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Recovering from a Nervous Breakdown: Climbing Your Way Up from Rock Bottom

A nervous breakdown is a serious breakdown in one’s mental, emotional and spiritual health that can have many different causes and factors, including trauma, lack of sleep and/or bio-chemical imbalances. Anyone who has experienced a serious breakdown knows that in order to truly understand what happened to you and why, you have to dig deep and get to the root of the issues and fully address all of the underlying problems that you might or might not be fully conscious of, in order to find holistic solutions. Here are a few suggestions to help in your healing process.

After a breakdown, you might find yourself having to relearn how to live life. It might sound crazy to anyone who hasn’t experienced a serious depression or mental breakdown, but for those who have, daily routines might feel impossible- even getting out of bed may feel insurmountable. You might wake up every morning in a state of panic, or have chronic insomnia, or both. You might find yourself unable to eat, or to stop crying, or to make the panic subside. You might be filled with persistent anxiety and/or suicidal thoughts.

However your difficulties manifest themselves, you may find yourself having to master the basics of daily life all over again. It can help immeasurably to break things down into small steps and tasks, and walk yourself through them. Make lists of things you want to accomplish, however small they may be: showering, drinking water, exercising, cleaning. Completing even small tasks will give you a sense of accomplishment and will be a step on your journey of recovery.

When seriously depressed, we tend to judge ourselves harshly for being in the state we’re in, for not being able to get out of bed, for not being able to keep our home clean, for missing another day of work. When we are suffering is when we need our compassion and forgiveness the most. Rather than berating yourself, try telling yourself things like “I’m sorry you’re suffering. I love you unconditionally.” This change in your perspective and your self-talk can help to reprogram your subconscious mind over time, to fill yourself with love rather than the self-loathing that can come with depression, and to give you more motivation to make positive, healthy changes for yourself.

When you are down, you might find yourself feeling impatient with your progress or lack thereof. As much as you can, have patience with yourself. You didn’t fall into this hole overnight, and you won’t dig yourself out overnight either. The big changes you need to make in your life will require diligence, energy and time, and the more you can have patience with yourself during this very difficult healing process, the easier it will be to implement those changes.

Finally, and very importantly, get support. A family member, friend, support group, neighbor, even a social media acquaintance can be there to offer support if you are open to receiving it. Let someone know you need help, and then allow yourself the gift of being helped. Try not to feel guilty for needing help. Instead, accept the gift with gratitude, and remind yourself that you, like all of us, deserve help, support and love.

Give yourself the gift of help and support; you deserve it. Enlightened Recovery is here to help. Call (833) 801-LIVE today.

Begin Your Recovery at Enlightened Recovery

Enlightened Recovery is here to help you or your loved one overcome drug and alcohol addiction as well as co-occurring mental health disorders. Our holistic treatment programs treat the whole person in recovery. We have locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

Get the help that you deserve now with Enlightened Recovery.