The anatomy of a nervous breakdown, or where the legs grow from. I think many people have heard the phrase “nervous breakdown” from different sources and for different reasons. Let's try to figure out what it is and where this “miracle” comes from. So, a nervous breakdown is a general term that is used when the compensatory mechanisms of the body and psyche cease to cope with the stress load. Now this concept is considered quite outdated, because it is rather vague and is part of the structure of other disorders. And also the manifestations (or symptoms) of what is often called a nervous breakdown can vary significantly. How does this breakdown occur? What are its reasons? There can be very, very many such reasons. Let's look at some of them, the most common. One of the common causes of a nervous breakdown is exhaustion of the body. Any. It can be caused by: - ​​sleep disorders, when the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness are confused, which depletes the body and prevents it from recovering. This may include insomnia, nightmares, early waking up, etc.; - chronic diseases (including neurological diseases, cardiovascular and others); - an excessively intense work schedule (and life in general), when a person does not have the opportunity to , fully relax; With such a rhythm of life, the forces for adapting the body to stress are quickly spent, but they do not have time to recover and ultimately there are significantly fewer of them; - various eating disorders - skipping meals, malnutrition, “junk” food, severe food restrictions, manifested by as an option, in constant dieting. This attitude towards food ultimately deprives the body of many important elements it needs for normal, adaptive work; - a tense, “difficult” environment in the family and (or) at work for a long period of time. Another reason for a nervous breakdown is excessively intense stress factors coming from outside. These include, for example, the death of a loved one, natural and man-made emergencies, family quarrels, news of some very unpleasant and difficult events for a particular person, dismissal, divorce, etc. Next on the list, but not least, are various mental disorders. These may include: post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar affective disorder, OCD, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and others. In addition to those mentioned above, there are a number of other reasons that are individually significant for a particular person. What to do if a nervous breakdown does happen? The simplest and most necessary course of action would be to consult a doctor for diagnosis and help. What help can there be? Within the framework of psychological assistance, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT or CBT) has proven itself to be more effective than others in dealing with such requests. However, even just visiting a specialist or a crisis center, where you have the opportunity to be listened to and receive explanations about what is happening to you, provides some stabilization. If a doctor's diagnosis reveals a specific condition (such as anxiety disorder or depression), additional medications may be required for treatment. Often these drugs are antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, but depending on the condition and severity, other drugs may also be used. There is much less chance of “earning” a nervous breakdown if you use methods of its prevention. We will talk about them in the next article..