Recovery from a nervous breakdown

[NervousGirl67]

Hi, so nearly 4 weeks ago I had a nervous breakdown. It's been a long time coming - I've got severe anxiety, depression and PTSD and it all came to a massive head one day and I just lost the ability to function basically. Most of my time spent in bed, hardly leaving the house, panic attacks, disassociation, crying, insomnia, complete bone deep exhaustion, other physical symptoms.

The last 4 weeks have been so awful. I've had lots of support - GP has been amazing, I've got an appointment next week with mental health team, lots of family support, a private counsellor. But I'm struggling and it's very up and down. I'll have an ok day but then suddenly feel like I'm back at square one again. Sometimes I feel like I'll never be me again.

Has anyone reading this ever hit rock bottom like this and recovered? Would love to hear some encouragement because I feel so hopeless and despairing about my situation.

Ah op sorry to hear of your struggles. Not me but dh - had the same as you. good days and bad days. What helped most was time and sertraline. He took them for 6 months I think then weaned off. He's a lot better now and back at work but doesn't see it as all encompassing which he did before.

you will get better! 💐

You WILL get better. I had an awful breakdown when pregnant 10 years ago. I've never felt fear and despair like it. I hit rock bottom. But I did get better. It won't be overnight but slowly day by day you're recovering x

Thank you for this. How long did it take you to recover if you don't mind me asking? I think I'm expecting too much of myself and expecting to get better quickly. But it's looking like it's going to take a long time

Hi op. I had one last year and have just had another, precisely as you've described yours. It's utterly horrendous and I know exactly how you're feeling. It's one day feeling OK and thinking I must be coming out of it, only to be landed back into it at seemingly the blink of an eye.

I do know from last year it took me probably around 6 weeks to be able to genuinely "know" it had gone. But the one step forward two steps back was the case pretty much up until then. Right now I'm on week 3 of my current one and the better hours are just about outweighing the bad ones but who knows what tomorrow brings.

One way I try to frame it when going back into it is to tell myself a few things (I've had years of cbt so forgive me if this all sounds a bit wanky!)

• this is just a feeling
• this isn't my pain, this is my body's reaction to unresolved childhood trauma - there is no emergency here
• the feelings need to rinse out of me so just let them go for it, let them run riot. -There's one thing for sure it definitely won't kill me so sitting with it is as bad as it's going to get

I also try very hard to eat because for me hunger / nausea anything like that becomes very conflated with anxiety. Same for drinking water. I don't touch caffeine or alcohol. I try online meditation if I just need ten minutes sanity.

You are not alone. I wouldn't wish this feeling on my worst enemy

It took me a few months. The docs had to keep upping the dosage of my anti depressants until I started feeling more on an even keel. I'd gradually have more and more moments of calm and hope. It can take a while to build up your mental strength again. But it will happen. Keep believing and do all you can to help it along - whether it's counselling, medication, meditation, exercise, sleeping and eating well x

I had burnout, and I suppose thinking back, a breakdown at the end of last year. I had several weeks of feeling broken, unable to function normally, numb really. I decided on New years eve I had to do something or i was going to get much worse, I rang our EAP, they listened and suggested CBT counselling, i went to my GP and got some antidepressants.

I spent the next 6 weeks forcing myself to do things to improve my wellbeing, one day I thought ' Ooo, yoga today' and realised I was actually looking forward to something. My manager was amazing about supporting me back to work, and nearly a year on, I'm 1000 % improved.

You will get there, you will have up and downs, good luck xxx

Hi OP I’ve just went through something similar 6 weeks ago practically exactly as you describe. I have a chronic pain condition and just thought I can’t cope anymore, I also have anxiety, depression and PTSD. I feel like no one is taking me seriously though, my sick-note from the GP said low mood/anxiousness. Low mood isn’t lying in bed for days, not eating, sleeping or even showering. Too anxious to go anywhere. Clawing at your arms until they bleed.

Im a little better now I’ve returned to work but I hate my job which isn’t helping. I was already on a max dose of citalopram anyway so they couldn’t up my antidepressants, I am having a phone appointment with a CPN to see if I need counselling (although I’ll probably end up paying for my own im that desperate).

I’ve been like this before and it probably took about 4 months to get back on an even keel

I’ve been at rock bottom before - similar experiences to you and others. I’ve also witnessed others go though it.

You will get better. It can be a case of just getting through each day for a while and IME recovery is almost imperceptible but it does happen and you’ll get there.

Thank you all for your replies. It's good to hear others have been where I am and recovered. Some days it all feels so hopeless, but I think maybe I'm being impatient.

I'm finding the physical side of all this very difficult to deal with. Did anyone else have a lot of physical symptoms? The tiredness is off the charts. I swing back and forth between excessive sleeping and insomnia, but it doesn't matter either way because I'm so tired/sleepy I can barely function whatever my sleep.

I'm also so woozy/spaced out all the time. It may be the disassociation is causing that, but it's so difficult to cope with. And I find myself so scared of the symptoms, worried there's something else wrong with me (I've had extensive blood tests and GP says it's all mental health)

I'm taking escitalopram currently but I've been on it 2 months now and I'm not sure it's doing the trick really. I had this breakdown whilst taking it, so what does that say? Maybe I need to try something else.

I had that too. Three years later, you would have never guessed looking at me. You will get there. Day by day :) In total it took me six months. Hugs!

I had one May 2020. Horrendous. It took me about 4-6 weeks to be able to function and interact with my family. I started slowly having ok patches after that which increased in length. Probably took a year for me not to have any waves of horror. And I’ve been 100% well since. It really knocked me sideways and took a long time to build my resilience back. I’m still on sertraline as I’m terrified but of it ever coming back but the lady 2 years have been fantastic.

Yes me!! I've actually been feeling very low for 6 months but started to break down 3 months ago with full on break down 5 weeks ago. Suicidal.

I am finally feeling more like me and engaging in life again but I've had a stay at a mental health unit, antidepressants and mood stabilisers keeping me on track.

The disassociation I found terrifying.