# nervous breakdown
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nervous-breakdown/74575
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 2, 2001, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nervous-breakdown/74575 "2001-08-02T01:23:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2001, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nervous-breakdown/74575/1 "2001-08-02T01:23:33Z")
Any psychologists or M.D.s here who can tell me what is meant by “nervous breakdown” such as the one attributed to Mariah Carey?
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2001, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nervous-breakdown/74575/2 "2001-08-02T01:29:24Z")
Not really. To me it’s a trashcan term that doesn’t convey much information. Could be anxiety, depression, mania, psychotic break, or even severe self-pity or petulance. To name but a few. Sorry.
Qadgop, MD
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### Author:  [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2001, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nervous-breakdown/74575/3 "2001-08-02T01:40:57Z")
Thanks for the prompt reply. Kinda what I figured, a general euphemism.
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### Author:  [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2001, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nervous-breakdown/74575/4 "2001-08-03T14:10:19Z")
It means she flipped her lid.