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The soul of our work is integrity - a joyful
expression of life that brings insight and understanding.
We help
people untangle difficult emotions and relationships to develop emotional maturity.
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As soon as the rush is over,
I'm going to have a nervous breakdown!
I worked for it,
I owe it to myself,
And nobody is going to deprive me of it! |
What happens during a Nervous or Mental Breakdown?
A devastating emotional event often called a nervous, mental or
emotional breakdown may include a temporary loss of or disintegration of
personality. The consequences may
involve an inability to function, dissociation,
disillusionment, depression, loss of contact with
reality, hyperactivity, anxiety and / or panic attacks.
A nervous breakdown can be disturbing, disorienting and frightening.
It may come suddenly following stress or it may seem to build up over time. It
may be triggered by the loss of an idealistic dream.
Depression, confusion or anxiety may accompany an unpleasant feeling of, "I
am out of control".
Nervous, mental or emotional breakdowns are lay terms.
Nerves and emotions don't break down; these terms imply a loss of conscious
control or a sense of approaching collapse. These terms also refer to people
who hide unpleasant emotions, until finally the emotions are expressed
chaotically.
Warning Signs of Nervous Breakdown
Some warning signs can alert you that someone might be experiencing
an emotional or relationship crisis. That person may need immediate help or attention.
- threatens or tries to harm self
- threatens or tries to harm others
- damages possessions, home
or relationships
- words make no sense (often called word salad)
- endlessly complains about feeling
disillusioned
- cannot cope with daily chores and
responsibilities
If you see any of these signs,
consider calling a crisis help
line or other source of help for information. Many cities have a
suicide or crisis hotline. In smaller towns, a hospital or
medical center may help you decide how serious the signs are, and what
you can do to help.
Stress & Emotional Breakdowns
Anxiety, stress and depression can occur when people suppress spontaneous
reactions. People who feel that they have no choices may express strong emotions.
Following lasting stress, some people may say that they feel on the edge of a nervous breakdown.
You may want to react to stressful situations by
either getting away from the situation or fighting back. You cannot
always do this. If you cannot run away or fight back, you might force yourself
to stay ... and your stress builds up.
The same thing might happen at home, or in a close
relationship. You can change your relationships or learn to cope with
stress. Either can keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
You can eat healthier. You can exercise for about half
hour at least 3 times a week. You can get enough sleep. You can avoid
alcohol and illegal drugs. You can take a vacation. You can learn how to
relax. You can build and enjoy better relationships.
Coping with stress often means learning how to communicate
better. Reading about or getting coaching in communication may help.
We can help people recognize and change stressful relationship
habits and complex relationship problems.
Personality Masks can Break Down
People who do break down often appear to be either
super
people pleasing and/or super-responsible. A people-pleaser
may be preoccupied on being nice and not offending anyone. A
super-responsible person may be perceived by others as a control-freak, a
perfectionist or workaholic.
There are better solutions ... we offer our systemic
solutions. When a personality mask finally breaks down, a healthier
identity can emerge. This emergence can be painful and haphazard during
stress, or gently self-controlled during our chaos coaching.
Lasting Solutions for Anxiety, Stress and Depression
What causes breakdowns?
- Do illnesses cause breakdowns? Perhaps sometimes,
although few people who become ill experience mental breakdown.
- Does trauma cause breakdowns?
Perhaps sometimes, although few people break down during trauma, even
those who suffer extreme trauma.
- Do genetic factors cause break downs? Rather than
genetics, behavior copied from suffering family members is the only
known link to inherited disposition to stressful illness.
- Do low levels of neurotransmitters (brain
chemicals) cause breakdowns? Perhaps, although low levels of
neurotransmitters may be a symptom rather than a cause of
breakdowns.
Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals which help regulate
moods. To boost these levels, people can change their behavior or ingest drugs. The
easier route (and much more profitable for health professionals) is
that people take prescription medication -
(and support a $12 billion / year drug industry in America alone).
About 70% of people who now take antidepressants will experience
some sort of breakdown if they stop taking these addictive drugs. Antidepressants
treat a symptom – low levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. While antidepressants are often given to the wrong people, many people
with severe depression are untreated.
So what is the root cause of mental breakdown? The main difference
between people who experience a breakdown and people who don’t appears to be
emotional maturity ... how well they
manage and express unpleasant emotions. Immature people more often seem to
suffer low quality relationships,
unresolved stress and overwork.
Consult a physician about nervous,
mental or other breakdowns, or medical conditions.
Do you
want to control anxiety and stress, and to improve your relationships?
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Martyn Carruthers 2004-2011 All rights reserved.
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