COLLAPSE
A temporary shutdown of the emotional–executive system after a trigger (usually rejection, criticism, exposure, or loss). Thinking goes dim, motivation tanks, and shame takes over. Looks quiet from the outside; feels brutal inside.
Emotional Collapse
Temporary shutdown of the emotional–executive system
What it feels like (inside)
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Instant drop: “I’m worthless / I ruined it.”
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Brain offline: can’t plan, decide, or argue.
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Physically heavy: fatigue, chest tight, fog.
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Hide/avoid: don’t want contact, work, or decisions.
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Time stretch: hours feel long; you can’t “snap out.”
How long it lasts
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Common: 12–48 hours (sometimes 2–3 days).
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Not minutes. Not a mood swing. It fades as the nervous system resets (often after real sleep).
What sets it off
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Rejection/criticism/embarrassment (RSD)
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Moral injury/identity hits (OS)
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Sleep debt (<6 hours), hunger, pain, conflict
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Hormone shifts (T/cortisol), alcohol/come-downs
What collapse is not
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Not hypomania: no energized surge or risk runs.
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Not a rage attack: outside is usually quiet (freeze/withdraw).
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Not “drama”: it’s a neuro load-shed—the system protecting itself.