A nervous or mental breakdown is a non medical term but can be described as an acute or short term disorder where in features primarily consist of depression and anxiety. It occurs when a person breaks down completely under pressure and finds it difficult to work under normal levels. It is a mental disorder that is a result of an overload of emotions and stress at the personal or professional front. Stress or inability to cope with situations is the main cause for a nervous breakdown. It does not happen over a fortnight but is a long process and happens over prolonged periods of time. Its symptoms also may not be recognized earlier but the person is confused, disoriented, suffers from uncontrollable crying and loses his self esteem and self confidence. Some people suffer from insomnia or loss of appetite or show signs of delirium, amnesia or may have frequent nightmares. Relationship problems that include divorce, marital strain and marital separation are said to be the major causes of nervous breakdown.
If you feel that someone is suffering from a nervous breakdown or showing any such symptoms it is essential to take utmost care of such people as they are generally not aware of what they are doing. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body and therefore it is essential for the person to get back to his normal and daily life. Sleep is necessary and the person should at least be resting in his bed for a couple of hours if not sleeping. Relaxation will enable him to loosen his tensions which in turn will help the organs to do their work properly. Try to keep the person happy and always keep them surrounded by family and close friends. Going out for picnics may also help. In such cases, it is most difficult to take such people to visit the doctor but visiting a psychiatrist may prove fruitful. Also, sometimes these people do not talk to anybody else but open up to the specialists. The person should be told to exercise his will power in order to get rid of the condition. Self esteem and self confidence should be awakened by constantly motivating them and encouraging them to always be positive. Exercise is another effective way to treat such people where it is very important that they take a walk or jog every day. Eating a healthy diet helps a lot, especially introducing a diet rich in vitamin B as nervous breakdown shows a marked debility of the lack of this vitamin.