Life Transition

Any change or adjustment in life that has a major impact can be considered a life transition. Events that require you to adapt or adjust, such as marriage, children, divorce, or employment changes, among others, can be considered life transitions.  Although life transitions cause most of us some level of distress, after the transition is made, we can usually adjust to our new routine within a few months.  However, if the transition or adjustment is still causing distress after 6 months, meeting with a therapist can be beneficial in identifying why the adjustment has been so difficult, reframing the event in order to reach acceptance about the change and develop positive coping skills that will allow one to adapt to a new routine or environment. Symptoms that can indicate that the transition is causing too much distress include:

• Inability to accept the change/persistent longing for how things were
• Belief that one cannot be successful or happy because of the transition
• Persistent anxiety
• Depression
• Feelings of detatchment or numbness