Published on 07 December 2021

How To Overcome An Emotional Breakdown?

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I saw my Mom crying while sitting on the swing on our balcony. She usually enjoys swinging there, watching sunsets from our apartment, but the swing stood still this time. She has been eating less for the past few days and is mentally uninvolved in most tasks. I do not know why she behaves like this, but I would like to know how I might help make her feel better."

The above testimony is from a child trying to care for their Parent's mental health. A lot of people around the world go through such emotional breakdowns frequently. Thus it becomes essential to identify and deal with such situations with utmost care. You should know everything in detail.

What Is an Emotional Breakdown?

An emotional breakdown may be a familiar experience if you or your friends deal with Anxiety disorders. A person may go through a dynamic analysis due to Anxiety and stress buildup over time or after facing a specific life-altering event such as a death in the family or sudden unemployment. Such times can be confusing, and we should be prepared to handle ourselves or support someone throughout their breakdown and recovery whenever the need arises.

Symptoms Of Emotional Breaking Down

When there is an emotional breakdown, there are symptoms that are important for a person to find out. Some of the withdrawals are:

  • Not finding joy or continuing the passion or the hobbies you used to do.
  • Ignoring the outside world and people and instead staying home in your own home.
  • Not attending social events like weddings, functions, and many more. 
  • Getting in a poor lifestyle and disturbing sleep schedule.
  • Messing with the professional life by not listening to it properly. 

Other mental problems are also included, such as depression and Anxiety. There are also symptoms for those problems too.

Symptoms of Anxiety

  • Having nightmares.
  • Dizziness.
  • Nausea
  • Upset stomach.
  • Unable to remain still and calm.
  • Cold or sweaty hands.
  • Feeling pain, fear, and uneasiness.
  • Shaking or Trembling 

Symptoms of Depression

  • Having trouble concentrating.
  • Feeling very sad, hopeless, helpless, or worried.
  • Having thoughts of self-harm or suicide
  • Being irritated, frustrated, or having outbursts.

Common Triggers of Emotional Breakdowns

Triggers can happen to any individual with no age boundaries, depending on the different individuals. You might have also been through common triggers that kick you in with an emotional breakdown.

Frequently asked questions

Things like meditation and healthy eating are the most common yet necessary steps you can do to reduce breakdown.
Most things you like or love become disinterested, and you may feel nervous and dislike doing anything.
It depends upon the individual to individual. It is not curable just by medicine and can take some time. Sometimes, the patient took only 1 week to get a complete cure, whereas someone took weeks or months.

Being Overtired

There might be different instances wherein You might be working late in this busy world, not getting enough peaceful sleep, etc. These feelings would make you mentally exhausted, irritability, and short-tempered. 

Hunger

Hunger can make you feel in many ways. Even if you ate many calories a day prior and the next day you do not have enough time to eat or are in a hungry state may cause you shakiness, trouble focusing, or headaches.

Overscheduled Time

If you are at a place where you have taken on a lot of responsibilities and are unable to achieve or complete things will give you many chills mentally.

Relationship Issues

Relationships are blissful if it is addressed with all the heart. If there are problems within the relationship, it can trigger an emotional breakdown and can lead to various issues mentally.

Pragmatic Guide To Deal With Emotional Breakdowns

You can implement both short-term actions and long-term techniques to recover from and overcome an emotional breakdown.
Quick Actions For Helping Relieve Your Emotional Breakdown Include:

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing, helps reduce the effects of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is a stress hormone, so lowering its effect helps one relax. Deep breathing also lowers the heart rate, which further helps in relieving stress.

Petting or Hugging

We were petting a cat/dog or hugging a friend or a loved one releasing Oxytocin and other feel-good hormones in our bodies. Oxytocin is essential for stress relief and stability as it helps us bond with others.

Speaking up

Talking to someone we trust about our problems or mental state can help relieve some pent-up stress. However, ensure that the person being spoken to is a good listener and an emotionally stable individual.

Drinking Coffee/Hot Chocolate

Both coffee and chocolate increase serotonin and dopamine levels in individuals who consume them. Serotonin helps regulate mental state and thus helps cope with stress. However, one must be careful as one can become dependent on these substances and develop problematic behaviors in the long term.

Taking a nap

While people going through an emotional breakdown often have trouble falling asleep, it can work wonders for someone if they can get a nap. Sleeping helps us reduce stress and balances our emotional state. It is essential to mention that sleep deprivation can push an individual dealing with a mental breakdown into further mental distress.

Quick Fixes That Work Effectively

Some of the techniques that work effectively for an emotional breakdown are:

Listen to yourself and your thoughts

People will say a hundred things to you. Still, there is no reason or need to listen to them as every people has a different opinion, and you know your character, and only you can change yourself, not others.

Stop overthinking

Some people have problems with overthinking, and because of that, people tend to go deep into the issues, some accidents or circumstances, and many other things like that. It would be best to step back from your thoughts as it is a central problem. An emotional breakdown happens to that person.

Structure yourself and write on paper

One of the fixes for an emotional breakdown is writing the problem you are going through and, after registering, just reading it out loud. Then try figuring out how and what the emotional trigger was and why the emotional breakdown happened, and find the solution. So that next time, the same type of problem or a similar type of problem won't affect you with the same effect.

Take out the emotions

People, especially males, are the ones who do not open up easily. Some men do not even open up in front of their loved ones. Letting your emotions out occasionally is necessary, as it is the best way to clear the breakdown. The more you unleash the feeling, the more you will be free from mental problems. 

Long-Term Actionable Techniques

For Overcoming An Emotional Breakdown And Managing Stress/Anxiety, you can follow a few techniques given below:

Meditation

Meditation helps relieve stress and stabilize the mind. It also helps build self-awareness and thus helps us understand the root causes of our emotional distress.

Exercise

Exercising regularly helps deal with mental breakdowns in two ways. Firstly it reduces harmful cholesterol levels and boosts dopamine in the body, making us feel less stressed and more rewarded.

Hobbies

Taking up new hobbies or dedicating more time to current ones can help us manage our emotional well-being in several ways. Hobbies like playing guitar, painting, or other creative ventures stimulate our brains and create positive emotions. Such activities help us bounce back after an intense emotional breakdown.

Maintaining a Journal

Maintaining a daily journal or diary helps vent out some of the Anxiety you may experience. It also records our habits and behaviors and may help us analyze what triggers our emotional breakdowns.

Therapy

Therapy is of paramount importance while overcoming a mental or emotional breakdown. The various types of treatments currently available such as Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Humanistic therapy, etc., are some widely used and highly recommended therapies for emotional well-being.

Bottom line from Practical Anxiety Solutions

Always remember that the causes and effects of emotional breakdowns differ for different people. Everyone needs a different approach to deal with such a situation successfully. Therefore, it is highly recommended to seek professional help from psychiatrists or therapists who can diagnose the individual and devise a plan tailored to that individual's unique needs.

Professionals can help teach identification techniques and coping mechanisms to individuals who suffer from frequent emotional breakdowns. If you know a person who has been experiencing frequent emotional breakdowns, professional help is a must.

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