Adjusting to Changes in Your Life: Counseling Can Help
Changes in our life can be positive as they can be negative. As with most things in life, changes tend to be a little bit of both. When things change for the better there can still be things to adjust to. The same can be said when things don’t necessarily go according to plan. Graduating from school can be exciting and overwhelming. Getting married can be happy and stressful. Retirement can be rewarding and sad. Our experiences can be complicated, therapy can help.
There are also changes that can leave you in shock and disbelief—changes that can make you dread the future. Loss of a loved one, a divorce, or the end of a career can be devastating. These kinds of changes in your life can compound your personal and family challenges as well.
Changes, whether negative or positive, can be overwhelming. Don’t underestimate the impact they can have on you. It can be difficult to move beyond intense emotions in order to adjust. Some changes can be so complicated that they result in an adjustment disorder.
Adjustment Disorders: What’s Behind the Challenge?
There are times we have the natural ability to adapt to life changes, however, an adjustment disorder can make this more difficult. WebMD says that an adjustment disorder is “a short-term condition that occurs when a person has great difficulty coping with, or adjusting to, a particular source of stress (which is why it is referred to as ‘stress response syndrome’), such as a major life change, loss, or event.”
An adjustment disorder overwhelms your intrinsic mechanism to adapt to challenges. It usually starts within three months of a change that alters your lifestyle, patterns of activity, and thought processes. For instance, if you move somewhere new, you may experience sadness or anxiety related to all the change that comes with this.
It is natural to experience positive and negative aspects while adjusting. Though when change is overwhelming, we can be left feeling susceptive to depression and anxiety. If this sounds like something you are experiencing, know that you aren’t alone.
It’s a New Life: Finding Meaning in the Change
Change is something we all expect in our lives. In fact, you may even pray for the circumstances in your life to change, especially when you are feeling down and out. Not all changes are negative.
For example, how many young people dream of getting a college education? Attending college can offer you great opportunities, but college life is far from easy. According to the University of Rochester’s University Counseling Center (UCC), “more than 30% of college freshmen reported feeling overwhelmed a great deal of the time during the beginning of college.” Johns Hopkins University likewise reported that over 40% of first-year students had sought counseling.
Changes can present many fresh opportunities that you may not recognize right away when you are overwhelmed by feelings. Being overwhelmed may affect your perception. Starting to see life changes in a positive light can be one of the benefits of counseling. Therapy encourages you to embark on a journey toward self-awareness and self-discovery.
Help Yourself by Getting Helped
There is no specific way to treat adjustment disorders, but therapy can help to build your resilience and lift the weight off your shoulders. Sharing your emotions through talk therapy can make you feel better. If you wish to move forward and find new meaning in what you are going through, the independently contracted counselors/therapists with Carolina Counseling Services – Fayetteville, NC, are here. Call today to schedule your first appointment.
PO BOX 9909 Fayetteville, NC 28311