There's no such thing as a "mental breakdown" or "nervous breakdown" ... these euphemisms (along with the vague "nerves") usually refer to what a psychiatrist/ologist would diagnose as major depression or an anxiety or panic disorder.
Schizoaffective disorder and mania are usually what get a person colloquially called "crazy".
Having had a "nervous breakdown" of my own, I feel qualified to answer.
I don't remember my first breakdown.. but my second breakdown I sat in the middle of my floor crying without sobbing/tears flowing rappidly pulling tuffts of hair out.
I had to cut it short and perm it. I looked like shirly temple. It was cute.. but it grew back.
The third, I crawled under my bed and sobbed thick tears for 11 hours.. when no one in a house of 5 came to see if I was okay, I took everything pill I could find in the medicene chest.
I was hospitalized for 7 1/2 months.. then I had to spend 2 1/2 in a psych ward. Then 2 years of therapy. It really fucked me up.. I am constanly getting sick. When someone around me has so much as an inchy nose, I get sick.
Schizoaffective disorder and mania are usually what get a person colloquially called "crazy".
Having had a "nervous breakdown" of my own, I feel qualified to answer.
I had to cut it short and perm it. I looked like shirly temple. It was cute.. but it grew back.
The third, I crawled under my bed and sobbed thick tears for 11 hours.. when no one in a house of 5 came to see if I was okay, I took everything pill I could find in the medicene chest.
I was hospitalized for 7 1/2 months.. then I had to spend 2 1/2 in a psych ward. Then 2 years of therapy. It really fucked me up.. I am constanly getting sick. When someone around me has so much as an inchy nose, I get sick.
Anyway. That sucked. still does.
EDIT: sloppy typer.
[Edited on Jun 26, 2004 11:40PM]