I suffered a serious mental health break down ten years ago. My experience was that I did indeed ignore that there was "something wrong with me", eventually after hiding it for so long it felt like being in a car crash. So I totsally relate your metaphor of going over the cliff. I became adept at ignoring the subtle shifts, the internal tremors that signaled an impending crisis. The illusion of control, fostered by our ability to keep busy, prevents us from creating the necessary "space to be ill and recover," a space where true healing and resilience are forged.