Sanlam : How To Avoid A Nervous Breakdown

So, as you find yourself juggling several projects, tasked with huge deadlines, kids preparing for upcoming exams, an endless list of things on which to catch up, and it feels as if you've hit rock bottom, you might be asking "am I about to have a nervous breakdown?".

The good(ish) news is that, according to T Byram Karasu, MD, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, nervous breakdowns are rare.

The term nervous breakdown has been so widely used and misused. A nervous breakdown is not a clinical term and is not considered a mental illness, but that doesn't mean that it's not a serious issue. According to Karasu, dealing with constant overwhelming stressors - like working crazy hours without any downtime - is the most common cause of a breakdown.

It is a mental and emotional collapse that renders a person unable to function normally. In general, a nervous breakdown is preceded by extreme stress and anxiety that leaves you feeling vulnerable.