I had a very good friend here tell me that there really is no such thing as a nervous breakdown and I trust this person but I wanted to know what everyone else thinks. I've been doing some research online mostly a google search and from what I can determine it really isn't a medical term but is used to describe a very wide range of symptoms from psychosis to paranoia extreme to mild to just a stress overload that caused panic attacks that bring on uncontrollable crying or shaking or a major disruption in someones life style. Some have even used it to describe severe depression.

I read of one Dr that said that it really is and it really isn't. It's a very really experience of some sort that just gets categorized that way I have had many times that I have considered to be a nervous breakdown but to me it's just a stress overload from having non stop panic attacks or just way too much pressure put on me to perform that I just wasn't about to handle. I have had times that I experiences major paranoia and hallucinations but I've been told that's really more of a psychotic break.

Have you called a mental experience that you have had one or do you let a pdoc tell you what really happened. I'm really confused on this because I've heard the term used here on the board but what does it mean to you? Do you really think there is such a thing but pdocs don't use that term because it's not an official diagnosis. What do the rest of you think, maybe I'm way off base and there really is such a thing and I just didn't find it was going of some literature from the Mayo Clinic.