How to Get an Evaluation of a Person's Personal & Emotional Adjustment

Whether it's a child adjusting to school, a new mother coping with postpartum depression or a patient coming to terms with a troubling diagnosis, individuals adjust differently to difficult situations. Knowing how someone close to you is adjusting to an emotionally challenging situation can be hard to ascertain. Even close friends and family may hide their feeling when struggling to make a personal or emotional adjustment. To get an evaluation of how someone is adjusting, you need to observe their behavior to see how they are handling the stress of a new situation. If a person's behavior deteriorates, they may need professional assistance.

Instructions

• 1

  Observe the individual's behavior to determine any noticeable changes in his personality. If someone who is normally outgoing and vivacious suddenly becomes sullen and withdrawn, it may be an indication of him struggling to making an emotional adjustment. Look at any major events that occurred around the same time you noticed the personality change for insight as to what might be causing the problem.

• 2

  Focus on how the person is expressing themselves emotionally. How a person deals with personal challenges, frustration, stress and unfavorable circumstances can give you an indication of her personal and emotional state. Socially unacceptable outbursts, fits of anger or violenct activity may indicate a difficulty adjusting.

• 3

  Ask your loved one about how he views his own self-worth. Disparaging comments about feeling worthless or insignificant could point to an inability to properly adjust or recover from an emotionally difficult situation that has damaged his self-esteem.

• 4

  Talk with friends about your loved one's behavior towards them. If she begins to ignore friends or loses interest in how others are doing, it could be a sign of her withdrawing from those around her. Someone who seeks the comfort and advice of loved ones is more likely to be adjusting properly than someone who cuts herself off.

• 5

  Address your concerns with your loved one. Let him know about the changes in his behavior that you have noticed, and offer to assist him in coping with the situation in which he is struggling to adjust.