Nervous breakdown, sometimes referred to as a nervous breakdown, can be caused by worsening symptoms of various mental disorders. Generally, it occurs when the psychopathologies you are suffering from are so severe that you cannot lead your normal daily life. If you've recently had a nervous breakdown, there are some solutions you can take to improve your health and regain control of your life.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Getting Psychological Help
Step 1. Determine the root cause
You will need to see your doctor and a psychotherapist to track down the mental disorder that caused you to have a nervous breakdown. In this way, you will be able to determine which treatment is most appropriate for your condition, i.e. the best therapy, medications and other possible treatments.
You will need an official diagnosis produced by your doctor or psychotherapist. Therefore, to determine the disease you are suffering from, you will need to describe the symptoms and behaviors that led to your nervous breakdown
Step 2. Go to therapy
There are various forms of psychotherapy that can be used to get help after a nervous breakdown. Which one you choose depends on your personal preferences and the mental disorder causing the nervous breakdown. Discuss the best treatment with your doctor. Among the different forms of psychological assistance consider:
- Psychoanalysis: allows you to work through personal problems by talking to the therapist.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: it is aimed at modifying mental schemes in order to change behaviors.
- Interpersonal Psychotherapy: Focuses on the patient's relationships with others.
Step 3. Join a support group
Following the nervous breakdown, try to find a support group dedicated to mental health problems. It will help you connect with people who are going through similar difficulties and offer you the help you need to recover. By talking to others about your problems, you can gain a new perspective and receive helpful advice for managing your situation.
Ask your doctor which support group you can go to. You can also find a good mapping of AMA self-help groups by clicking here
Step 4. Consider medications
Depending on the cause of the breakdown, your doctor may prescribe you to take certain medications that will help relieve the symptoms of the mental illness that has favored the breakdown and balance your mood.
- Your doctor and psychologist will tell you which medications to take. They can include antidepressants, anxiolytics, or the like.
- If you have any concerns about the drug therapy that has been prescribed for you, ask your doctor if it is necessary, but if he does not pay attention to your reservations, seek another opinion.
Part 2 of 3: Focus on yourself
Step 1. Be indulgent with yourself
One of the best ways to recover from a nervous breakdown is to not be uncompromising with yourself. In other words, you don't have to pester yourself if you've had a hard day or don't feel like leaving the house. You will be able to recover if you give yourself the opportunity to process everything at your own pace.
If you feel the need to take a day off or if you don't achieve every goal you've set yourself, don't consider yourself a loser. Recovery takes time
Step 2. Keep a journal
One way to better deal with mental health problems is to write down your moods. Write every day how you feel and what affects your mood. Review what you wrote over the weekend to understand what your behavioral patterns are.
- In this way you will be able to understand which mental patterns affect your moods and also trace the factors that triggered them.
- Once you have this information, you can work with your therapist to change negative behaviors and avoid the factors that trigger them.
Step 3. Find meaning in your breakdown
To manage your nervous breakdown, try to find meaning in what happened to you. Reflect on how you can change and grow following this episode instead of insisting on returning to who you were.
To do this, you can read a meditation or self-help manual, a book to draw inspiration from, or turn to faith
Step 4. Re-establish your relationships
The nervous breakdown may have turned you away from loved ones. During the recovery process, resume contact with those you have been forced to neglect or have not been able to attend while you were trying to overcome what happened to you. Try to re-establish or renew your relationships so that they become part of your life as they were before.
It's not easy if you don't want to reveal everything that happened to you. Therefore, tell only the things that you feel able to confide
Step 5. Avoid isolating yourself
As you recover from a nervous breakdown, the worst thing you can do is suffer in silence. Contact family and friends for their support. Having someone you can rely on will allow you to feel more confident and optimistic about your recovery.
If you feel comfortable, start rebuilding your social life. If necessary, start small, for example by going for a coffee with a friend, and work gradually
Step 6. Realize that it will take some time
You can't suddenly recover from a nervous breakdown. It is a long process in which you will have to work on yourself, process your feelings and identify the pathologies that have led you to mentally give in. However, don't be too hard on yourself. You need to give yourself plenty of time to heal.
Don't even set a timetable. You don't want to be stressed about sticking to a recovery program
Part 3 of 3: Changing your life
Step 1. Simplify your life
Living overwhelmed by stress and responsibilities can make it difficult to recover from a nervous breakdown. Try to reduce the obligations that cause you stress and anxiety and only fulfill those that you cannot avoid, avoiding burdening yourself with too many responsibilities, in order to manage your daily activities with more peace of mind.
Learn to ease the burden of your responsibilities without feeling like a loser
Step 2. Choose a dynamic pastime
A great way to recover from a nervous breakdown is to stay active and discover new interests. Find a new passion, such as biking, hiking, running, gardening, or dancing.
This will give the mind something different to focus on and relieve tension
Step 3. Use your creativity
Use the creative arts to express what you are feeling. They will allow you to vent all that you cannot manifest in other ways. Try painting, photography, writing or other exciting creative pursuits.
If you are not the creative type, try something new to express what you have inside
Step 4. Reduce Stress
Stress is one of the main causes of nervous breakdowns. To avoid the risk of slowing your recovery, decrease the amount of stress in your life. Practice some breathing techniques, try yoga or other relaxing exercises, get enough sleep, and take a few breaks throughout the day.
- That way, you will get better and better as you progress towards healing, because you won't tend to worry about every little thing.
- Also learn to organize your time. You will not feel overwhelmed or stressed during the recovery process.
Step 5. Avoid making decisions that will affect your life
You don't need to make important decisions while recovering from a nervous breakdown. Don't move, don't give up your job (unless it contributed to your breakdown), don't end your relationship, and don't revolutionize your existence.
You should make these kinds of decisions at a more appropriate time, which is when you are stable enough to reflect on all the alternatives and consequences of what you are going to do
Step 6. Change your diet
You can improve your mood and mental state by improving your diet. Eat more natural foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other healthful ingredients. Avoid fatty foods, take-away dishes, processed products, and other unhealthy dishes.
- You need to do everything to feel better both inside and out, so that you can invest your energy in your recovery.
- Also increase your water consumption to improve your health condition.
