Maladjustment & Stress

Adjustment disorders and stress – When a person’s capacity to adapt to a new scenario is overwhelmed by events, stress results. The event may be insignificant, if considered objectively. Even favourable changes like promotion (stress of coping with increased responsibility) and relocation (stress of adjusting in new environment) may cause stress.

Response to stress, for each individual, depends on his/ her personality.

WHAT COMMONLY CAUSES STRESS?

The causes are different at different ages.

-       Adolescents may get stressed due to physical changes (perceived as not proper) and career prospects.

-       Young adults may get stressed due to employment relationship, adjustment in marriage with spouse/ in-laws, tiff with parents or relationship with their own children and a struggle to achieve financial stability.

-       In middle age it could be changing spousal relationships, problems with aging parents and problems of having young adult children who do not see eye to eye or may be having their own stressors.

-       In old age, the main concern is retirement and survival, loss of physical capacity (including sexual), major personal losses, menopause and thought of death with increasing number of deaths in close friends and relations.

Dr C H Asrani