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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffThe signs and symptoms of adjustment disorders vary from person to person. The symptoms you have may be very different from those of someone else with an adjustment disorder. But for everyone, symptoms of an adjustment disorder begin within three months of a stressful event in your life.
Emotional symptoms of adjustment disorders
Signs and symptoms of adjustment disorder may affect how you feel and think about yourself or life, including:
- Sadness
- Hopelessness
- Lack of enjoyment
- Crying spells
- Nervousness
- Thoughts of suicide
- Anxiety
- Worry
- Desperation
- Trouble sleeping
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling overwhelmed
Behavioral symptoms of adjustment disorders
Signs and symptoms of adjustment disorder may affect your actions or behavior, such as:
- Fighting
- Reckless driving
- Ignoring bills
- Avoiding family or friends
- Poor school or work performance
- Skipping school
- Vandalism
Length of symptoms
How long you have symptoms of an adjustment disorder also can vary:
- Six months or less (acute). In these cases, symptoms may go away on their own, especially if you actively follow self-care measures.
- Longer than six months (chronic). In these cases, symptoms continue to bother you and disrupt your life. Professional treatment can help symptoms improve and prevent the condition from continuing to get worse.
When to see a doctor
Sometimes the stressful change in your life goes away, and your symptoms of adjustment disorder get better on their own. But often, the stressful event remains a part of your life. Or a new stressful situation comes up, and you face the same emotional struggles all over again.
You may think that an adjustment disorder is less serious than other mental health problems because it involves stress, but that's not necessarily true. Adjustment disorders can affect your whole life. You may feel so overwhelmed, stressed and hopeless that you can't go about your normal daily activities. You may skip work or school, for instance, or not pay your bills. You may drive dangerously or pick fights.
People with adjustment disorders also may abuse alcohol or drugs, engage in violence, and have thoughts of suicide. If you or a loved one has suicidal thoughts or is seriously considering hurting someone, seek help immediately.
Talk to your doctor if you're having trouble getting through each day. You can get treatment to help cope better with stressful events and feel better about life again.
- Adjustment disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Strain JJ, et al. Adjustment disorders. In: Hales RE, et al., eds. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2008. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Adjustment disorders. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/adjustment/Patient/page4. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Adjustment disorders. In: Sadock BJ, et al. Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Ahmed SM, et al. Psychosocial influences on health. In: Rakel RE. Rakel: Textbook of Family Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/1209963843/0/1481/1.html?tocnode=53391787&fromURL=1.html. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Clarkin JF, et al. The role of psychiatric measures in assessment and treatment. In: Hales RE, et al., eds. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2008. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Bray JH, et al. The family's influence on health. In: Rakel RE. Rakel: Textbook of Family Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/120920914-7/0/1481/25.html?tocnode=53391850&fromURL=25.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2467-5..50005-1--cesec2_64. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
