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Solutions for Adjustment Disorders & Stress Disorders

Systemic Solutions with Martyn Carruthers

Can you Cope with Change?

Stress happens. Stress happens every day. Stress is a normal part of life. Most people can adjust to a stressful event and move on.

But stress may interfere with your study, work, friendships and family. You may express stress as behavioral problems, psychosomatic or physical disease symptoms, and learning disorders.

Soulwork systemic coaching can help you adjust to stress, usually in four steps:

1. Recognize your need to avoid or reduce a stressor
2. Search for choices or new options
3. Search for resources that enable you to use your options
4. Find an option that controls, removes or reduces your stressor

Life Coaching & Adjustment Disorders

Adjustment disorders differ to everyday stress and emotional problems. If you lose a partner or a job and you are depressed, then depression may be diagnosed. If you lost a partner or job two years ago, and you are still depressed, then you may have a systemic (relationship) problem.

You may experience some frustration, but you can solve most problems with your own resources (which includes your ability to find other resources). You explore options, trying one and another until you remove the stressor or reduce its intensity. Your emotional maturity might be defined in part as your ability to rapidly respond to and control stress.

Some people cannot control or adjust to stress. Perhaps you were never taught stress control; or the stressor is too much for you to handle. Your inability to resolve stress may be diagnosed as age regression, immaturity, emotional incest, emotional trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychosis or other possibilities.

If you experienced high stress and your symptoms impair your life, then you may have an adjustment disorder. Important parts of your life may include difficulties at school or work, social problems, legal difficulties, relationship chaos or symptoms of disease .

Control Stress . Emotional Incest . Parental Alienation . Schizophrenia

What causes Adjustment Disorders (AD)

An adjustment disorder is an exaggerated emotional or behavioral reaction to a stressful event or change. The reaction usually occurs within a few months of the identified event or change (although the unpleasant feelings may be dissociated or repressed for years, only to explode later in life).

Stressful events that change the life of a child, adolescent or immature adult include a family move, parental separation, the loss of a family member, and the birth of a sibling.

Adjustment disorders are stress reactions. Children, adolescents and adults vary in their experiences, temperament, vulnerability and therefore in their ability to cope; and stressors can vary in intensity, duration and effect.

Who is affected - and how?

Adjustment disorders are common and occur equally in males and females at all ages in all cultures. Symptoms of adjustment disorders in younger children include tantrums and withdrawal. Adolescent symptoms may include hyperactivity, while adults more often experience depression.

In adjustment disorders, the reaction to the stressor seems to be exaggerated, and may significantly interfere with education, work or family responsibilities.

Symptoms of Adjustment Disorders

The following are the three most common groups of symptoms of adjustment disorders, roughly based on maturity. (Mixtures of symptoms are common. A person who oscillates between two different symptom sets may be expressing a systemic disorder called Identity Conflict.)

1. Anxiety Symptoms (mostly children or age-regressed adults)

• Nervous, Worried, Afraid of change
• Afraid of separation from parents or partner
• Generalized Anxiety / Agoraphobia (extreme)

2. Behavioral Symptoms (mostly teenagers or age-regressed adults)

• Preoccupied with violence & gore (e.g. TV, computer games and cinema)
• Hyperactivity and Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD - ADHD)
• Violates others rights (e.g. bullying, theft) or societal rules (e.g. truancy, delinquency)

3. Depressive Symptoms (mostly adults)

• Depressed and withdrawn
• Melancholy, crying and tearfulness
• Expresses hopelessness and helplessness

Emotional Incest . Learning Disabilities . Parent Alienation

Systemic Coaching

Remedies for people with adjustment disorders include:

• Coaching to improve impulse control, anger management, stress management and communication skills
• Couple Coaching to resolve problems between partners
• Soulwork Family Coaching to increase awareness, sensitivity and family support
• Medication for severe symptoms may be prescribed by a medical doctor

Mother-Son Entanglements . Father-Daughter Entanglements

Control Stress . Prevent Learning Disabilities . Parental Alienation

Plagiarism is theft. Copyright © Martyn Carruthers 2003, 2009 All rights reserved.

Plagiarism is theft. Copyright © Martyn Carruthers 1996-2011 All rights reserved. Soulwork Systemic Coaching was primarily developed by Martyn Carruthers
to help people dissolve emotional blocks, improve relationships and achieve goals. These concepts and strategies are for general knowledge only. Consult a physician about medical conditions and before changing medical treatment. Don't steal intellectual property ... ask for permission to post, publish or teach this work.