How to Help a Family Member Who is Having a Mental Breakdown

What is a Mental Breakdown?

Though they are not clinical terms, “mental breakdown” and “nervous breakdown” are terms most of us are familiar with. It typically manifests as difficulty in completing usual tasks and activities due to extreme mental and/or emotional stress. 

Mental or nervous breakdowns are often the result of overwhelming stress caused by one’s job, unhealthy relationships, or unaddressed grief. The duration of a nervous or mental breakdown can range from just a few hours to years. 

Nervous breakdown signs include:

• Expressing feelings of hopelessness
• Exhibiting helplessness 
• Neglecting daily tasks and responsibilities
• Missing appointments
• Repeatedly canceling/missing social events
• Inability to manage or cope with anxiety and/or depression

How to Help Someone Who is Having a Mental Breakdown

You may notice one or more of the signs listed above or your loved one may even confide in you that they are struggling mentally. Either way, there are changes you can suggest and things you can specifically do to help your loved one. 

What to Suggest

When it comes to suggesting changes to a loved one who is experiencing a mental breakdown, it is important to tread lightly. You do not want to come off as if you are blaming them for not making changes or adjustments to their life thus far. Acknowledge what they are going through and that it can often feel impossible to make major shifts while dealing with mental health struggles. 

All of that said, suggesting the following things if your loved one is feeling up to them, even just one or two of them, can help them to begin to turn a corner: 

• Socializing with trusted friends and family with whom they feel completely comfortable. 

While socializing is often the last thing a person experiencing a mental breakdown wants to do, it can be very helpful for pulling them out of their own heads and maintaining strong connections with loved ones. 

• Prioritizing sleep 

Some people dealing with mental health struggles sleep excessively and some sleep too little. However, both groups tend to have one thing in common: The quality of their sleep is subpar. Sleep is meant to be restorative, both physically and mentally, so when that isn’t happening, finding ways to get deeper, more consistent and relaxing sleep is vital. 

• Eating healthy and nutritious foods

No one should be shamed for the comfort foods they might turn to when they are going through a poor mental health experience. However, poor nutrition and mental health struggles are a vicious cycle, one feeding into the other. Encourage your family member to eat more whole foods for their mental health and cognitive benefits. 

• Getting exercise

Even light exercise like a 20 minute walk can be tremendously beneficial for combating a mental breakdown in its early stages. The motivation to get out and do this can be overwhelming though so it is important to help your loved one by offering to accompany them on their walks. 

• Meditating and/or breathing exercises

Meditation is an excellent coping strategy for a variety of mental health conditions. While it is rarely the complete answer, it can provide a greater sense of calm and clarity when practiced regularly. There are free and paid resources available online for those seeking to undertake a meditation practice on their own. 

• Journaling

Journaling is another stress-relieving outlet that is often effective for those with depression and anxiety, particularly when practiced in conjunction with meditation. Encourage your loved one to take up these practices and to stick with them for more sustaining results. 

• Spending time on beloved activities and hobbies 

When one is very stressed and overwhelmed, it can be difficult to even think of spending time on fun and relaxation. However, the activities that provide this kind of relief and sense of self are vital. Even it they can only do so for 10-20 minutes a day, encourage your loved one to return to their most beloved hobbies and outlets. 

What to Say to Your Family Member

In addition to offering some of the gentle suggestions mentioned above, there are some things you can more directly do and say to help your family member when they are in the midst of a mental breakdown. 

Here are phrases we recommend: 

• “What you’re feeling is valid.” 
• “You deserve love and peace.” 
• “Take things one day at a time. Some days will be worse than others, and some will be better.” 
• “There is treatment available to you.” 
• “Let me know what you need.” 

When They Need More Help

Just as important as helping your family member make changes and offering support and validation is recognizing when they need professional help. Anyone who is experiencing a mental breakdown can likely benefit greatly from professional intervention. It may even save their life. 

Robles Ranch Mental Health offers anxiety, depression, and trauma treatments. These disorders are commonly associated with, and present alongside, mental breakdowns.  

Anxiety Disorders We Treat

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Social Anxiety Disorder 
• Panic Disorder
• Specific Phobia
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Depression Disorders We Treat

• Major Depressive Disorder
• Postpartum Disorder
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
• Dysthymia 
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Trauma Disorders We Treat

• Acute Stress Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Robles Ranch Mental Health Offers Support For Those Experiencing Mental Breakdown

Robles Ranch Mental Health is a residential mental health treatment facility that provides diagnosis of a variety of mental health conditions along with the care needed to address them. If you are wondering how to help a family member who is having a mental breakdown, one answer is certainly to seek professional assistance. Contact us today to discuss mental health treatment options at (866) 920-1207.