Adjustment Disorder Treatment without Medication | What Are Your Options?

Life can be difficult sometimes. A person experiences a lot of stress and overwhelming situations at times. It often occurs after significant life changes, such as divorce, job loss, relocation, or the loss of a loved one. A person may experience mood swings, anxiety, sadness, or trouble sleeping after a life transition.

These symptoms are collectively known as adjustment disorder. The other symptoms of adjustment disorder could be hopelessness, tearfulness, irritability, social withdrawal, or difficulty concentrating.

The Diagnostic Criteria for The Adjustment Disorder

The following are the diagnostic criteria for adjustment disorder -

• The symptoms can develop within three months of the distressful situations. The person often experiences these symptoms for a limited time.
• The symptoms of other mental health disorders are not present at that time.
• Daily functioning gets impaired.
• After surpassing the distress situation and its emotional and behavioral consequences, the symptoms shouldn’t persist for more than six months.
• Once the individual adjusts to the new situation, the symptoms often fade. If a person does not get proper support, it can lead to more serious problems such as anxiety, depression, or substance abuse.

Medications are not always necessary for the treatment of adjustment disorder, especially when the symptoms are mild or situational.

Non-medical treatment methods focus on helping you manage your emotions, regain control, and adapt to new circumstances in a healthy manner.

Why Choose Adjustment Disorder Treatment Without Medication?

For the treatment of adjustment disorder, the psychiatrists can provide medications like antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs. But adjustment disorder can be treated without medication with the help of therapy and techniques.

Through therapy sessions, a psychologist can identify the main causes of the distress. Non-medical treatment options enable individuals to develop long-term coping skills.

The person suffering from a mild to moderate level does not have to depend on medications.

The following are the different ways of managing symptoms of adjustment disorder.

Psychotherapy or Talk Therapy:

One of the most effective ways to treat adjustment disorder without medication is through psychotherapy, or talk therapy. The psychologist provides a supportive environment to the client.

It helps the person to speak openly about their emotions, difficulties, and concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is helpful. It teaches you how to identify negative thought patterns and replace them with healthier, more realistic ones.

This helps reduce stress by dealing with cognitive distortions effectively. It helps in developing a healthy emotional response to challenging situations. Finding a therapist near you who specializes in CBT or adjustment disorders can be the first step toward recovery.

Support Groups:

Support groups provide a safe space to connect with others who are experiencing similar life changes. There are many support groups, such as ones for parents of special children, people with schizophrenia or depression, single parents, and LGBTQ members.

These groups help by letting people share their experiences and support each other. The person does not feel alone and can understand various aspects of the challenges. A person needs to find out local or online support groups that are suitable for their needs.

Lifestyle Changes and Self-Care:

A person can deal with life stressors by making positive lifestyle changes. Starting the day with regular physical activity. Exercise can increase the production of endorphins in the brain, which helps to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Balanced nutrition, proper sleep, and hydration are also crucial. Skipping meals due to stress or staying awake for a longer time can worsen emotional symptoms.

A person can also engage in healthy self-care activities like expressive art, such as dance, painting, drawing, journaling thoughts, and planting trees. Reading books or listening to instrumental music, audiobooks, is also helpful. Learning new skills and engaging in community services are other ways to deal with stress. These coping strategies help to develop resilience.

Mindfulness and Stress Reduction Techniques:

Mindfulness practices such as meditation, a grounding technique, deep breathing, and yoga can help calm your mind and reduce emotional distress. These techniques improve self-awareness, allowing you to respond rather than react to stress. Spending time in nature, or simply practicing gratitude each day, can help you stay grounded. Even ten minutes of daily mindfulness can improve emotional regulation and lower cortisol levels in the body.

Several apps and online videos are available for guided meditation and mindfulness exercises. A person can also visit to nearest counselling Centre for more support.

Building a Strong Support Network:

Emotional healing grows stronger with close, supportive relationships. Reaching out to family, friends, or community members can provide a much-needed sense of belonging and validation.

Things need to be avoided during adjustment disorder.

Some people ignore the symptoms of adjustment disorder by thinking that it is just a difficult phase of life. Or they simply don’t pay attention to self by getting trapped in the symptoms and stressful situations.

On the other hand, some people engage in unhealthy coping strategies, which can worsen the condition.

Due to stress, a person may engage in risky behaviors such as making impulsive decisions, depending on substances, drugs, or alcohol. Overeating, skipping meals, too much screen time, and not getting enough sleep are also unhealthy habits.

Avoiding mixing with people, avoiding responsibilities, engaging in overthinking, suppressing emotions, having unrealistic expectations from self, other’s or life are the other unhealthy coping strategies that a person needs to avoid.

The sooner a person pays attention to his/her symptoms, the easier it becomes to deal with it without medication. The first step is to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Applying emotional management techniques such as the grounding technique, listening to music. Then, finding a therapist near you is crucial during the distress.