Adjustment disorders symptoms vary from person to person. The symptoms you have may be different from those of someone else with an adjustment disorder. But for everyone, symptoms of an adjustment disorder begin within three months of a stressful event in your life.
Emotional Symptoms of Adjustment Disorders
Signs and symptoms of adjustment disorder may affect how you feel and think about yourself or life, including:
Sadness
Hopelessness
Lack of enjoyment
Crying spells
Nervousness
Jitteriness
Anxiety, which may include separation anxiety
Worry
Desperation
Trouble sleeping
Difficulty concentrating
Feeling overwhelmed
Thoughts of suicide
Behavioral Symptoms of Adjustment Disorders
Signs and symptoms of adjustment disorder may affect your actions or behavior, such as:
Fighting
Reckless driving
Ignoring bills
Avoiding family or friends
Performing poorly in school or at work
Skipping school
Vandalizing property
Length of Symptoms
How long you have symptoms of an adjustment disorder also can vary:
6 months or less (acute). In these cases, symptoms should ease once the stressor is removed. Brief professional treatment may help symptoms disappear.
More than 6 months (chronic). In these cases, symptoms continue to bother you and disrupt your life. Professional treatment may help symptoms improve and prevent the condition from continuing to get worse.