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Home » Blog » Mental Disorders » Adjustment Disorder - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Plan
Adjustment disorders are one of the most common mental disorders worldwide. It is a stress-related condition where the patient experiences more stress than usual in response to an unexpected event. It causes several problems in your relationship, college, or work.
Any incident, including work issues, death of a close one, an illness, or a change in life, can cause anxiety. Sometimes, people adjust to such issues within a few months. However, if you have adjustment disorder, you will experience behavioral or emotional reactions, leading to anxiety or depression.
If you want to know more about an adjustment disorder and its common symptoms, check out our detailed guide.
Contents
The adjustment disorder is also known as stress response syndrome. It is a short-term condition that occurs when a patient faces difficulty adjusting or managing a specific source of stress. It can be a loss, a major life change, or a disturbing event.
The emotional or behavioral reactions of a patient are likely to change within three months. Moreover, this health condition is commonly diagnosed in children and adolescents. However, it can also affect adults.
Adjustment disorder has certain symptoms that overlap with those of depression. However, this disorder does not involve emotional and physical symptoms. These include changes in sleep, appetite, and suicidal thoughts.
An adjustment disorder is not the same health condition as a post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is mainly a response to a life-threatening event that usually happens after one month of the incident.
Moreover, the symptoms usually last longer than a seasonal adjustment disorder. In contrast, adjustment disorders last no longer than 6 months.
According to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), here are the six main types of adjustment disorders.
Patients diagnosed with this disorder experience a feeling of hopelessness and sadness. They also no longer enjoy activities that they did previously and end up crying all the time.
This type of adjustment disorder causes anxiety that includes feeling worried, anxious, and overwhelmed. Similarly, individuals suffering from this may experience problems with their memory and concentration. However, for children, this disorder is typically associated with separation anxiety from loved ones or parents.
People having this type of condition suffer from both anxiety and depression.
The common symptoms of this condition involve behavioral issues, including driving recklessly or fights. Teenagers suffering from this condition may start missing school or steal personal property.
Patients of this disorder most likely experience anxiety, major depression, and behavioral issues.
People suffering from this type do not experience the same symptoms as other adjustment disorders. Instead, they have physical symptoms like problems with friends, family, work, or college.
The signs and symptoms of adjustment disorder in children or adults majorly depend on the disorder type. It can vary from individual to individual.
This condition affects how you think or feel about yourself and the world. Furthermore, it affects your behavior or actions. The major symptoms of the adjustment disorder are given below.
As discussed earlier, adjustment disorder is a reaction to an event. However, there is no single direct cause between the stressful life event and the reaction.
Keep in mind, children and adolescents vary in their personality, past experience, and coping skills. Therefore, their responses to deal with specific events may also differ.
Below we have discussed the causes of adjustment disorder both in adults and children.
Anyone can develop adjustment disorders. Nevertheless, it is quite common in children or adolescents. Both males and females equally get affected by this condition.
Moreover, it happens at any age and in all cultures. Thus, it is not easy to tell who is experiencing the symptoms of the adjustment disorder. However, it is believed that the characteristics of this condition may differ in teenagers than adults.
The following are the potential risk factors of this disorder that can affect different areas of a person’s life.
People with this disorder suffer from stress and emotional distress. Because of this, they experience severe depressive disorder symptoms leading to change in their behaviors.
Patients with this disorder also experience various challenges in their social life. It becomes difficult for them to manage relationships and other challenges at the workplace.
Children or teenagers suffering from adjustment disorders struggle in their academic life. They face issues while concentrating and memorizing that may result in bad grades.
Diagnosing adjustment disorder requires a detailed psychological evaluation and interview by a mental health professional. This process of evaluation considers emotions, behaviors, past experiences, and the sources of stress. Moreover, parents are also present during the process.
You must meet the below-given criteria to be diagnosed with an adjustment disorder.
A treatment plan for the adjustment disorder is mainly decided by a health professional. However, it is based on the given factors.
By keeping these factors in mind, a psychiatrist will recommend the below-given treatments to deal with the adjustment disorder.
Individual psychotherapy involves cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach in the U.K and the U.S. However, other types of therapies are also recommended.
As this disorder is defined as short-term thus, the therapy will be a solution-focused and short course. The main goal of this treatment is to make the patient understand the techniques to overcome this disorder. This is how he will be able to deal with the problem and its impacts effectively.
It includes different therapies like crisis intervention, interpersonal psychotherapy, and the involvement of support groups.
This type of therapy is recommended when the patient is a child or adolescent. It is conducted to overcome the conflicting situation in family life by improving communication skills. Similarly, this therapy session is also used to teach the family how they should support the patient.
Sometimes, sharing challenges with a group of individuals having the same condition can also help you cope with the disorder practically. Such group therapy helps the patients to improve their communication skills. Thus, it proves to be a good source of encouragement and support.
Along with psychotherapies, medications are also prescribed to deal with adjustment disorder. Most medicines are prescribed to treat the symptoms specifically.
For example, if an individual is having insomnia or severe anxiety, only in those conditions medications are recommended. Nevertheless, they are carefully evaluated by the medical team beforehand.
Here are the medications that can be used to treat adjustment disorders.
Antidepressants are recommended if the patient suffers from the symptoms even after three months of the event. Similarly, if the non-medication-based treatment fails to deal with the disorder, doctors prescribe these medicines.
These medicines help to deal with sleeping issues and anxiety in the short-term. But they are not recommended for long-term use because of their addictive potential. Thus, they should be taken only after a careful evaluation by the medical professional.
Other than therapies and medication, some herbal remedies and their effects are being analyzed to deal with adjustment disorder symptoms. These include extracts of valerian and passiflora.
However, these material substances have not been sufficiently researched and analyzed. Therefore, you should always consult a specialist before using any herbal remedy. It is because they may not be safe for some people or in combination with specific medicines.
Are you planning to consult a health care professional for evaluating and treating your disorder? Here are the guidelines to help you prepare for your appointment. It is better to make notes before the visit to remember the information.
Consider the following points while making a list of things that you need to ask during the doctor’s appointment.
Below are some questions you should ask your doctor during an appointment.
Here are some strategies you should follow to manage this disorder by taking care of your emotional well-being.
This complete guide will help you completely understand chronic adjustment disorder. The best approach to recover from this health condition is to treat it quickly and correctly. Thus, it is important to identify the disorder at the early stages to seek professional help.
This is how you can reduce the severity of symptoms by enhancing your growth and development. Similarly, you can also improve the quality of your life.
Different researches at John Hopkins University have proven animals as a great source of comfort. Thus, keeping a pet as an emotional support animal helps in providing mental relaxation. It is considered the best way to deal with adjustment disorders.
If you are someone who is suffering from this health condition and planning to adopt an ESA. Then you will be requiring a valid and authentic ESA letter. It is a prescription that certifies your pet as a support animal. Moreover, it allows you to live and travel with it without paying any extra charges.
Therefore, wait no more. We are just a click away. Contact us at RealESALetter.com now and get a professionally written letter within just 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually, a time frame of adjustment disorder is variable. The condition develops after some time of the stressful event. However, if the disorder lasts longer than six months, it may refer to chronic adjustment disorder.
Many people think that adjustment disorder is less serious than other types of mental illnesses as it involves stress. However, it may affect a person’s whole life, leading to suffering in every area of functioning.
Although it is believed that adjustment disorder is caused as a result of a stressful life event. But different researches have also contended that genetics do contribute to the development of this medical health condition.
In psychology, adjustment disorder is referred to as a situational depression. It is an abnormal reaction to an identifiable life event. However, the responses are more severe than usual and can affect social, work, and academic life.
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