lack of sleep worsens stress.

In contrast, "[s]ome people find that they go into sleep overdrive," said Engle. "Sleep becomes an escape."

A study published in 2014 found that, among a sample of over 24,000 people aged 15–85 years, those who slept longer than 10 hours per day were likelier to have mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

4. Fatigue

Researchers have identified stress-related exhaustion disorder (ED) as emotional and physical fatigue in response to long-term stress. You may feel so fatigued that you do not have the energy to engage in your normal activities.

It's common for people with prolonged stress to lose interest in things that used to bring them joy.

5. Feeling Helpless

In high-stress situations, like an upcoming due date or presentation, it’s normal to feel anxious. Anxiety usually passes once the stressful situation is over. In contrast, feeling hopeless may signal a mental health crisis.

A study published in 2020 found that feelings of hopelessness increased during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when many people were stressed and uncertain about the future.

6. Irritability

Irritability is a common sign of prolonged stress, such as during a mental breakdown. Your body constantly produces cortisol if you are always operating in fight-or-flight mode. High cortisol levels may increase feelings of anger and irritability.

You may even appear on edge without feeling irritable. In other words, you may act irritable without being aware of it or meaning to lash out at others.

7. Loss of Appetite (or Eating More Than Normal)

Discomfort, like headaches or stomachaches, can make you lose your appetite. Research has found that some people have gastrointestinal discomfort, such as constipation or diarrhea.

In contrast, some people may overeat unhealthy foods during a nervous breakdown. Some evidence suggests that the stress hormone cortisol can trigger cravings for high-fat, high-sugar foods. You may feel less motivated than usual to prep healthy foods if you are in the middle of a nervous breakdown.

"There's less ability to care for oneself in the way one typically would," said Engle.

8. Trouble Breathing

One of the most common signs of a panic attack is having trouble breathing. Panic attacks, or sudden feelings of intense fear, often happen if you have a lot of stress, such as during a mental breakdown.

Research has found that breathing exercises that slow down your breath can provide fast relief. Consult a healthcare provider to address the root of the problem if you often have severe trouble breathing.

9. Uncontrollable Crying and Emotional Breakdown

You might feel weepy or even have episodes of uncontrollable crying during a mental breakdown, said Engle. Research has found that stress—as well as fatigue and sleep deprivation—may make you feel like crying more than usual.

A letter published in 2019 stated that crying in response to stress may be helpful. The letter focused on stress among healthcare providers, noting that crying allows healthcare providers to handle their stress positively. In contrast, bottling up stress may worsen feelings of anger.

What Causes a Nervous Breakdown?

As difficult as it is to define a nervous breakdown, it's just as challenging to understand what may cause one.

Several things can contribute to a nervous breakdown, including:

• Being emotionally and physically fatigued
• Having a chronic illness
• Having money issues
• Taking care of a sick loved one

Anyone can have a nervous breakdown when life circumstances become too much to handle. Your coping skills come into play here, too. Everyone handles stress differently. Your stress response will likely differ from someone else's. Your support system to handle those stressors also matters.

A nervous breakdown can sometimes indicate an underlying mental health problem like anxiety or depression. In that case, consider consulting a mental healthcare provider.

Treatment and Self Care

Treatment depends on your stress level. For example, you may need to engage in healthy coping mechanisms and prioritize self-care if you have low stress but feel out of sorts.

Ways to practice self-care include:

• Eating healthy meals
• Exercising regularly
• Getting a good night's sleep
• Holding onto your positive emotions
• Limiting situations that invoke negative emotions (e.g., "doomscrolling," or reading bad news)
• Practicing gratitude and recognizing the things you are thankful for
• Setting limits by saying "no" if you have too much work
• Spending time with your family and friends

Try practicing those self-care and relaxation techniques if you have chronic stress. Relaxation techniques include deep breathing, meditation, and yoga, among others. Those methods help lower your blood pressure and slow your heart rate.

When To See a Healthcare Provider

Consider talking to a mental healthcare provider if you consistently have a lot of stress that infringes on your daily life for longer than two weeks. A healthcare provider may refer you to a mental healthcare provider.

"I always encourage someone to seek out the chance to speak with, or meet with, either a therapist, a psychologist, or a social worker—a licensed mental health professional," said Engle. "Going to get help is one of the most important things you can do."

You can work with a mental healthcare provider in person or virtually—whatever suits you.

Seek medical attention right away if you or a loved one has thoughts of helplessness and self-harm or uses alcohol or drugs more than usual.

A Quick Review

A nervous breakdown, or an overwhelming reaction to stress, may occur if you have prolonged stress. You may develop emotional and physical symptoms, such as brain fog, changes to your sleep habits, loss of appetite, and trouble breathing, among others.

Several self-care and relaxation techniques exist to help calm your body. Consult a mental healthcare provider if chronic stress interferes with your daily activities. Get immediate medical attention if you or a loved one are having a mental health crisis and have thoughts of self-harm.