Posted by notfred on February 9, 2007, at 21:48:43
In reply to Re: HELP - NERVOUS BREAKDOWN #2 » Fivefires, posted by Phillipa on February 9, 2007, at 16:33:49
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nervous_breakdown
A mental breakdown, also known as a nervous breakdown, is a sudden, acute attack of mental illness such as depression or anxiety. Like “sanity” and its derivatives, the term is not recognized by the psychological community. In part, this is because the term has pejorative connotations, while this phenomenon is a normal and relatively common response to chronic stress. Often, the emerging illness is only described as a "breakdown" when the person becomes unable to function, at which point the disorder is advanced. Often, the supposed breakdown is a manifestation of career burnout.The psychiatric community rejects the term "nervous breakdown" and "mental breakdown", in part, because it is not descriptive enough of the actual disorder and symptoms. A common diagnosis that follows such an event is “brief reactive psychosis.”
A mental breakdown is not the same as a panic attack, though mental breakdowns can trigger panic.
poster:notfred
thread:731387
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070207/msgs/731522.html