Big changes (including ones we plan for) can throw even the most resilient woman off her game.
“Upon hearing the news, I believe that’s where my adjustment disorder began.”
It’s not something you have to tough out on your own, though.
Lauri Rotko / Getty
With equal parts insight and treatment, getting back to your regularly scheduled programming is totally doable.
Your reaction becomes disproportionate to the event you’re reacting to.
Any major life transition can trigger symptoms of an adjustment disorder.
Ongoing stressors can have the same effect as specific life events.
Adjustment disorder is easily confused with other anxiety disorders.
Because adjustment disorder symptoms tend to mimic those of other conditions, it can be tricky to diagnose.
But there are a few key criteria to keep in mind, says A.J.
Marsden, Ph.D., assistant professor of human services and psychology at Beacon College.
There are six different types of adjustment disorders.
Each pop in of adjustment disorder features certain signs and symptoms, says Marsden.
Certain factors may put you at a higher risk of developing an adjustment disorder.
Adjustment disorders usually resolve themselves over time.
How long your symptoms last depends on the stressor that triggered them and the intensity of your reaction.
But not always.
In Silverio’s case, the initial feeling of being uprooted was tough to shake.
“From then on, it was a constant array of moving and settling,” she says.
And they’re more serious than most people think.
In reality, they can severely impact how a person functions and lead to more misery.
“You experience a lot of mental battles at once,” she explains.
It’s definitely an ongoing process."
The biggest boost for Silverio was when she decided to take up running.
She saw family friends completing the TCS New York City Marathon back in 2014, and was insta-inspired.
“I’d never felt so proud,” she says.
“It gave me so much hope because for me, running was more mental than physical.
Crossing the finish line was like crossing the mental thresholds trying to hold me back.”
Speaking of which…
Talking to a mental health professional can help a lot.
“It’s a normal reaction to abnormal stress loads.”
Photo Credit: Lauri Rotko / Getty
