for a full week I was super overwhelmed with anxiety, couldn’t eat that much, stomach was aching constantly, couldn’t sleep alone, cried constantly. I just wanted to ask if this was a nervous breakdown? I don’t know if that is a sign of something. I’m better now but I’m scared if I think too much about what caused that week I’ll go through it again.
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Hey love,
Thank you so much for reaching out to Asking Jude. Oftentimes, stress and anxiety can manifest in a variety of ways, including physical symptoms like the stomach aches you were experiencing. The term “nervous breakdown” is quite vague but generally refers to experiencing a debilitating level of stress that prevents you from functioning normally in daily life. Here is a resource where you can read about what nervous breakdowns are as well as some information about stress and anxiety: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22780-nervous-breakdown.
Although you’re feeling better now, I would definitely recommend discussing how you’re feeling with your friends, family, or if you feel it may be helpful (or if you experience a more severe level of anxiety), a professional. Talking about events of stress can potentially help you pin-point exactly what is triggering these emotions or at least find ways to manage stress levels/cope with anxiety since this is something you should not have to go through alone :) If you feel it may be helpful to discuss this or anything else with a professional, here is a link for a resource to find therapists near you: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists. And if traditional therapy isn't financially tangible right now, Asking Jude offers pay-what-you-can, remote peer counselling via video/audio call or text messaging. To learn more, e-mail jude@askingjude.org.
Nervous breakdowns are an extremely difficult thing to go through–you are so strong, and I am so incredibly proud of you. I want to recommend a few ways you can manage stress and tactics you can use in case this ever happens again. To begin with, I would definitely recommend meditation and practicing mindfulness. It may seem difficult at first to fully allow yourself to relax, but this comes with practice and consistent meditation has many lasting benefits in reducing stress. Here is a guided meditation you can try: https://youtu.be/Jyy0ra2WcQQ.
I also wanted to provide you with a link with several hotlines: https://www.psychguides.com/guides/mental-health-hotline/. If you experience another event of extreme stress or feel the need to talk to someone at anytime, please, please, please, do not hesitate to contact the numbers found in the link. It is so important to know you are not alone in a time of distress and speaking with someone can definitely provide some relief.
Finally, I wanted to give you one more link that goes into more detail about other ways to cope with a nervous breakdown/stress and anxiety: https://www.londonmindful.com/blog/10-tips-to-mindfully-survive-a-nervous-breakdown/
You are so strong and loved. Please feel free to reach out to Asking Jude anytime you need and hang in there–you got this! :D
Love,
Jordan Sadan <3