Life transitions: when a change is hard to adjust to

Common situations

Any big change can be hard. When the reaction is stronger or lasts longer than expected, it may be an adjustment disorder.

• Adjustment disorder

  Recognised in DSM-5-TR and ICD-11. Distress, low mood, worry or trouble coping that starts soon after a stressful change, is stronger than expected, and gets in the way of daily life. It usually settles within six months once the change has eased.

• Leaving school, leaving home or moving

  Finishing school, starting university or work, leaving home, or moving town or country. These changes bring new pressures and can mean losing familiar people and routines. Teenagers and young adults are most often affected.

• Becoming a parent

  A new baby changes sleep, relationships, work and identity, and feeling unsettled is common. If you are pregnant or your baby is under 12 months, see Perinatal mental health.

• A relationship ending

  Separation or divorce, or the end of a close relationship, can bring grief, worry about money and children, and a changed daily life. When someone has died, see Grief, loss and bereavement.

• Changes in work, including retirement

  Losing a job, a change in role, or retiring can affect income, routine, purpose and how you see yourself.

• A change in health

  A new diagnosis, an injury or a long illness, for you or someone close to you, can bring fear, a sense of loss and changes to independence.

Signs to look for

• Feeling overwhelmed, tense or on edge since the change
• Low mood, tearfulness or losing interest in things you used to enjoy
• Trouble sleeping, concentrating or managing everyday tasks
• Pulling away from people, study or work
• Difficulties that are not easing after several months
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Assessment

We talk about the change, what it has meant for you and how you have been since. Dr Stanganelli asks about mood, anxiety, sleep and physical health, and about how earlier changes went. A hard adjustment is not always a disorder. Sometimes the answer is that what you feel is understandable and short-term support is enough.

Treatment

Dr Stanganelli assesses, diagnoses, prescribes where it helps, and coordinates your care with your GP, psychologist and school.

1. i.Psychological therapy, with your psychologist or one Dr Stanganelli can refer you to
2. ii.Treatment of depression or anxiety where it is present
3. iii.Medication in some cases, with regular review
4. iv.Working with your GP and the people supporting you

Getting started

Ask your GP or paediatrician for a referral to Dr Stanganelli, then email it to appointments@stanganelli.com.au. Or post it to PO Box 5571, Mackay QLD 4740. All referrals are reviewed and assessed by Dr Stanganelli to determine suitability for the practice. Submission of a referral does not guarantee acceptance or an appointment. If your referral is accepted, we'll contact you with a time in Mackay, Brisbane or by telehealth, usually in under 4 weeks. If we can't accept a referral, we'll let the referring doctor or the patient know.

Request an appointment How referrals work