A thing that 1950s housewives used to have when they ran out of antianxiety meds. Treatment: a slap across the face and a hearty “Get ahold of yourself, woman!” It’s a vague, unscientific term that refers to an acute anxious or depressive episode—a sort of mental illness lite for delicate, frazzled ladies. That vagueness cuts both ways—it contributes to the sensationalism around women’s mental health (as in, once a month our brains liquefy and bleed out our vaginas and that’s why we can never be president!), while simultaneously trivializing women’s actual concerns (as in, sometimes shit really is fucked, but no big, it’s “just” a nervous breakdown and we’ll be fine). Similar to “hysteria”—you know, just spray us with the hose and we’ll snap out of it. (See also MELTDOWN)