Bandai Choi
Clinical Psychologist | Board-approved supervisor
Breathe-n-Smile Psychology, Essendon North, Footscray and telehealth across Australia
Since a major life change, I feel anxious and low. Could this be adjustment disorder?
Change can affect routines, relationships and how you see yourself. Anxiety, low mood or difficulty concentrating may follow. Whether this is adjustment disorder depends on the distress, its effect on daily life and the wider context. You can seek help with the hardest part without first deciding on a diagnosis.[1]
TL;DR
- The same change can mean different things to different people, including ongoing consequences.[1]
- A recent event or symptom checklist alone cannot establish adjustment disorder.[1]
- Psychological support can explore stress, changing roles and relationships, and practical responses.[1]
- Start with one affected part of life, agree on a concrete goal and review whether support is helping.[2]
Life has changed, but a new rhythm has not emerged
Imagine a hypothetical example. Before retirement, you looked forward to having time for yourself. Now, mornings feel directionless. Contact with colleagues has faded, family assumes life is easier, and you wonder whether you are still useful. At night, you worry about the future; during the day, it is hard to engage with things you planned to enjoy.
Working hours are only part of the change. Contact, purpose and the structure of a day have shifted too. Moving, work restructuring or changes in health can also affect several parts of life at once.[1]
Name what has been lost, what demands have increased and what is hardest now. Sometimes the ongoing rearrangement of life is more difficult than the day the event happened.
What does adjustment disorder mean?
This diagnosis concerns emotional or behavioural difficulties associated with a stressor or life change that significantly affect life. A person may become preoccupied with the event and its consequences, feel anxious or low, or struggle with everyday activities. Assessment needs the whole picture.[1]
A clinician may ask when things changed, how difficulties began, their current impact and whether this has happened before. Other emotional, physical and practical factors also matter. Even when distress coincides with an event, it is useful to explore what support is actually needed.
Comparing your reaction with someone else's does not decide whether you can seek help. Caring responsibilities, financial pressure or health problems can change the resources available to respond.[1]
Are expectations from an old role still shaping your week?
Someone who has retired may judge each day by workplace productivity. After a work change, unfamiliar tasks may be interpreted as lost ability. Notice whether the standard you use belongs to an earlier routine.
In the retirement example, “I completed no work today” does not necessarily mean “Nothing meaningful happened.” Therapy can explore what still matters, such as connection, learning, self-care or community participation, and where a small activity could fit.
You do not need a fully booked replacement schedule. Choose one manageable action, then notice its demands and effects. WHO's practical stress-management guide also offers brief skills for coping with adversity.[2]
How might a psychologist help?
Assessment can explore losses, pressures and new demands, including what needs practical action and what needs time and support to process. Sleep, mood, relationships and daily functioning help shape the goals. Our starting therapy guide explains the initial conversation.
Work might address worry or low mood, a practical problem, daily activities, relationships or changing roles. NHS information describes several psychological options. A 2025 review of randomised trials suggests CBT may help adjustment-disorder symptoms, while calling for more trials of other approaches.[1][3]
Ask what you will work on first and what would count as useful change. A goal might be organising a morning, addressing a recurring worry or clarifying a new responsibility with family. The approach should fit your actual difficulties.
Build a more manageable week
When everything seems to need rearranging, choose one affected routine. If mornings lack structure, decide what comes after getting up. If contact has reduced, consider a short meeting with someone you want to see. Fit the step to current capacity and resources.
Separate two questions: “Where do I need information or practical help?” and “What feelings would I like help understanding?” The first might involve an employer, health professional or another appropriate service. The second can be brought into therapy. Both can be addressed alongside each other.
If the week remains difficult, look at whether the step was too large, badly timed or blocked by something unresolved. Adjusting the plan may be more useful than repeatedly making it stricter.
When should I seek further support?
Talk with a GP or psychologist when distress persists, worsens or affects sleep, work, relationships or daily activities. Describe the change, the hardest part and the things it now affects.[1]
You do not need to wait for a deadline by which you think you should have adjusted. Tell your GP about physical symptoms, medication concerns or other health changes too. Assessment can clarify a direction for care as well as the meaning of the experience.
Our anxiety and stress and depression and mood pages outline related psychological support.
Four small starting points
- Note one part of life most affected by the change and the help you need.
- Try one small routine, then review whether its demands are manageable.
- Make a concrete request to someone trusted, such as a short visit or sharing a new responsibility.
- Bring a recent example to an appointment and ask how progress will be reviewed.
You may also be interested in
- Anxiety and stress support: when worry and tension affect daily life.
- Depression and mood support: persistent low mood or reduced motivation.
- Starting therapy: preparing for a first conversation.
Common questions
Does finding a stressor mean I have adjustment disorder?
No. Assessment considers distress, daily impact and context. Identifying a stressor helps understanding but does not establish the diagnosis on its own.[1]
Can therapy help if the event cannot be changed?
Therapy can address feelings, routines, coping and relationship changes. Goals should reflect the help you need now and be reviewed as the work progresses.[1]
Get in touch
Breathe-n-Smile Psychology offers clinical psychology support for adults and adolescents.
Appointments are offered in Essendon North and Footscray, with telehealth across Australia.
To enquire or book, call 0431 828 769, email reception@breathe-n-smile.com, or use our online enquiry form.