Mental breakdown (also known as a
nervous breakdown) is a general term for an acute, time-limited
psychiatric disorder that manifests primarily as severe
stress-induced
depression,
anxiety, or
dissociation in a previously functional individual, to the extent that they are no longer able to function on a day-to-day basis until the disorder is resolved. A nervous breakdown is defined by its temporary nature, and often closely tied to psychological
burnout,
severe overwork,
sleep deprivation, and similar
stressors, which may combine to temporarily overwhelm an individual with otherwise sound mental functions.