Adjustment Disorders
Adjustment Disorders are stress-related conditions that occur when someone has an outsized emotional or behavioral reaction to a significant life change or stressor.
Adjustment Disorders
Adjustment Disorders are stress-related conditions that occur when someone has an outsized emotional or behavioral reaction to a significant life change or stressor. Examples include divorce, relocation, job loss, academic failure, or family conflict. Unlike PTSD, the stressor does not have to be life-threatening—it is the inability to adapt that causes distress. Symptoms can vary widely: sadness, anxiety, irritability, withdrawal, or even acting out in anger. While many people recover with time and support, untreated adjustment disorders can evolve into depression or anxiety disorders. In Saudi Arabia, adjustment difficulties are often observed in young adults navigating educational pressures, relocations abroad, or transitions into marriage or new work roles. Social expectations and rapid cultural changes can intensify stress, especially for those with limited coping strategies.
What constitutes Adjustment Disorder?
Emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to a stressor, developing within 3 months of the event, out of proportion to the severity of the stressor, and causing significant impairment.
Subtypes
- With depressed mood
- With anxiety
- With mixed anxiety and depressed mood
- With disturbance of conduct
- With mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct
Symptoms and warning signs
- Persistent sadness, hopelessness, or excessive worry
- Feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
- Withdrawal from social activities
- Irritability or aggression
- Decline in work/school performance
- In conduct type: rule-breaking, reckless behavior
Causes and risk factors
- Major life changes (divorce, relocation, job stress, financial loss)
- Personality traits (perfectionism, low resilience)
- Lack of social support systems
- Ongoing stress without relief
Treatment approaches
- Brief psychotherapy: CBT, supportive therapy, stress management
- Medication: short-term use of antidepressants or anxiolytics if symptoms are severe
- Lifestyle: strengthening coping strategies, building social support, self-care practices
Why Act Center for Adjustment Disorders in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia?
Our experienced therapists in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia help patients develop healthy coping strategies for managing life transitions and stressors.
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