how long does a nervous breakdown last
1. Get help from a doctor now âº. It varies a lot:  nervous breakdown  is an imprecise slang term. Average stay in a psychiatric unit is about one week for adults, but this varies from 1 day to many weeks.The average is longer, about ten days, for geriatric (elderly) patients, mainly due to co-existing medical issues.. Get help from a doctor now âº. It varies a lot:  nervous breakdown  is an imprecise slang term. Average stay in a psychiatric unit is about one week for adults, but this varies from 1 day to many weeks.