On second thought, no, it's not always true. Both the improvement after the equilibrium is reached again, and change involving the confusion just after the change, are dependent on the extent of the change (and there need not be a sudden change, the whole process can be performed by shifting the state of adaptation). While state after-change is worse than state after-calming-down, both can be better than the initial state, or both worse than initial state, as well as on the different sides of the initial state.