A person's life is full of events, sometimes not entirely pleasant, and even sad. Some take them for granted, others find it difficult to cope with the blows of fate. Then doctors talk about adjustment disorder.
What is this disease?
A mental disorder associated with an excessively strong reaction of a person to negative events occurring in life is called adjustment disorder. This is an independent disease that is not an exacerbation of other mental he alth disorders. It manifests itself from three months to six months from the moment the stressful situation occurs. Usually, the violation goes away by itself after the cessation of exposure to a person of negative circumstances. Less common is a total adaptation disorder, which requires a more careful attitude, as it is dangerous with complications and deterioration of psychosomatic conditions.
Symptoms of the problem
What is adjustment disorder? Symptoms of the disease are as follows:
- Depressive mood. Arises justifiably as a consequence of adverse events. Manifested by a state of depression, the inability to concentrate onwork or school, scattered thoughts, everyday activities become difficult.
- Feeling anxious. After experienced stress or severe grief, anxiety appears in a person, fear of a repetition of a stressful situation, uncertainty about the future. Low self-esteem and self-doubt are formed.
- Adjustment disorder is manifested by physical disturbances such as: headache, insomnia, chest pain, indigestion, shortness of breath, tachycardia, nausea, an increase or decrease in appetite.
- Misconduct. There are inappropriate actions that were previously unacceptable for a person: vandalism, hooliganism, dangerous driving a car or motorcycle, absenteeism from school or work. Basically, such violent behavior is typical for adolescents in a state of adaptation disorder, but adults are no exception. Disorder of social adaptation is the most dangerous manifestation of the disease, as it not only jeopardizes relations with society, but also leads to serious consequences, up to criminal liability or an accident.
- Striving for loneliness. A person tries to reduce the number of contacts with the environment, withdraws into himself.
- Increased irritability.
Insidious disease - adjustment disorder. Symptoms may coalesce, and in some cases, the ailment is manifested by only one or two signs.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of "adjustment disorder" is made by the doctor, relying on standardcriteria for defining mental disorders:
- Presence of symptoms consistent with the disease. When adaptation is impaired, they occur under the influence of severe stress, immediately or within about three months after the event.
- Experiencing grief is accompanied by excessively strong emotions, unbearable suffering. The hopelessness of the situation is exaggerated, the reaction to the incident is inadequate and delayed in time.
- The impossibility of professional or educational activities due to an unhe althy state of mind.
Causes of occurrence
Adjustment disorder can be the result of many events, personal experiences. Here are the main ones:
- Death of a loved one.
- Divorce.
- Material loss.
- Problems at work, getting fired.
- Family troubles, personal conflicts.
- He alth problems, serious illness.
- Other negative lifestyle changes.
The reasons presented may not immediately lead to adjustment disorder. Negative emotions affect mental he alth for a long time, which eventually leads to a violation, before this it may take several months after the event occurred.
Risk factors
Some people are more susceptible to adjustment disorder than others. What is it connected with? Identify factors and conditions that make it harder for people to cope with stress:
- Genetic predisposition. People react differentlyon life situations depending on heredity and type of temperament.
- Difficult living conditions, natural or social.
- Extreme situations (war, natural disasters).
- Social status.
- Childhood trauma.
- Personal qualities, ability to adapt to changes in life.
There are situations when no tragedy occurs in life, no one dies or gets sick, but the person is still subject to adjustment disorder. This happens under the influence of significant changes, disruption of everyday life, such as conscription into the army, dismissal, for children - admission to kindergarten and school.
Difficulties in adaptation in the army
Once in the army, many guys are not psychologically prepared for life in constant stress. Remoteness from home, the inability to see loved ones, a new environment, a male team, difficult living conditions and physical overload, a strict regime - such a sharp change provokes negative emotions in absolutely all conscripts, but some are more prone to mental disorders. Hence the incidents in the army - the guys run away, shoot at civilians, make suicide attempts.
Adaptation disorder in soldiers is a dangerous phenomenon. Close people are far away, and a person most often does not receive any help. An adjustment disorder in the army is a reason for commission. The main thing is to be noticed in time, without leading to trouble. After all, usually a person in such a situationkeeps his feelings to himself until the tension reaches its peak, when he begins to behave inappropriately.
Unemployed
Losing a job due to layoffs or other reasons beyond the employee's control is always stressful and can immediately cause mental he alth problems. A long stay in the status of unemployed also provokes adjustment disorder due to constant problems and accumulated negative emotions. Unemployment sets the stage for adjustment disorders due to these associated problems:
- Permanent financial problems.
- Feeling worthless and incapable of change.
- Families of the unemployed often have conflicts, increase the risk of divorce, possibly child abuse and improper upbringing.
- Unemployment increases the crime rate, especially for young people who are trying to find an opportunity to earn money illegally.
- Housing problems.
- The problem of teaching children.
Disorders of adaptation of the unemployed are observed most often among the weak in terms of employment strata of the population. These are people of retirement and pre-retirement age, young mothers with small children, people without professional education. Causes depression, depression, self-doubt, with a long continuation of such a situation leads to mental illness, alcoholism, drug addiction, the commission of criminal acts, suicide.
Preschool children
Social adaptation - adaptation to environmental conditions, adequate interaction with society. Disorders of social adaptation of children appear when they start going to kindergarten or school. Initially, the child is driven only by his own needs and desires. He cannot motivate himself for any activity on his own, for this he needs the help of adults. To become socially adapted, he has to learn to interact with people around him, to take into account the desires of others, to adapt to new environmental conditions that he cannot change.
If parents give the child knowledge about the rules and limits of their behavior in society in advance, it is easier for him to adapt to new conditions and a large circle of communication later, since he transfers the knowledge gained to life. Toddlers first learn to interact with the outside world in kindergarten. Parents who refuse to send their children to kindergarten are making a big mistake. At school, such a child will have a very hard time.
Children of primary school age
Poor or insufficient preparation of a young child for life in society leads to impaired adaptation. This affects his academic performance not only when he enters the first grade, but can also leave an imprint on his future life. Violation of adaptation is manifested by bad behavior, disobedience, rejection of generally accepted rules of behavior in favor of personal desires. Or, on the contrary, the child withdraws into himself, does not communicate with peers, is not interested in social life, prefers to be alone.
Risk factors that increase the chance that children will develop adjustment disorder:
- In the family where the child grows up, they abuse alcohol.
- Parents are in conflict with each other.
- Child is not motivated to learn.
- The child, his upbringing is given little time in the family.
- Developmental delay.
- Using physical punishment to a child.
- Low cultural and social level of the family.
When a child has similar factors that affect his adaptation, the school pediatrician should take measures to help in a difficult situation.
Difficult age - teenagers
Adjustment disorder can also occur at an older age, in high school students. The reason for this is usually problems in school or personal conflicts with peers. The situation is exacerbated by transient changes in the body and psyche, which adolescents usually have a hard time enduring. Adult problems are already taking place here, such as relationships with the opposite sex, first love, which is not always mutual. Violation of adaptation in adolescents is the most dangerous, since it is usually manifested by violent behavior, the rejection of generally accepted rules. Children skip school, leave home, engage in hooliganism. Often this condition leads them to use alcohol or drugs.
Treating the disorder
If the symptoms do not subside over time, but only intensify, the treatment of the disorder simply needs to be organized urgently inavoid disastrous results. In some cases, a visit to a psychotherapist becomes a mandatory measure, especially with a protracted course of the disease or when attempting suicide. With such manifestations, even the use of inpatient psychiatric treatment is possible. The work of specialists gives a good result, and with proper treatment, the patient returns to normal in 2-3 months.
Drugs relieve a person's condition if there are no serious manifestations that are dangerous to life and he alth. The doctor may prescribe antidepressants. It is strictly forbidden to use them on your own without the appointment of a specialist, and in the pharmacy they are released only by prescription, as these are serious drugs with a strong effect. Tranquilizers, for example, Afobazol, will help get rid of feelings of anxiety and fear. They relieve symptoms, restore vitality, without being addictive.
Help and support of loved ones is an integral part of rehabilitation.
Consequences of the disease
Untreated adjustment disorder is dangerous because of its serious consequences. These are depressive conditions that are chronic in nature, addiction to alcohol or drugs. The state of alcohol and drug intoxication further increases the risk of suicide of the patient. Most of all, adolescents are prone to such complications due to the unformed psyche and the characteristics of age-related changes. If the disorder is manifested by antisocial, inappropriate behavior, this can lead to new troubles: dismissal from work,expulsion from an educational institution, quarrels in the family.
