How To Navigate A Mental Breakdown When You’re In It

A mental breakdown is a hard situation to face in your life, especially when you’re fully in it. There are often signs and signals of an impending breakdown, but if it’s something you’ve never experienced before, it can come at you with significant force.

Navigating a mental breakdown is something you want to be aware of so that you prioritize your safety and also take the immediate steps required to calm your nervous system.

A mental breakdown, it often involves feeling completely overwhelmed and unable to function. In this guide, you’ll get a breakdown of what to do in the moment and then everything beyond that.

The immediate actions to take first

When you first feel the peak of a breakdown, it’s important to stop what you’re doing, remove yourself from the cause of it and find a way of anchoring yourself. This can be done by doing the following:

Remove yourself from the source of the stress

Firstly, remove yourself from the source of the stress. When you’re at work or in a high-pressure situation, leave immediately and don’t stick around. Go to somewhere quiet, safe and where you can ideally be alone.

Use grounded techniques

Grounding techniques are important to help reconnect with your body and your surroundings in order to stop a panic spiral from occurring.

Breathing

Breathing sounds a little stupid, but it’s actually a good way to calm your nervous system. Inhale slowly through your nose for four seconds, hold for two and breathe out slowly for six seconds. Repeat, until you feel the impact on your nervous system.

Sensory input

Try to take a warm shower, focus on a pleasant scent by taking a walk outside, or listen to calming music.

Observe your surroundings

It’s good to be aware of your surroundings as a way of distracting yourself. Observe and name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.

Stop all unnecessary activity

Don’t try to keep working or managing or doing whatever it is you’re doing, as it can make you feel much worse. Instead, just focus on resting.

Reach out to one trusted person

If you have someone you trust, then reach out to this person. It could be a family member, a friend or work colleague, or even a counselor that can offer emotional support and help when you feel less isolated.

Do not use substance aids

Avoid any substance aids, whether it’s excessive caffeine, drugs or alcohol, as these can make your mental health issues worse and trigger further panic.

When to seek professional help

A mental breakdown isn’t a clinical diagnosis, but it’s a sign of not managing your stress properly. Therefore, seeking professional help can be useful, whether it’s the extent of checking in at a luxurious rehab, Legacy Healing Center or exploring alternative options through your own doctor or a crisis line.

Short-term care tips

Once the crisis of a mental breakdown has subsided, you’ll want to focus on the short-term care tips. These could be prioritising your basic needs like sleeping and hydrating. Establishing a simple routine and limiting stimulating environments is helpful, too.

Mental breakdowns are scary, but with the right attentiveness and awareness of them, you can overcome them without it causing you harm.