Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Recovering From Adjustment Disorder Using Support Networks And Multi-Faceted Care

By Jamie Derivieres


Adjustment disorder leaves those who have already tolerated a significantly stressful life event in an even deeper quandary. The symptoms happen within three months of the initial stressor and include a sense of despair, inability to enjoy past activities, concentration failures, suicidality and sadness. It is an entirely different diagnosis than anxiety disorder, depression and post traumatic stress syndrome.

Those who are not able to cope with and process an important life event can develop the problem. It's occasionally known as situational depression because there are many similarities between the two issues. There are significant differences between the two diagnoses. Primarily, unipolar depression happens as a result of internal problems whereas adjustment syndromes happen in response to external factors.

Responses of patients to the life event at hand are seen as disproportionate to the event itself. Once the stressor is gone, the symptoms improve within six months if the patient adapts. Treatment is imperative due to the suicide risk commonly suffered by patients.

Substance abuse and self harm often coexist with the syndrome. Adults tend to make a better recovery than adolescents. Those younger than twenty sometimes develop more serious psychiatric diseases after suffering adjustment problems. This risk makes medication and psychotherapy crucial considerations for treatment.

Patient's therapy should entail an assessment of the life event that caused the problem with a view towards resolution of the event itself. The way the patient interprets that event is even more important. This interpretation needs to be looked at and processed.

Therapy and controlled support groups can help the patient develop better coping skills. The capacity to cope is an important factor in recovery. Support networks must be formed with a therapist, psychiatrist, GP, friends and family. Usually psychiatric care focuses on treating symptoms but underlying or coexisting conditions also need treatment with antidepressants where necessary. Usually, anxiolytics and sleeping tablets form a part of short term care for adjustment disorder in patients suffering anxiety and insomnia.




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