To think the term mental 'breakdown' is outdated?

[AtSea1979]

And frankly insulting? To those who suffer from a mental health condition/illness?

[bubblegurl252]

It doesn't bother me, I've used the term before, though I tend to say emotional breakdown

[SaucyJack]

I don't mind it meself.

What do you prefer?

[TheoriginalLEM]

im not sure i get where you are coming from. I suffer from anxiety and consider it to be a mental illness. A breakdown to me is when someone litetally breaks down mentally after sustained stress.

what you call it is irrelevant. i manage my mental illness, someone who has had a breakdown may well be in a worse way than me.

It doesn't matter what label it has. i think a diagnosis isnt always possible or indeed useful.

What is vital is that people feel able to discuss mental health issues without stigma or the worry that they are minimalising pathology.

[x2boys]

What would you prefer ? They are all just words I, m an RMN we did sometimes say People had,had a breakdown in their mental health ,or if somebody had a longterm mental illness ,and they became unwell then it might be referred to a relapse in their mental health .

[YorkieDorkie]

I'm trying to think of alternatives...
Breakdown has always summed it up.

Synonyms are:
Failure
Collapse
Disintegration

[TealLove]

Have you ever had a breakdown?
That's exactly what it feels like. Normality breaks down!
It's not pretty but its v accurate.

[AtSea1979]

Ok. I've just received a letter from professionals saying I had a mental breakdown. I didn't have a breakdown, that isn't factual. But I find their term insulting and outdated. But I'm open to being told I'm wrong and clearly I am. I will have to base my complaint on the fabricated nonsense rather than the terminology used.

[bubblegurl252]

I think it's more a case of being the wrong term for your situation whereas for those of us who've had one it sums it up perfectly.

[feathermucker]

I had a breakdown. Twice.

Exactly what it felt like; I was broken!

[FirstWeTakeManhattan]

And frankly insulting? To those who suffer from a mental health condition/illness

Truly, why do you think so OP? Can you explain more?

[OTheHugeManatee]

DH actually had a nervous breakdown. Prolonged extreme overwork, sleep deprivation and stress led to his autonomic nervous system going profoundly wrong (sleep, libido, emotions, anxiety, the lot) and there is no other accurate term for the psychophysical experience he had than nervous breakdown.

So YABU to think 'breakdown' has no meaning. I've no idea what a 'mental breakdown' is though.

[FirstWeTakeManhattan]

x post with OP

[RandomMess]

So what happened?

Perhaps we can find an alternate for what happened to you?

I certainly had 2 breakdowns, 2 crises in my mental & emotional well being beyond have a "rough" time or similar.

[SeasonalVag]

What I had could only be described as a breakdown. couldn't function at all. Couldn't even read. Or eat. Had no control over myself at all. Totally disinhibited. Reckless. Very lucky I wasn't sectioned.

[ImNotThatGirl]

I had a breakdown which led to a long period of very poor mental health. I have never really used the term, as such, because I refer to it as when I became unwell. However, the word breakdown does fully describe what happened to me. My whole life broke down within a very short period of time. I don't love the word though, so I can see your point.

It's obviously affecting you and I can empathise. The way professionals word your struggles/illnesses in letters can have a profound impact on you.

[AtSea1979]

I told her I had generalised anxiety. She concluded that I had a 'mental breakdown' which I think implies I'm broken in some way. Not unwell. Although I felt broken in a sense I don't like the implication that I've broken down rather than become unwell. But I wanted a general opinion and it seems like it's an acceptable term to use.

[RandomMess]

Well I don't think having generalised anxiety = breakdown.

A period of intense and extreme anxiety could = breakdown though.

[AtSea1979]

No I'm not ashamed of having a 'mental breakdown' but in my particular case it has been used to prove I'm not a good parent because I had a 'mental breakdown' so I'm writing a letter of complaint regarding the awful opinion that having a mental breakdown doesn't automatically make your DC at risk and I wanted to include that the term was even outdated and insulting to those who had been unwell etc. But I'll leave that bit out.

[horizontilting]

It is factually inaccurate to describe generalised anxiety as a breakdown and I would seek to clarify with the person who wrote that what led her to the conclusion that you had a breakdown and have her amend the letter. You need an accurate report.

It sounds like you think the term shouldn't be in use as it would be insulting to anyone it was accurate for. Does it feel like it's insulting because it implies ceasing to be able to function, almost on an mechanical level, like a car engine failure? Something like that? (I'm guessing here)

Thing is, it feels entirely like the right term when it happens. Far more so than most terminology. It felt intuitively very accurate to me. I think they may have this one right.

[AtSea1979]

Yes I think it was the implication that people are broken, like cars. Not humans, who are ill and can get better. Written off etc.

[Cocoabutton]

I had a mental and physical breakdown at the start of the year after several years of extreme stress. It was not anxiety, panic or depression, all of which I have experienced, but a complete inability to function. Everything stopped working. I am slowly recovering. I was unwell, yes, but I felt and feel like I broke. There was no whole me, there still is not, just pieces.

FWIW, I don't think this was a bad thing, it was a necessary thing. If you have pieces, then part of recovery is selecting and working with the ones you want to keep. No more struggling on trying to hold it all together.

[horizontilting]

x-post, OP

UbiquityTree. Hope you can take it easy on yourself and you have some simple things to hold onto.

I was told getting outside for a 20 minute walk, using the free month of the headspace mindfulness app (all you have to do is listen to a comforting voice, and breathe) and trying to eat well - things like soup and smoothies. And going back to the GP if you need to.

Box sets and audio books can be really good positive distraction. And doing little things you did enjoy until they lift you again.

You probably know all of this already but basically, I hope you start to feel better soon.