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Acute Stress Disorder: Understanding the Short-Term Impacts of Trauma

acute stress disorder

“Trauma happens when any experience stuns us like a bolt out of the blue: it overwhelms us, leaving us altered and disconnected.” 

- Peter A. Levine

Trauma takes on many different forms, from car accidents to domestic violence and several other possibilities. In the United States, 70% of adults have experienced at least 1 traumatic event. That is approximately 700,000 Delawareans. After experiencing a traumatic event, everyone has a different reaction to what happened to them. Some of these reactions are permanent, while others are temporary and occur shortly after the event happens.

At SUN Behavioral Health Delaware, we help guide patients daily through their responses to trauma, whether it happened a few days ago or several years ago. Today, we will discuss one of those potential responses people might have – acute stress disorder.

Acute Stress Disorder: Understanding the Immediate Effects of Trauma

Similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder (ASD) is a mental health condition that occurs after a traumatic event. Common traumatic experiences include assault, natural disasters, car accidents, war, a sudden illness or severe injury, or witnessing someone die or get seriously hurt. Either of these conditions can develop at any point in a person’s life. However, the difference between these two conditions is that ASD is typically short-term and develops more quickly. At the same time, PTSD lasts for a longer time and may or may not appear as soon.

ASD occurs within the first 3 days after a traumatic experience happens. For most people, their symptoms only last approximately a month. If they persist beyond that, a medical professional might consider a PTSD diagnosis.

A Closer Look at What Causes Acute Stress Disorder: Are Some People More at Risk Than Others?

When faced with a traumatic experience, everyone responds to it differently. With that said, researchers aren’t sure why some people develop disorders like ASD or PTSD and others don’t seem to have any reactions at all.

One possible theory for why someone might develop ASD or PTSD is a concept known as “fear conditioning.” This occurs when the body has a fear response around a particular stimulus during the traumatic event. An example would be getting into a car accident and being exposed to a strong smell like fast food. Afterward, when you encounter that smell, it might create a fear response despite no real danger being present. This can make the potential for the development of a condition like ASD more likely.

Not everyone will have this reaction, though. So, what makes someone more likely to develop ASD? There can be several possible risk factors, but the most common include a history of mental health conditions or trauma, having little to no support system, being female, and having a tendency to avoid things as a way to cope with stressful circumstances, known as avoidant coping.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder

There are 14 possible symptoms for someone with ASD to experience. Most medical professionals require the person to have at least 9 of them to be diagnosed with this condition. Below are the possible symptoms that someone with ASD might have.

  • Recurring nightmares
  • Intense psychological or physical distress regarding the event
  • Being unable to feel positive emotions
  • Memory loss when it comes to aspects of the event
  • Avoiding people, places, or things related to the event
  • Feelings of irritability or anger
  • Being unable to concentrate
  • Easily startled by noises or movements
  • Being excessively attentive to the possibility of danger
  • Being unable to stay or fall asleep
  • Avoiding specific memories, thoughts, or emotions about the event
  • Feeling like you are in an altered sense of reality
  • Flashbacks to the event
  • Recurring, uncontrollable, and distressing memories

acute stress disorder understanding the immediate effects of trauma

How to Know When You Need Help for an Acute Stress Disorder

While ASD is temporary and doesn’t typically last longer than a month, it doesn’t mean that you have to deal with the distressing symptoms on your own or try to wait them out. Trying to deal with the symptoms on your own, while it doesn’t always happen, might result in the development of a more long-term condition, like PTSD. Studies have shown this happens in 1.3% to 11.2% of people with ASD. Attending treatment can provide the necessary tools to prevent this from happening. It will also help make the symptoms easier to manage.

Other than preventing further development of the condition, some other reasons can indicate a need to seek help for ASD. These include:

  • An inability to function or complete necessary tasks or responsibilities
  • Having thoughts of suicide or self-harm
  • Symptoms have lasted longer than a month or do not appear to be approving
  • Developing new symptoms

Expectations for an Acute Stress Disorder Diagnosis: What Tests Are Performed?

Your doctor will not perform any specific tests that are explicitly designed for acute stress disorder, as these do not exist. However, they will perform a psychosocial assessment and consider your current symptoms, recent events, and medical and mental health histories. These aspects combined will provide them with the information they need to diagnose you with an acute stress disorder.

Reclaiming Your Life From Trauma: How to Manage and Treat Acute Stress Disorder

For most people with ASD, this is a short-term condition. That doesn’t mean you have to wait it out significantly if it disrupts your ability to function. Additionally, as mentioned before, neglecting to manage or treat it early might result in the development of more chronic conditions such as PTSD. There are some things you can do that will reduce the chances of this happening and make it easier to manage your symptoms.

One way to manage symptoms is to maintain good physical health. This includes maintaining a regular exercise routine, getting several hours of quality sleep, and eating nutritious meals. While it can be challenging to maintain this level of care, it is essential to help you feel better and reduce symptoms.

It’s not uncommon for someone with ASD to want to pull away from their support system. Perhaps they aren’t sure if they can trust people after the traumatic event, they don’t want to burden their loved ones with their circumstances, or there is another reason altogether. The truth is that connection is essential to anyone’s recovery. Being around trusted family and friends allows you to begin to feel safe and supported. 

Practicing mindfulness is another way that can decrease symptoms associated with ASD. These are several techniques that you can practice either every day or as needed when symptoms become unbearable. These techniques could include a body scan, where you acknowledge each part of your body and the associated sensations and thoughts, or the five senses exercise when you notice 5 things seen, 4 things felt, 3 things heard, 2 things smelt, and 1 thing tasted. These exercises allow you to feel grounded and present in your environment.

Ultimately, the best way to reduce symptoms associated with ASD is to seek mental health treatment. The most common way ASD is treated is through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps people recognize harmful thoughts and emotions and helps them process and change them into healthier ones. Several skills are taught during this treatment, and with practice, many people find their symptoms are significantly reduced, allowing them to live less fearfully.

ASD may also be treated through psychological first aid (PFA) or psychological debriefing (PD) as well. During PFA, your therapist will address your needs and concerns by providing appropriate support and resources that cater to your strengths. This type of treatment also tends to be more educational than therapeutic. PD works best shortly after a potentially traumatic experience and is conducted in a group setting. The aim is to provide the necessary skills to several individuals who are going through similar situations to reduce the chances of long-term consequences of trauma.

a closer look at what causes acute stress disorder are some people more at risk than others

Get Help for Acute Stress Disorder Today in Georgetown, DE

Acute stress disorder can create a significant time of distress for many people shortly after experiencing a traumatic event. Even though the condition does not typically last long, you don’t have to try and manage it on your own. Attending treatment or crisis care for your acute stress disorder prevents further complications from arising while providing you with a sense of relief and freedom from your symptoms.

SUN Behavioral Health Delaware solves unmet needs for adolescents and adults who have recently experienced a traumatic event in Georgetown. Through our no-cost care assessments, our team will assess your symptoms and circumstances to determine the best course of action when it comes to helping you heal from an acute stress disorder. To learn more or schedule a consultation today, call us at 302-604-5600

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