Adjustment disorders
Persistent tension, anxiety or low mood as a reaction to a hard change or a stressful event.
Adjustment disorders are a reaction to clear stress or a significant life change that exceeds a person’s ability to cope. The symptoms usually appear within a few weeks of the event and include low mood, anxiety, worrying, tension and irritability, along with difficulties in everyday functioning. The reaction is stronger or longer than one would expect.
They can be triggered by the loss of a loved one, a break-up, illness, losing or changing a job, moving, emigrating or conflict in relationships, among other things. They are among the more common reasons for seeking psychological help and can affect anyone facing a hard change.
Adjustment disorders respond well to support. Psychotherapy helps most of all, letting a person understand the situation, regain balance and work out ways of coping; in some cases symptom-focused medication is used for a time.
In a hard period it is worth looking after the basics: sleep, movement and regular meals, contact with people close to you, and talking about emotions rather than holding them in. It also helps to give yourself time and not to expect an immediate return to form. Early help reduces the risk of symptoms becoming entrenched.