Mental/Emotional Health
what is adjustment disorder
An adjustment disorder is a maladaptive reaction to a particular stressful condition that results in impaired functioning and symptoms in excess of what might be a normal response to the stressor. The reaction much occur soon after the beginning of the stress and the reaction can be expected to decrease when the stressor ceases. It's basically when you have a hard time with the stress of live changing from one stage to the next in life or if your are a child dealing with a divorce. It's when you don't deal with the stress of live weather it be changing schools or dealing with a life change. symptoms are depressed mood and/or anxiety, and/or inappropriate or antisocial conduct, usually lasts less then six months and symptoms have to develop within 3 months of onset of the stress (this is paraphrased from the DSMIV and a textbook I have)