User:Zydzimp/sandbox

Mental F Down
Definition

Mental F-Down (also known as “the throwing of the Zippo”) is an acute, time limited phase of a specific build up of emotional BS spanning from one semester to another during the current everyday life of a college student. The emotional symptoms may manifest primarily with features of depression, anxiety and some instances psychosis. This was a term used regularly by promising undergrad students in any bachelors’ of psychology programs in the Southwest Virginia area. Originally used back in the early 1990s.

Cause

Causes of a Mental F-down typically occurred with juniors in College and reasons vary. Research on the subject found that problems with intimate relationships contributed to 64% of Mental F-Downs during the 4 years of a college student. Stress also from classes and dealing with code violations on campus were also ranked as some of the top reasons for a Mental F-down. Peer pressure not only from family but also from friends was also found to be some of the top reasons for this type of “breakdown”. One example of this is a psychotic break that occurred on campus during the senior year of several promising students. They were “goofing off “late one afternoon. One student decided placing handcuffs on a guy and locking him to one of the beds; just in fun and was a way to blow off steam. However this lead to the now locked student to have a psychotic break and then he began to go off in a frenzy to get the handcuffs off of him. When he was finally unlocked he knocked several other students around and in an instance just froze.

Similar disorders

Rapport, Todd, Lumley, and Fisicaro suggest that the closest DSM-IV diagnostic category to Mental F Down or a nervous breakdown is Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood (Acute).[1] Adjustment disorders and Mental F Downs are both acute reactions to stress that resolve after removal of the stressor. However, DSM-IV excludes from adjustment disorders cases secondary to bereavement, which contributes to approximately 6-8% of Mental F Down .[1] Nervous breakdowns are very similar to Mental F Down and used as the same terminology. Only difference is that Mental F Downs take the place there place in the SW area of Viriginia. Mental F Downs may share some features of acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, in that these each occur in response to an external stressor, and may be marked with sleep disturbance, diminished concentration, and mood lability. However, the symptoms of Mental F Downs do not include the constellation of re-experienced trauma, dissociation, avoidance, and numbing of general responsiveness that are associated with the other two disorders, and the types of stressors linked to a Mental F Break are generally less extreme.[1] Caution should be taken when signs and symptoms are present to avoid this individual as much as possible or if that person is a close friend feel relief that you are not the only one that is about to lose it.

Treatment

Treatment that shows promise in the treatment of a Mental F-down would include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Reality, or person centered. However the best known treatment is having a support network around you that is just as crazy and ready to blow as you are.

See also:

Adjustment Disorder

Causes of mental disorder

Grieving Mental Health

Neurasthenia

Psychotic Break

Self-medication

Psychosis

Reference

Rapport, L. J.; Todd, R. M.; Lumley, M. A.; Fisicaro, S. A. (1998). "The diagnostic meaning of "nervous breakdown" among lay populations". J Pers Assess 71 (2): 242–252.

<!--