Life can be overwhelming and stressful at times, we always try by all means to keep it together because we want to show up as strong and resilient but the truth is we can only withstand up to a certain extent.
Very Well Mind defines an emotional meltdown, also known as a nervous breakdown, as a severe period of emotional distress where a person feels paralyzed and incapable of coping with challenges, often characterized by intense stress and feelings of paralysis.
“What makes an emotional breakdown distinct is that there are almost always intense symptoms of stress and paralysis where the person finds themselves incapable of functioning.”
It might happen that you have withheld so much stress that you are almost at your meltdown but you don’t realise it, the following are indicators of this:
Feelings of anxiety and depression: It is stated by the Livi publication that anxiety and depression are emotional responses to prolonged stress, causing difficulties in daily life and impairing function, therefore a mental meltdown may lead to episodes of helplessness, uncontrollable crying, emotional outbursts, or anger.
Panic attacks: “If you’re feeling sudden and intense anxiety, you may be having a panic attack. Some people may experience panic attacks in response to severe stress,” states the publication above. It is therefore explained that this is one of the signs of an emotional meltdown and it is often accompanied by physical symptoms such as shaking, breathlessness, dizziness, sweating, dry mouth, irregular heartbeats, and chest pain.
Brain fog: According to Health, brain fog is one of the many mental and physical symptoms that stress may eventually produce, entailing cognitive challenges, such as forgetfulness and difficulty focusing. ”
Irregular sleep patterns: The above source further mentions, “A mental breakdown may affect your sleeping habits, such as sleeping too little or too much.” It is believed that high levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, can cause decreased sleep duration, and worsen stress. The publication mentions that some individuals may go into sleep overdrive, relying on sleep as an escape. “A study published in 2014 found that, among a sample of over 24,000 people aged 15–85 years, those who slept longer than 10 hours per day were likelier to have mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.”
Delusions: WebMD states that severe stress may even cause hallucinations in certain cases, causing you to hear or see unreal objects.
Change in appetite: According to Healthline, anxiety frequently causes changes in appetite, sitting that while some people may find that worry causes them to lose their appetite, others may find that stress causes them to eat more than normal.
