Browsing: PTSD

Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct is one of six types of adjustment disorders identified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), the accepted authority on mental disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association. According to the DSM-5, all adjustment disorders are caused by an identifiable stressor(s) of any severity. Further, a diagnosis of an adjustment disorder means that the person is experiencing significant symptoms that negatively affect many areas of life. In adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct, the stressors cause disruptive behaviors that get in the way of someone’s home life, work/school life, and/or relationships.

Adjustment disorder with anxiety is one of six types of adjustment disorders described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), the accepted authority on mental illness published by the American Psychiatric Association. All adjustment disorders share these common features:

Adjustment disorder with depressed mood is a common type of adjustment disorder. All adjustment disorders are caused by one or more stressors, big or small, that negatively impact someone’s life. Adjustment disorders are quite personal; an event that decreases one person’s ability to cope might not faze another person at all. That second person, though, might have difficulty coping with a different event. In adjustment disorders, people’s reactions are unique as well. Sometimes, reactions are similar to depression, so the person is said to have adjustment disorder with depressed mood.

Treatment for adjustment disorder exists, which means that as disruptive as adjustment disorder may be, it’s temporary. Adjustment disorders can negatively impact all areas of a person’s life and functioning, but with treatment, they can disappear.

Adjustment disorder and the adjustment disorder symptoms can negatively impact all areas of someone’s life. Cedar Crest Hospital (2015) defines adjustment disorder as “a group of stress-related symptoms, including sadness, hopelessness, and feelings of being overwhelmed, that occur when a person is unable to properly cope or adjust to a major life stressor or event. These symptoms are disproportionate to the precipitating event.” Indeed, according to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, or DSM-5 (American Psychological Association, 2013), the symptoms of adjustment disorder disrupt mentally healthy functioning and can lead to

When someone has difficulty coping with a stressor and meets criteria outlined in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), he/she can be diagnosed with adjustment disorder. Adjustment disorder is often difficult to diagnose because it shares symptoms with other mental health disorders; thus, professionals turn to the DSM-5, for adjustment disorder criteria. Developed and published by the American Psychiatric Association (2013), the DSM-5 is the widely accepted authority on mental illness.

Adjustment disorder is a condition that negatively impacts someone’s mental health and wellbeing. This relatively common mental disorder develops in response to stressors; when events or life crises exceed someone’s ability to effectively cope, an adjustment disorder may occur. Just what is an adjustment disorder?

Disinhibited social engagement disorder, like its cousin reactive attachment disorder, is a trauma disorder of infancy or early childhood. Both disorders are caused by severe neglect resulting in unmet physical and emotional needs. As a result of such extreme neglect, the infant does not form an attachment to a caregiving adult. Without this necessary bond, the child doesn’t develop a sense of security, safety, and trust that paves the way for healthy adjustment and social relationships, and either reactive attachment disorder or disinhibited social engagement disorder can follow (Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) Symptoms).

“Parenting a RAD child, even one who is [now] attached and relatively adjusted and productive, is a slippery slope because you can never assume your child feels grounded and safe,” states Tina Traster in her 2014 memoir, Rescuing Julia Twice: A Mother’s Tale of Russian Adoption and Overcoming Reactive Attachment Disorder.

Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) treatment is both necessary and possible. RAD is a trauma disorder that results from severe neglect in infancy. Because of extreme neglect, an infant doesn’t form an attachment to a caregiver; consequently, he/she doesn’t develop a sense of protection, safety, and trust in the world. This, in turn, leads to reactive attachment disorder, a withdrawal from the world and all social interactions and relationships. Because effects of RAD in teens and children can be deep and far-reaching, treatment for reactive attachment disorder is crucial.