It has indeed been about a month since the last time I posted. Not much has changed other than my tendency to catch either a cold or a flu at the worst possible time. Even though this does not always happen, when it does it tends frustrate me to a very high degree. In the following however, will I not be talking about a physical condition. The topic I have chosen for today has more to do with mental health. Which is just as important as physical health. Have you ever heard about adjustment disorder? Well, if you have not, I encourage you to read this post until the end.

They say stress can be positive as long as it does not start affecting our health. The webpage "Science Direct" defines a stressor as a "perturbation in the system or the environment that threatens to disrupt an organism's normal functioning". For instance, for some people such as myself, constant noise can be a stressor. Even though we have described what the factors that cause stress are, we have not defined the word "stress" itself. "In the medical or biological context, stress is a physical, mental or biological disturbance that triggers a bodily or mental tension. Stress can be external (from the environment) or internal (from an illness or medical procedure). The aforesaid can also initiate "the fight or flight" response. A complex reaction to a threat. The state of being in such adverse circumstance is called stress as well.

What is more, let us now focus more on what an adjustment disorder is. In simple terms, it is an abnormal reaction to stress. It is usually caused by a distressing event. Such as the loss of a loved one, being a victim of crime, being fired from your job, etc.  The symptoms usually start whithin three months of the event and rarely last longer than six months. Adjustment disorder is often mistaken with clinical depression due to sharing some of its symptoms. Consequently, the reason why it is sometimes referred to as  "situational depression". Albeit, it is a much less serious condition. Among the most common symptoms we have: Trouble with sleep, work, study, among others. In 2013, its name was changed by the Mental Health Diagnostic System to "stress response system".

In summary, I would say that is in fact crucial to address any mental condition we may have developed due to adverse situations. Some believe that only physical health is important. Notwithstand, the aforementioned could not be further from the truth. Our reaction to strees could vary. Even so, when it leads us to become unable to cope with simple daily tasks, we should start worrying. Seeking profession professional help is the wisest decision you can make if you feel your current situation is getting out of hand.

Sources:
- https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-adjustment-disorder#1
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/stressors
- Kati Morton YouTube Channel