Adequacy disorder: symptoms, treatment

The life of a person 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 the doctors talk about the disorder of adaptation.

What is this ailment?

The mental disorder associated with an overly strong reaction of a person to negative events occurring in life is called an adaptation disorder. This is an independent disease that is not an aggravation of other mental health disorders. It appears from three months to six months from the moment of occurrence of a stressful situation. Usually the violation goes by itself after the cessation of the impact on the person of negative circumstances. Less common is a total adjustment disorder, which requires a more careful attitude, as it is dangerous for complications and worsening of psychosomatic conditions.

Symptoms of the problem

What is the manifestation of the adjustment disorder? Symptoms of the disease are as follows:

• Depressive mood. Arises reasonably as a consequence of adverse events. It manifests itself as a state of depression, the inability to concentrate on work or study, the disjointedness of thoughts, everyday activities become difficult to achieve.
• Sense of anxiety. After experiencing stress or severe grief in a person, there is anxiety, fear of repetition of a stressful situation, uncertainty in the future. Formed low self-esteem and self-doubt.
• Disorder adaptation is manifested by physical disorders, such as: headache, insomnia, chest pain, indigestion, shortness of breath, tachycardia, nausea, changes in appetite to a greater or lesser extent.
• Violation of behavior. There are inadequate actions that are unacceptable for a person earlier: vandalism, hooliganism, dangerous driving or motorcycle, absenteeism of study or work. In general, 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 ailment, as it not only jeopardizes relations with society, but also leads to serious consequences, up to criminal liability or accident.
• The desire for solitude. A person tries to reduce the number of contacts with the environment, closes in himself.
• Increased irritability.

Insidious disease is an adaptation disorder. Symptoms can come together, and in some cases the disease manifests itself only one or two symptoms.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of "adjustment disorder" is based on the standard criteria for determining mental disorders:

• Presence of symptoms corresponding to this disease. If the adaptation fails, they appear under the influence of strong stress, immediately or for about three months after the event.
• The experience of grief is accompanied by excessively strong emotions, unbearable suffering. The hopelessness of the situation is exaggerated, the reaction to the incident is inadequate and time-consuming.
• Impossibility of professional or educational activity due to unhealthy state of mind.

Causes

An adjustment disorder can result from many events, personal experiences. Here are the main ones:

• Death of a loved one.
• Divorce.
• Material losses.
• Problems at work, dismissal.
• Family troubles, personal conflicts.
• Health problems, serious illness.
• Other negative changes in the habitual way of life.

The presented reasons can lead to the disorder of adaptation not immediately. Negative emotions for a long time affect mental health, which eventually leads to a violation, before this may take several months after the event.

Risk factors

Some people are more prone to disruption of adaptation than others. What is the reason for this? Allocate factors and conditions in which people find it more difficult to cope with stress:

• Genetic predisposition. People react differently to life situations depending on heredity and the type of temperament.
• Difficult living conditions, natural or social.
• Extreme situations (war, natural disasters).
• Social status.
• Psychological trauma received in childhood.
• Personal qualities, the ability to adapt to changes in life.

There are situations when there are no tragedies in life, no one dies and is not sick, but a person still undergoes an adjustment disorder. This happens under the influence of significant changes, violations of everyday life, such as conscription, firing, children - entering the garden and school.

Difficulties in adapting to the army

Once in the army, many guys are not psychologically ready for life in constant stress. Remoteness from home, the inability to see close people, the new environment, the male team, difficult living conditions and physical overload, strict regime - such a sharp change provokes negative emotions for all conscripts, but some are more prone to mental disorders. Hence, there are incidents in the army - the guys run away, shoot at civilians, commit suicide attempts.

The disorder of adaptation among soldiers is a dangerous phenomenon. Close people are far away, and people often do not get any help. An adjustment disorder in the army is an occasion for comission. The main thing is to be noticed in time, not leading to trouble. After all, usually a person in such a situation keeps his experiences in himself until the tension reaches its peak when he begins to behave inadequately.

Unemployed

Loss of work due to staff reduction or other reasons beyond the control of the employee is always a stress that can immediately cause mental health problems. Long stay in the status of the unemployed also provokes an adjustment disorder due to persistent problems and accumulated negative emotions. Unemployment creates the ground for adaptation disorders due to such attendant problems:

• Constant financial problems.
• Feeling of own uselessness and inability to change.
• In the families of the unemployed, conflicts are frequent, the risk of divorce is increased, it is possible to abuse children and improper education.
• Under conditions of unemployment, the level of crime increases, especially for young people who are trying to find a way to earn money by illegal means.
• Housing problems.
• The problem of teaching children.

Disorders of adaptation of the unemployed are observed most often in the weak in terms of employment layers of the population. These are people of pension and pre-retirement age, young mothers with young children, people without professional education. Causes depression, depression, self-doubt, with a prolonged continuation of this situation leads to mental illness, alcoholism, drug addiction, the commission of criminally punishable acts, suicide.

Children of preschool age

Social adaptation - adaptability to environmental conditions, adequate interaction with society. Disorders of social adaptation of children are manifested when they begin to go to the garden or school. Initially, the child is driven only by his own needs and desires. He can not motivate himself for any activity independently, for this he needs the help of adults. To become socially adapted, he has to learn to interact with surrounding people, to reckon with the desires of others, to adapt to new environmental conditions that he can not change.

If parents give the child knowledge in advance about the rules and boundaries of their behavior in society, it is easier for him to adapt to new conditions and a large circle of communication later, since he brings knowledge to life. First, kids learn to interact with the world around them in kindergarten. Parents who refuse to give their children to the garden make a big mistake. In school, this child will be very difficult.

Children of primary school age

Poor or insufficient preparation of a child of younger age for life in society leads to a disruption in adaptation. This affects his academic performance not only on admission to the first grade, but can also postpone the imprint on his further life. Violation of adaptation is manifested by bad behavior, disobedience, rejection of the generally accepted rules of conduct in favor of personal desires. Or, on the contrary, the child closes in himself, does not communicate with peers, is not interested in public life, prefers to be alone.

Risk factors that increase the possibility that there will be an adjustment disorder of children:

• In a family where a child grows, alcohol is abused.
• Parents conflict with each other.
• There is no motivation for learning from the child.
• The child, his upbringing is given little time in the family.
• Lag behind in development.
• Application to the child of physical punishment.
• Low cultural and social level of the family.

If there are such factors, the child's pediatrician who influences his adaptation should take measures to help in a difficult situation.

Difficult age - teenagers

Adaptation disorder can occur at an older age, in high school students. The reason for this is usually learning problems or personal conflicts with peers. The situation is exacerbated by transient changes in the body and the psyche, which teenagers are usually hard to tolerate. Here already there are adult problems, such as relationships with the opposite sex, the first love, not always mutual. Adult adaptation in adolescents is most dangerous, as it manifests itself usually by violent behavior, a rejection of the generally accepted rules. Children skip school, leave the house, engage in hooliganism. Often this condition leads them to drinking alcohol or drugs.

Treatment disorder

If the symptoms do not die out over time, but only increase, the treatment of the disorder simply needs to be organized urgently to avoid deplorable results. In some cases, a visit to the therapist becomes an indispensable measure, especially in the case of prolonged illness or suicide attempts. 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 comes back to normal after 2-3 months.

Medicinal products facilitate a person's condition, if there are no serious manifestations, dangerous for life and health. The doctor may prescribe antidepressants. Apply them yourself without the appointment of a specialist is strictly prohibited, and in the pharmacy they are released only on prescription, as these are serious preparations of strong action. From a sense of anxiety and fear will help get rid of tranquilizers, for example, "Afobazol." They relieve symptoms, restore vitality, without causing addiction.

The help and support of close people is an integral part of rehabilitation.

Consequences of the disease

An adjustment disorder whose treatment is not performed is dangerous for its serious consequences. These are depressive conditions that are chronic, addicted to alcohol or drugs. The state of alcohol and drug intoxication further increases the risk of suicide of the patient. The adolescents are more likely to suffer such complications because of the unformed psyche and the features of age-related changes. If the disorder manifests itself as an asocial, inadequate behavior, it can lead to new troubles: dismissal from work, expulsion from the school, quarrels in the family.