Stress Management
Have you undergone a stressful life event within the past 3 months?
Are you noticing a change in your behaviors or emotional responses?
Does it seem like you are having a challenging time bouncing back from the recent changes?
Maybe the changes you are experiencing is creating a lot of conflict in your life…
Life can happen fast, and changes happen even faster. Occasionally, it can be overwhelming to undergo change despite how well you feel you have been able to bounce back in the past. As a young adult especially, you can experience waves of major life transitions from starting college, graduating college, starting a new career, moving, changing friends, getting married, or beginning a family.
While these moments can feel like stressful undertakings that leave you caught in a whirlwind, therapy can help with learning how to cope with the changes to prevent it from worsening by providing an additional layer of support.
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The only constant in life is change, so let’s talk about stress management.
You will always experience change, whether it is wanted or not. We cannot control all aspects of our lives. However, we can control how we respond. Life transitions can increase your stress levels, creating conflict, which can lead to adjustment disorder or other mental health difficulties if left unchecked. While experts are still learning more about adjustment disorder, it is becoming increasingly more common. Between 5 to 20 percent of people receiving outpatient mental health treatment are believed to have adjustment disorder, with about 50 percent of people in inpatient treatment facilities.
Common risk factors or challenges that can make you more vulnerable to adjustment disorder are your personality, temperament, life experiences, genes, and mental health. Adjustment disorder can be triggered by a single stressful event or the onset of multiple stressful events. It’s important to note that stressful events do not have to be negative, rather they are also inclusive of positive changes as well. Examples of negative life stressors can be losing a job, divorce, or financial strain. Examples of positive life stressors can include starting a new job, a big move, or getting married.
Some common signs you may be struggling with adjustment disorder include anxiety, crying, avoiding loved ones, missing work or school, changes in appetite, not taking care of important tasks, using substances, etc. Through counseling, you will have the support to manage stress and life conflict.
Stress management therapy can help promote intentional change i.e. growth.
Talk therapy or psychotherapy is especially helpful in treating adjustment disorder as it allows you to be able to talk through the stressful event and its impact with a licensed mental health expert. By talking through the stressful event(s), you can learn what about the event was triggering, breaking it down into smaller pieces making it more manageable, and learning methods for coping with future changes.
Through therapy, you will increase your resilience or your ability to “bounce back” after life changes. Increasing resilience will decrease the likelihood of struggling with adjustment disorder another time. Having increased resilience will also decrease the likelihood of struggling with commonly associated mental health disorders such as anxiety or depression. You will better understand what your triggers are and how to be proactive in taking preventive steps.
At CoreWellness, LLC, our therapists approach therapy with empathy and understanding as we are aware that what might be stressful for one person may not be the same for another. We are solution focused and our aim is to support you through life transitions by offering tips, strategies, and skills that are unique to your individual situation during therapy. We want you to know that your experiences and feelings are valid, and you deserve to be heard and process in a safe non judgemental space.
We have years of experience working with people who have struggled with life transitions and general life stressors. Additionally, we specialize in helping young adults with improving mental wellness at earlier ages, so we commonly treat life stressors associated with college students, new graduates, and more.
With therapy and support, it is very possible to reconnect with your life again and build the resilience necessary to prevent a relapse in adjustment disorder.
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Growth is challenging too, but we help to address concerns.
I’m nervous I’ll be judged or misunderstood for struggling with managing my stressful event.
While therapy can seem intimidating at first, the therapists at CoreWellness are intentional about ensuring you will feel comfortable sharing what brought you to treatment. We specialize in helping individuals through life stressors, and we have experience working with a wide variety of people with diverse situations. Your situation will be unique to you, and we pride ourselves in meeting clients where they are without judgment.
I think I just need more time to get adjusted rather than seek support therapy right away.
Sure, sometimes people could benefit from having more time to heal. However, the risk of taking more time when you are already searching for support is time creating more stress leading to other potential mental health concerns such as anxiety or depression. It’s not uncommon for adjustment disorder to be combined with other mental health disorders, so we want to prevent it from getting worse so you can get better faster.
I feel guilty for needing additional support.
Feeling guilty can be a natural response to certain situations. Here at CoreWellness, we want to assist you through those uncomfortable emotions while teaching practical skills to alleviate discomfort and empower you to live a more fulfilling life. Emotions are temporary, but our decisions have a lasting impact.
Build your resilience and manage your stress.
In summary, life is going to life regardless. If you are someone who feels that life changes have been causing a major shift in your emotions or behaviors after a particularly stressful event, we highly encourage you to take action and prevent it from worsening and creating further conflict. If you need additional questions answered before making the final step in booking your first session, we offer free consultations. You can also fill out the form below, and a member of our time will respond within 24-48 hours. In the meantime, check out our blogs and other helpful resources on our website. Talk to you soon!
References: Adjustment disorder. (n.d.). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/adjustment-disorder
Booth, S. (2024, February 8). Adjustment disorder (Stress response syndrome). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-adjustment-disorder
