When life's relentless stress hammers down on us, sometimes the weight becomes too much to bear. Kevin Curtis, LCSW, director of crisis services at Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah, gave insights into what some might term a mental breakdown. A concept without a strict medical definition, a mental breakdown is recognized as the threshold past which a person cannot seemingly handle things anymore. "It’s the point at which we feel we can no longer handle things," Curtis told HealthFeed. Whether it's struggling to crawl out of bed or to stick to the regular work routine, it can drive anyone to desperately feel like they can't cope.
Recognizing the warning signs varies from person to person, but common red flags might be there. Curtis says, "If you’re feeling helpless, like what you do doesn’t matter, or you’re losing pleasure in things that normally fulfill you, you may be headed for a mental breakdown," as per HealthFeed. Emotional swings, cognitive difficulties, physical symptoms like headaches or stomach pain, and behavioral changes such as social withdrawal are among the symptoms noted in the HealthFeed interview. Curtis emphasized the patient's role in determining their crisis, pushing to eradicate the stigma that one's issues aren't grave enough to seek help.
But it's not just about weathering the storm; it's about circumventing it altogether when possible. Curtis likens emotional health to car maintenance, with the understanding that neglecting our psychological needs will inevitably lead to a breakdown. The key lies in self-care and recognizing when life's demands are surmounting our capacity to manage them. "Think of it like car maintenance," Curtis explained to HealthFeed. "If you never service your car, it will eventually break down. The same goes for your emotional health."
