Content Creator - Gayathri Vennankot
Content Editor - Aaditi Kapre Content Illustrator - Nysargi Karnam
Thoughts and emotions are inevitable to the human mind, But when they exceed their limits, we’re not always prepared to handle the intensity.
Adjustment disorder, also termed as stress response syndrome is a condition that emerges as a result of one’s inability to cope with a certain stressor/situation. Your response to the situation in question is deemed to be stronger than what is expected. Referred to as “situational depression”, adjustment disorder often has symptoms similar to depressive disorders. However, unlike a depressive disorder, adjustment disorder is the result of an outside stressor and tends to resolve when the person begins to adjust to the situation.
Someone with AD/SRS experiences symptoms within 3 months following the incident. The situation could be anything varying from the death of a loved one, relationship fallouts, loss of one's job, diagnosis of an illness, sexuality issues, and more. The symptoms are said to last longer if the stressor persists. Some symptoms to look out for would be,
Anxiety and Hopelessness
Frequent breakdowns and crying jags
Fighting with other people
Excessive absenteeism
Trouble concentrating
Sadness, inability to feel anything
Loss of self-esteem
Feeling isolated
Self-harm
AD/SRS are classified into 6 types, each relating to the symptoms experienced by a person,
Adjustment disorder with depressed mood
Adjustment disorder with anxiety
Adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood
Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct
Adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct
Adjustment disorder unspecified
Professional treatments include psychotherapy and medications. It varies from patient to patient, but there are a few recommendations like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), preferred for its short duration. Some benefit from Talk therapy, family therapy as well, especially if the situation is family-related or the patient is an adolescent. Couples therapy may be ideal if the disorder is negatively impacting a romantic relation. Not the first course of action, but in serious conditions, medications are prescribed to alleviate anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Tagging along with treatments are coping mechanisms, being equally important. Every one of us personally possesses one, sculpted with thought and care to help us deal with our vulnerable days and fluctuating emotions. But when dealing with AD/SRS, Keeping issues to self never helps. Having yourself bear the weight when you’re surrounded by dark waters is rather a threat to your life. Avoid unnecessary additional stress, it might seem difficult but training oneself to adapt is crucial to fight this disorder. Join a support group, it helps you interact with people suffering from the same problems. It’s a gateway to lend help as well as gain inspiration from others. Other measures consist, participating in leisure activities, practicing good self-care, and turning to healthy coping skills like listening to music or meditating.
Left untreated, its effects can severely impact a person’s life. Children and teens most especially face long-term complications of adjustment disorder. They might also develop other coexisting disorders like Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, Antisocial personality disorder. Some of the most common effects include:
Depressive disorder
Anxiety disorders
Drug or alcohol addiction
Self-harm
Suicidal thoughts and behaviors
When it comes to prevention, as with most mental disorders, there are no direct ways. Try having a positive outlook on life and building a good support system. Talk openly about stressful events, traumatic experiences, or big changes with someone you trust so that you can process them healthily. If required during prevention, don't shy away from meeting therapists and learning about healthy and effective ways to cope up with changes.
Consider your mind a delicate paperback. No matter how well you take care of it, it’s going to be worn out as time passes. But no matter what, the contents of the book remain the same, you’re still you, and no diagnosis ever changes that. We must remember this as many out there are worried about the changes a diagnosis could bring into their life.
You are the author of an Epic, which is your own life. Enjoying the world for its positives and turning a blind eye to the shackles that chain you to the persona people created for you, You become victorious and the mental setbacks become obsolete. So for every time you feel down, remember that you have just reached a semi-colon in your story, and there's much more to life yet to come.
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