Context #1

My dogs are my babies. I treat them like my children and they always have the best food, toys, beds, everything. I remember once when one of my dogs got sick. I was a complete basket case. I dropped everything and rushed my little dog to the veterinarian. I missed a whole day of work, I didn’t eat, didn’t sleep, I couldn’t rest or function normally until I knew my precious little dog was going to be OK. Luckily, she only had an upset stomach and was perfectly fine the next day. I realize now that I may have overreacted to the situation. 



Context #2

Jake is such a nervous student. He is also a perfectionist who expects perfect scores on all assignments, projects, and tests. I have known him since elementary school and I remember once in 5th grade, he didn’t read the directions correctly on a test. He missed 1 point on the test and became a total basket case. He didn’t play with us at recess; he only sat under a tree and reviewed his test paper over and over again! At lunch, he did the same thing! Now that we are in high school, he still puts the same pressure on himself.

Explanation:

A basket case is an anxious and nervous person who cannot function normally in situations where there is slight pressure, unplanned changes, or unfamiliar settings.

In Example 1, the writer became a basket case when her dog fell ill. In Example 2, Jake became a basket case when he missed a point on his test.

You can use different verbs with this expression:

You are a basket case!

Don’t be a basket case. Everything will be fine.

You turn into a basket case every semester during finals.

She was a basket case after her car accident.

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