Nerves Don't Really Break Down

Throughout my years as a therapist, I have heard many stories of people having a "nervous breakdown." Most people describe the onset of mental illness in their family as someone having a nervous breakdown or having to take nerve pills. Well folks, there is no such thing as a "nervous breakdown." Again, this is a term coined by our elders to describe something that is difficult to talk about. What they are actually referring to is the onset of a mood disorder, anxiety disorder or psychotic illness. We calls these Major Depressive Episodes, Manic Episodes or Psychosis. These illnesses are real and there are good quality treatments for them. Research is getting better all the time. If a person states they feel like they are having a nervous breakdown its time to seek professional help because that person is under extreme stress and could benefit from treatment. As our society becomes more open about mental illness, maybe we can open the door to call the illnesses by their clinical names instead of vague descriptions we have been accustomed to using.