Acute Stress Disorder: How to Find Healing After Recent Trauma

“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.” 

- Peter A. Levine

Approximately 70% of adults in the U.S. have had at least 1 traumatic event in their lifetime. This is around 8.25 million people in Ohio alone. While post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common condition that might develop from trauma, not everyone will. That doesn’t mean other conditions or reactions aren’t possible. At SUN Behavioral Health Columbus, we aim to help our patients understand how different mental health conditions manifest after a traumatic event. Today, we are going to discuss one of them, known as acute stress disorder.

What Is Acute Stress Disorder?

Acute stress disorder (ASD) is similar to PTSD in that it occurs after a traumatic experience. Traumatic events can be anything from natural disasters, sexual assault, witnessing a death, war, car accidents, etc. ASD typically develops weeks after a traumatic event. However,  it is temporary and often only lasts a few days to a month. If symptoms last longer than 1 month, a diagnosis of PTSD is more likely.

Understanding the Causes and Risk Factors for Acute Stress Disorder

ASD is a response to a traumatic event someone witnessed, experienced, or was confronted with. It could have been a singular event or a series of events. As a result, the person experiences fear and helplessness.

A common belief as to why ASD occurs is a model known as “fear conditioning.” This is when a traumatic event occurs at the same time a person is exposed to a neutral sense or context. A neutral sense might be the smell of smoke or the sound of a car driving down the road. A neutral context might be walking outside at night or going to the grocery store. When the brain or body encounters those neutral things again, but without the trauma actually happening, there is a fear response. Most of the time, this response will eventually go away.

Other than the requirement of exposure to a recent traumatic event, some other risk factors might result in someone being more likely to have this response. These include:

• A previous history of ASD or PTSD
• Pre-existing mental health concerns or conditions
• Being female
• Trauma due to assault
• Past symptoms where you don’t know where you are or who you are surrounding trauma

What Are Some of the Most Common Acute Stress Disorder Symptoms?

There are many symptoms that someone with ASD will experience. Often, these are categorized as the following: dissociative, re-experiencing, avoidance, anxiety or arousal, and distress. It is not a requirement for someone with ASD to have dissociative symptoms, but they are still possible. The other categories are required for an official diagnosis.

ASD can be a very distressing condition that makes life feel more daunting. It often disrupts people’s work and social lives. They might find it difficult to complete or start necessary tasks. Some people find it challenging to tell others about what has happened to them due to the distressing thoughts, memories, and emotions they are experiencing.

How Dissociation Appears in ASD

Dissociative symptoms associated with ASD include a reduced awareness of one’s surroundings, feeling like the environment is unreal or strange, feeling numb or emotionally detached, or being unable to remember aspects of the event.

What is Re-Experiencing Trauma?

Re-experiencing the traumatic event is also common for those with ASD. This often looks like having recurring nightmares, flashbacks, or thoughts of the event. Someone might also feel like they are reliving the event, or they might feel distressed if they are reminded of it.

Understanding Avoidance and Anxiety Symptoms in Acute Stress Disorder

Avoidance symptoms are things that the person avoids. These are people, places, activities, thoughts, conversations, and objects that remind them of their traumatic experiences. They might believe avoiding these things will prevent them from re-experiencing their trauma.

Anxiety and arousal symptoms associated with ASD might look like having a difficult time falling or staying asleep, or it might look like getting easily started or constantly on guard. Some people have difficulty concentrating and might be unable to sit still.

Knowing When to Get Help for Acute Stress Disorder

As mentioned above, ASD is a temporary condition that generally resolves after a few days to a month. However, this doesn’t mean it can’t or shouldn’t warrant treatment. Some signs are indicative of needing help from a medical professional. For example, experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm warrants attending a 24/7 crisis care center as soon as possible. There, you will be met with compassionate people who will begin to help you find healing.

Other signs that indicate a need to seek help for ASD include:

• Being unable to experience positive emotions
• Feeling intense fear, helplessness, anxiety, restlessness, or irritability
• Being unable to sleep
• Being unable to concentrate
• Experiencing nightmares that make you feel like the traumatic experience is happening again
• Experiencing distress when reminded of the event

If your symptoms are lasting longer than a month after your traumatic event, this is a sign to discuss the possibility of PTSD with your doctor or a mental health professional. Often, treatment for PTSD is required for individuals to find recovery when this occurs.

How Is Acute Stress Disorder Diagnosed?

Only a healthcare professional can diagnose you with ASD. Your doctor or mental health care provider will conduct an assessment where they ask about your symptoms and psychological and physical health history. They will also discuss the aspects of your trauma with you.

They will then compare your answers to the criteria found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5). The main factor that would lead your doctor toward an ASD diagnosis instead of PTSD is if your symptoms have existed since shortly after a traumatic event for a month or less. If it has been longer than a month, they will lean towards PTSD. In addition to this, you must have 8 of the symptoms mentioned earlier.

Simple Ways to Manage Acute Stress Disorder

While ASD is a short-term condition that, for most people, will resolve after a month, it doesn’t mean that it can’t disrupt your life or worsen into another condition like PTSD. This is why learning to manage the condition and stay on top of your recovery is essential to finding relief.

One way to accomplish this is by surrounding yourself with loved ones you feel safe around. Their emotional support will enable you to feel less alone, strengthen relationships, and reduce feelings of sadness and distress.

Also, while it might feel difficult, continue to practice self-care. This means maintaining a regular exercise routine, eating a balanced diet, and sleeping well. It could be as simple as walking around your house or apartment, going out to a restaurant with a close friend, or making sure you go to bed earlier.

Does Acute Stress Disorder Require Treatment?

In addition to lifestyle changes, it is still important to receive mental health care for ASD. Just because it is a short-term condition doesn’t mean it can’t get worse. Early treatment and an official diagnosis from a health care provider are advisable as prevention methods following your traumatic experience. 

There are many trauma therapy methods available for people with ASD that are shown to be effective in preventing worsening symptoms. One of those options is through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). During CBT, you will learn and develop skills that will make it easier to sort through the harmful thoughts and memories associated with your trauma and replace them with positive, healing ones. These skills will also help you learn healthy coping mechanisms for when your symptoms become overwhelming.

In addition to CBT, psychological first aid is also a helpful tool for those immediately after a traumatic event. This treatment focuses on your strengths and initial concerns by providing support and resources to make healing more accessible and prevent further harm. Many people find improved functioning, strengthened relationships, and a sense of emotional control through this therapy.

While not common for people with ASD because it is usually short-lived, some people might be prescribed medications to help relieve their symptoms. This is especially true for individuals who might be experiencing intense symptoms that make it difficult to focus on other treatment methods.

Get Help for Acute Stress Disorder Today in Columbus, OH

Despite not being a permanent condition, you do not have to experience ASD on your own, and trying to ignore it may only make your symptoms worse. Getting early treatment after a traumatic experience prevents long-term complications and enables you to continue to live a safe and healthier life.

SUN Behavioral Health Columbus solves unmet needs in the community for adults and adolescents with traumatic experiences. Through our no-cost care assessments, we will work with you and your doctors to determine what level of care will best allow you to heal from your recent trauma. For more information, contact us today at 614-706-2786.