Adjustment Disorder, 2

Adjustment Disorder involves a maladaptive response to a perceived stressor. Because the individual’s psychological reaction to the perceived stressor creates the disorder, treatment involves the individual  verbalizing the stressful event or stressor. This is important because the brain tends to only deal with something that it can identify, label, and describe. Once this occurs, the stressor can be dealt with—especially if the situation can be eliminated, reframed, or workable strategies developed. One retrospective study of 72 adolescents with a diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder, concluded that disappointment in relationships with a family member or friend of the opposite sex was the primary stressor. You may want to discuss this with your healthcare provider so steps can be taken to help you recover, if a diagnosis of AD is, in fact, made.