Adjustment disorder can have a disruptive effect on children and teens, but we can help. Millcreek Behavioral Health is a leading residential facility in Arkansas for kids and adolescents struggling with adjustment disorder and other issues with mental health, developmental disorders, and addiction.
Adjustment Disorder Treatment
Learn more about adjustment disorder treatment at Millcreek Behavioral Health in Arkansas
Adjustment disorder is a mental illness that occurs when an individual suffers from an unhealthy, or maladaptive response to a distressing life event. Children and adolescents or teens who are suffering from adjustment disorder will display various emotional or behavioral symptoms identifiable as a direct result from the specific event. Adjustment disorder can cause significant distress or impairment in a child’s or adolescent’s life, but with proper treatment, they can overcome the negative effects of the disorder and go on to lead a happy and healthy life.
At Millcreek’s adjustment disorder treatment facility in Arkansas, we recognize the challenges an individual suffering from adjustment disorder faces on a daily basis, which is why we offer specialized programming tailored to meet the unique needs of children and adolescents or teens who are struggling with this disorder. Our adjustment disorder treatment center, located on 37 acres of beautiful, natural landscape in Arkansas can offer your child or teen treatment in a comfortable setting that they would not be offered in a traditional hospital setting. Our newest treatment facility in Arkansas opened in February of 2014 and allows us to provide our clients with a modern, clean atmosphere as we implement appropriate therapeutic interventions designed to help everyone who comes to us address and overcome their challenges.
How to Help a Loved One
Helping a loved one get treatment for adjustment disorder
If you have a child who is suffering from adjustment disorder, you may be feeling at a loss as to what you can do to help them. You may not even be fully aware of how deeply they are suffering because they have shut you out. Children and adolescents or teens with adjustment disorder react very differently depending upon the severity of their symptoms, as well as the event that triggered the onset of the disorder itself. If left untreated, the effects of the disorder can intensify and lead to further disruptions in your child’s life. The good news, however, is that adjustment disorder can be successfully overcome through the implementation of proper adjustment disorder treatment through Millcreek in Arkansas.
If you have recognized significant changes in your child’s or adolescent’s behavior but are unsure as to whether or not they are indicative of the presence of adjustment disorder, it would be beneficial to start by seeking guidance from your child’s or teen’s primary care physician. They will be able to go over your child’s or adolescent’s symptoms with you and provide you with appropriate mental health recommendations – if needed. An evaluation may be warranted if the following signs are present:
- Being overly tearful
- No longer participating in things that he or she used to enjoy
- Spending the majority of their time alone
- Refusing to go to school
- Acting jittery or demonstrating an exaggerated startle response
- Having difficulty sleeping
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Experiencing memory problems
- Showing a decline in academic performance
- Self-harming
- Using drugs or alcohol
Why Consider Treatment
Why consider treatment for adjustment disorder at Millcreek Behavioral Health in Arkansas
Children and adolescents or teens who have adjustment disorder experience significant disruption in many areas of their lives. They may find themselves unable to function appropriately at school, may begin displaying behaviors that are unusual for them, such as crying more often or isolating themselves from others, and may begin to participate in self-harming behaviors. You might be hoping that these negative symptoms will simply go away after time but, more than likely, the symptoms will only continue to worsen if they are not addressed.
Residential treatment centers (RTCs) are successful in helping children and adolescents or teens identify and overcome the negative effects that they are experiencing as a result of adjustment disorder. When children are given the chance to step away from the routines of their everyday lives and enter an adjustment disorder treatment facility’s residential treatment program, they are able to place their sole focus on becoming well. An adjustment disorder treatment facility removes them from the aspects of their lives that may serve as reminders of the event that led to the development of the adjustment disorder, therefore allowing them to develop coping skills in a safe and sheltered environment. While taking part in an adjustment disorder treatment facility’s residential program, children and adolescents or teens are also able to meet and work with other children or teens who are struggling with similar challenges, which can result in helping them develop a sense of confidence and comfort in knowing that they are not alone. The thorough and intensive treatment provided as part of our treatment facility’s residential program in Arkansas will help your child or adolescent receive the help and support that they need in order to successfully recover.
Our Philosophy
Millcreek Behavioral Health philosophy and treatment benefits
At Millcreek’s adjustment disorder treatment center in Arkansas, we make it our goal to guide children or teens through treatment in a way that helps them learn to overcome their adjustment disorder struggles and to begin making changes in all aspects of their lives; changes that will have positive effects on them as they continue to grow. Our adjustment disorder treatment facility is dedicated to meeting each client where they are at by tailoring adjustment disorder treatment plans to meet each unique, individual need. Our adjustment disorder treatment facility’s approach to treatment utilizes a multi-component, integrated model based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which has proven to provide a successful and effective treatment for a wide variety of populations and diagnoses, including adjustment disorder. CBT is an evidenced-based therapeutic intervention model that aims to target thinking errors by correcting maladaptive thoughts and replacing them with new problem-solving techniques and coping skills. The members of our adjustment disorder treatment center’s highly trained and compassionate staff work intensively with the children and adolescents or teens we treat to help them learn to confront and accept their struggles and then learn to take responsibility for the changes that need to be made in order to find true healing at Millcreek in Arkansas.
Types of Treatment
Types of adjustment disorder treatment offered at Millcreek Behavioral Health in Arkansas
When first arriving at our adjustment disorder treatment facility in Arkansas, all clients will participate in our treatment facility’s thorough diagnostic assessment and a psychiatric evaluation, allowing us to gain a full understanding of any presenting concerns and to identify specific treatment needs regarding their adjustment disorder. The findings of these assessments will be used by our treatment center’s interdisciplinary team to develop a master adjustment disorder treatment plan that is then reviewed by one of our treatment facility’s psychiatrists. This master adjustment disorder treatment plan will specify treatment goals for each individual child or adolescent or teen, including specific intervention components that will aid in meeting the child’s or adolescent’s exact needs.
The program model at Millcreek’s adjustment disorder treatment facility is divided into four distinct phases, which include:
- Why am I here?
- Making the connection
- Learning new skills
- Application
The children and adolescents or teens in our adjustment disorder treatment facility’s programs are required to complete all aspects of each phase in order to advance to the next. Some of the treatment methods that will be used, and some of the activities that residents will participate in, throughout their course of treatment may include the following:
Medication: At times, medication can be a beneficial part of fully treating adjustment disorder. While there is no specific medication designed to treat adjustment disorder, the implementation of things like antidepressants or antianxiety medications can help alleviate the symptoms that children experience. When medication is used, it is consistently monitored by the child’s treatment team in order to ensure its therapeutic effectiveness, as well as to make any changes that might be necessary.
Group therapy: Group therapy is held multiple times throughout the week with sessions covering a wide range of topics. The groups that our clients participate in will be determined based on their individual adjustment disorder treatment plans, but some of the topics that are covered in these group sessions may include: coping skills, social skills, behavior management, and appropriate self-soothing skills.
Recreational therapy: All of the children and adolescents or teens in our treatment facility’s adjustment disorder programs will participate in recreational therapy, which includes participating in activities such as sports, social outings, park outings, creative arts, adventure programs, and leisure. These activities are designed to aid in the development of appropriate social skills.
Education: Every child and adolescent or teen that we treat here at Millcreek’s adjustment disorder treatment center will attend our fully accredited school program, which is held Monday through Friday. Each child will be given his or her own distinct, individualized education plan based on their specific academic needs.
Depending on the adjustment disorder treatment track in which your child or teen is enrolled, in addition to the presence of any specific treatment needs, he or she may also participate in some, or all, of the following:
- Family therapy (held at least 2 times per month)
- Individual therapy (held on a weekly basis)
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Student council
Continuing Care
Continuing care and levels of treatment for adjustment disorder
Once your child or teen has completed our treatment facility’s residential adjustment disorder treatment, our treatment center’s case manager in Arkansas will meet with you and your child in order to help identify what the next best plan of action should be. These case managers are available to help schedule any necessary follow-up appointments with outpatient providers and can work with you and your child to find specific resources that are available within your community in Arkansas. For those patients who qualify, there is also the option of entering into a waiver program where individuals can return home and still receive any additional assistance with daily living skills that may be needed.