nervous breakdown (redirected from nervous breakdowns)

breakdown /break·down/ (brāk´doun)

1. the act or process of ceasing to function.

2. an often sudden collapse in health.

3. loss of self-control.

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nervous breakdown  a nonspecific, popular name for any type of mental disorder that interferes with the affected individual's normal activities, often implying a severe episode with sudden onset.

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nervous breakdown

n.

A severe or incapacitating emotional disorder, especially when occurring suddenly and marked by depression.

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nervous breakdown

Psychiatry A dated term that encompasses anxiety, panic and depressive disorders Psychology A popular term for being mentally overwhelmed by circumstance and accumulated acute stressors