You did and handled, that situation well. and you should've been told that by someone at the time.Once it's got to that stage then yes, it's unhelpful.
However, certain people during my career at particularly low and desperate points did give me a sort of wake up call to get my life in order before I went any further down the spiral and I believe that though it sounded like harsh advice at the time it steered me back on track and avoided a worse outcome. I remember one time sitting at my computer in utter despair at being able to sort out the mess on the screen in front of me. I had no experience of that programming language and it looked like mission impossible. I told my boss that I just couldn't do it and was extremely distressed about it which added to my humiliation in the open plan office. He told me I could walk out the door and don't ever come back or I could get on with it as they "didn't carry passengers." There was no sympathy whatsoever and I am not sure it would have helped me. I pulled myself together and got on with it but thereafter felt my boss never really trusted me again and my standing in the departmeng was at rock bottom. But hey ho. If I had completely crumpled and left the office in tears to go God only knows where would that have been classed as a nervous breakdown. I suppose I will never know.
Looking back now on my life it is apparent I went through many phases of untreated depression just as I now see the same had occurred for my grandmother and mother.
50 years to establish this much.
Best wishes.
Really what needed doing to that bullying twit was the computer key - board picked up and rammed sideways up his arse