Nervous breakdown, also known as nervous exhaustion, is a situation characterized by an imbalance between the body and mind, which makes the person feel overwhelmed, resulting in symptoms of excessive tiredness, difficulty concentrating and intestinal changes.
Nervous breakdown is not recognized as a disease, however it can be a sign of a psychological disorder, such as anxiety, stress and depression, and it is important to recognize it and start treatment with a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Main symptoms
Some signs and symptoms that can help identify a nervous breakdown are:
1. Difficulty concentrating
Excess stress makes it harder for the brain to focus on carrying out a certain activity, which makes the brain tired more easily and makes it difficult to concentrate.
2. Lack of memory
Lack of memory can happen when a person frequently feels exhausted and stressed, because chronic stress can cause changes related to memory, making it difficult to remember even simple information.
3. Increased appetite
Stress is also related to changes in hormonal levels. In situations of chronic stress, there is an increase in the concentration of the hormone cortisol in the blood, which reaches the brain and acts in regions responsible for the production of substances that increase appetite, especially for foods rich in fat and carbohydrates.
4. Intestinal changes
Nervous breakdown usually causes changes in the functioning of the intestine, leading to abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation or excess gas, for example.
5. Frequent feeling that something bad is going to happen
When a person is frequently stressed, there is a tendency to overvalue events and complicate actions, in addition to frequently having the feeling that something bad is going to happen.
6. Lack of concern about image
Due to frequent stress, excessive worry and overvaluation of events, people who have a nervous breakdown usually do not have enough energy to worry about their own image, and may often appear tired.
In addition to these signs, physical symptoms such as irregular heartbeat, muscle pain, dizziness, persistent cough and constant headaches may also appear.
When to go to the doctor
Some of these symptoms may appear after a situation of excessive stress and disappear within a few hours and, in these cases, it is not necessary to go to the doctor, just relaxing is recommended. However, when several symptoms appear or when symptoms last more than 2 days, it may be recommended to consult a psychologist to identify the cause and begin appropriate treatment.
Furthermore, it is recommended to go to the doctor when the symptoms of a nervous breakdown interfere with the person’s quality of life and have health consequences.
How the treatment is carried out
Treatment for a nervous breakdown must be carried out by a psychologist or psychiatrist and involves therapy sessions to identify the cause of the breakdown. Once the cause is identified, strategies are recommended to relax and alleviate stress symptoms. In some cases, the psychiatrist may recommend the use of some medications so that the person can relax more easily. Check out some strategies to calm the mind.
During treatment for nervous breakdown, preference should also be given to foods rich in tryptophan, such as Brazil nuts and avocado, because they release serotonin into the bloodstream, improving well-being.
Check out some foods to combat stress in the video below:
