Adjustment Disorder

Adjustment Disorder

Adjustment Disorder is a psychological disorder characterised by an inability to cope with change in life. An individual’s cognitive ability to cope with stressful changes is compromised which lowers his or her self-confidence. Experts at Jagruti Rehab Centre understand adjustment disorder symptoms and frame an adjustment disorder treatment accordingly.
Here is a comprehensive blood that explains what are the symptoms of adjustment disorders and what causes adjustment disorders in individuals among other aspects of the disorder.

What is Adjustment Disorder?

An Adjustment Disorder is a type of short-term emotional or behavioural reaction to stress or trauma. The disorder causes exaggerated responses like frequent bouts of weeping, feeling depressed or even indulging in reckless behaviour when a person is exposed to a trigger.
Triggers are reminders of a traumatic or stressful event. These triggers can be in the form of photographs, hearing familiar songs, tasting certain foods and so on. These happenings evoke adjustment disorder symptoms.
The reaction to trigger depends on the individual and may be a consequence of a single event or multiple stressors reaching a breaking point. Symptoms usually subside within six months once the triggers resolve but can persist if the condition is severe.
Statistics and Facts
Stress-related disorders get triggered when there are financial troubles, the death of a near and dear one or a major happening like a pandemic. For instance, there was a 24-25% increase in stress-related disorders like adjustment disorder in North-East India during COVID-19. However, on a global level, adjustment disorder affects 2% of the population.

Common Myths and Misconceptions

Myth 1: Adjustment Disorder is a chronic condition that lasts a lifetime.
Fact 1: No. With the right approach, adjustment disorder treatment is short and a patient gets treated in six months.

Myth 2: Adjustment Disorder and PTSD are the same disorders.
Fact 2: No. Adjustment disorder and PTSD are two separate disorders that are resolved by different treatments.

Myth 3: Patients with adjustment disorder only get triggered by negative events.
Fact 3: False. Negative as well as positive triggers can result in adjustment disorder.

What Are The Types of Adjustment Disorders?

• Adjustment Order with Depressed Mood: This type of adjustment disorder is characterised by feeling low, not feeling motivated to perform basic activities, and having low self-esteem.
• Adjustment Order with Anxiety: Excessively worrying about life, and feeling jumpy and nervous characterise this disorder.
• Adjustment Order with Depression and Anxiety: This is one of the most dangerous types of adjustment disorders because a person feels depressed and anxious at the same time. Such cases often lead to suicide.
• Adjustment Order with Behavioural Disturbances: A person suffering from adjustment disorder with behavioural disturbances will indulge in anti-social activities like substance abuse, physical assault and more.
• Adjustment Order with Mixed Emotions and Behavioural Disturbances: The patient feels anxious, and depressed and also resorts to reckless behaviour simultaneously.
• Unspecified Adjustment Order: This subtype involves maladaptive reactions to major life events that do not align with the diagnostic criteria of other adjustment disorder types.

What Causes Adjustment Disorders?

• External Factors: Adjustment disorders arise from difficulties coping with stressors. Stressors can be positive or negative. Positive stressors can be childbirth, retirement, marriage or any other positive change. Negative stressors can be financial trouble, upheavals in relationships or environmental disasters to name a few.
• Cumulative Stressors: Lack of self-care also leads to adjustment disorders. Simultaneously occurring stressors do not leave much time for self-care. This makes it harder to manage emotions or even maintain balance.
• Changes in Life: Giving birth to a child, starting a new job, shifting to a new house or any other change in life can make a person feel uncomfortable. This is one of the most common causes of adjustment disorder as change is not welcome by everyone.
• Genetic Reasons: People with parents who have suffered from adjustment disorder are more susceptible to getting diagnosed with the disorder.

What Are The Symptoms of Adjustment Disorders?

Adjustment disorder symptoms vary according to the type of adjustment disorder a person is suffering from. Here are a few symptoms common among patients:

• A general feeling of sadness, loneliness and happiness. There is a lack of enjoyment in activities that were once appreciated.
• Disproportionate levels of stress as compared to the triggering event cause disruption in life.
• Frequent crying, increased irritation and withdrawal from social connections are common.
• Reduced appetite, difficulty in sleeping and trouble in concentrating on activities are also experienced by those suffering from adjustment disorders.
• Isolation from family and friends is another serious symptom which diminishes social support. This can push patients into depression if not checked at the right time.
• Patients might also experience suicidal thoughts and actions requiring urgent professional intervention.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis process of adjustment disorder starts with a mental health professional discussing major life stressors, the symptoms and their impact on daily life.
Here are a few guidelines for symptoms of adjustment disorder:

• Symptoms must arise within three months of a stressful event.
• There should be significant problems in relationships and the normal functioning of a person.
• Symptoms must not be related to any other mental health condition or normal grieving.

Medical history and social history is also considered before making a final diagnosis.

How Are Adjustment Disorders Treated?

Adjustment disorder treatment includes a combination of therapies and medication. Here is how the disorder is treated:

• Individual Psychotherapy
  Cognitive behavioural therapy and talk therapy are the most effective therapies if administered by experienced psycho-therapists. Recognising negative thought patterns and training oneself to adopt positive habits help a person recover from adjustment disorder. Cognitive restructuring helps the patient to solve problems promptly and control impulses. Talk therapy helps mental health experts and patients deconstruct the problem layer by layer to reach the root cause of the problem. This allows the development of stress management skills to allow a patient to avoid triggers. However, a properly recovered patient will know how to cope when exposed to these triggers and handle himself or herself in such situations.
• Family Therapy
  Proper counselling of the family to make them aware of the disorder is essential for complete recovery and relapse prevention. Therefore, this therapy focuses on improving communication skills and erasing any awkwardness to increase family support among various members of a household.
• Medication
  Since adjustment disorder is a psychological disorder, there is no particular medication for the system. However, mental health experts generally prescribe antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills if a patient is diagnosed with adjustment disorder with depressed mood or anxiety.

Living with Adjustment Disorder

Living with a psychological disorder can be difficult. However, consulting a psychologist at the right time can help in early diagnosis. Therefore, here is how a patient can get on with his life while suffering from the disorder:

• Accept that you are suffering from adjustment disorder. Understand the disorder, and its symptoms and take the diagnosis seriously. If your symptoms last for more than a month, do not wait longer.
• Make sure that your family knows about your problem. Ignore the social stigma attached to psychological disorders and go for therapy to recover.
• Attend all therapy sessions properly. Make sure that you are honest about your medical history with your psychotherapist. Feel free to ask him questions about your medication, treatment process and various psychotherapies he or she will be administering.
• Avoid being hard on yourself. A mental disorder is like any other health problem. With proper treatment, a patient is likely to recover within three months.

How to Support Loved Ones

When it comes to any mental health issue, exercising empathy is essential for those living with the patients. Here is how a person is supposed to behave with a patient suffering from an adjustment disorder:

• Learn about the disorder your loved one is diagnosed with. Educating yourself will help you understand what exactly the patient is going through. Make sure that your conversation and behaviour change according to the type of adjustment disorder he or she is diagnosed with.
• Take them to therapy and counsel them that there is nothing wrong with going to a therapist. Since consulting a mental health expert is the only way to feel better, consulting one as soon as possible is essential.
• Do not force your choices on them and give them space and time. Owing to a lack of awareness, patients are often confused with the diagnosis. Allowing them to understand their disorder will help in faster recovery and prevent relapse as they understand their problem as time passes.
• Watch out for them if they are experiencing suicidal thoughts. Avoid being intrusive in their personal life but make sure that someone is around them if a patient is feeling suicidal or exhibiting extreme behaviour.

Jagruti Treatment and Recovery

Jagruti Rehab Centre is one of the best rehabilitation and psychological disorder treatment centers that offers help to people who are suffering from multiple psychological issues. Here is what makes the centre the best:

• Customised Treatment Plan: No two patients are alike. Therefore, every patient is interviewed thoroughly and a treatment plan is framed according to the severity of the disorder. Therapies and medication are prescribed after learning about a patient’s health history. Patients are treated in separate rooms and the highest level of privacy about a patient’s health disorder is maintained.
• Constant Supervision Available: The rehab centre is equipped with CCTV cameras that work round-the-clock. The nursing staff takes care of the patient at all times and notifies senior health professionals as soon as there is any problem with any patient. Actions are taken promptly which ensures high-level safety and security of patients.
• Expert Medical Staff: Medical health professionals like doctors practising medicine, psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists are on board. Experienced nutritionists make diet charts for patients for a complete recovery and improve patients’ overall health. The IT cell makes sure that data is secure and confidentiality of patient information is maintained at all times.
• Healthy Diet and Other Facilities: Patients receive diet charts that improve their health condition. Three healthy and balanced meals are provided to patients after taking their cultural and social factors into consideration. Air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned rooms are available for maximum comfort. Common areas are available where patients can interact and watch television or entertain themselves. Payment methods are flexible and patients can pay in installments as well.
• Availability of Online Sessions: Psychologists and therapists at Jagruti Rehab Centre also treat patients online. Psychotherapies are often administered through apps which makes recovery easier for those who live afar and cannot afford to stay in the facility due to work or financial reasons. Flexibility is exercised so that recovery gets easier and relapse prevention can be guaranteed.