Acute stress disorder (ASD) typically occurs within one month of a traumatic event. Symptoms are similar to those seen in post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), however this disorder is temporary, lasing from a few days to a month. Some people with this disorder can go on to develop PTSD. What’s acute stress disorder? In the weeks after a traumatic event, you may develop an anxiety disorder called acute stress disorder (ASD). ASD typically occurs within one month of a traumatic event. It lasts at least three days and can persist for up to one month. People with ASD have symptoms similar to those seen in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Experiencing, witnessing, or being confronted with one or more traumatic events can cause ASD. The events create intense fear, horror, or helplessness. Traumatic events that can cause ASD include a:
Approximately 6 to 33 percent of people who experience a traumatic event develop ASD, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This rate varies based on the nature of the traumatic situation. Anyone can develop ASD after a traumatic event. You may have an increased risk of developing ASD if you have:
The symptoms of ASD include: Dissociative symptomsYou’ll have three or more of the following dissociative symptoms if you have ASD:
Reexperiencing the traumatic eventYou’ll persistently re-experience the traumatic event in one or more of the following ways if you have ASD:
AvoidanceYou may avoid stimuli that cause you to remember or re-experience the traumatic event, such as:
Anxiety or increased arousalThe symptoms of ASD may include anxiety and increased arousal. The symptoms of anxiety and increased arousal include: DistressThe symptoms of ASD may cause you distress or disrupt important aspects of your life, such as your social or work settings. You may have an inability to start or complete necessary tasks, or an inability to tell others about the traumatic event. Your primary doctor or mental healthcare provider will diagnose ASD by asking you questions about the traumatic event and your symptoms. It’s also important to rule out other causes such as:
If you don’t already have a primary care doctor or a mental healthcare professional, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool. Many people with ASD are later diagnosed with PTSD. A diagnosis of PTSD is made if your symptoms persist for more than a month and cause a significant amount of stress and difficulty functioning. Treatment may reduce your chances of developing PTSD. Approximately 50 percent of PTSD cases resolve within six months, whereas others may persist for years. Because there’s no way to ensure that you never experience a traumatic situation, there’s no way to prevent ASD. However, there are things that can be done to reduce your likelihood of developing ASD. Getting medical treatment within a few hours of experiencing a traumatic event may reduce the likelihood that you’ll develop ASD. People who work in jobs that carry a high risk for traumatic events, such as military personnel, may benefit from preparation training and counseling to reduce their risk of developing ASD or PSTD if a traumatic event does occur. Preparation training and counseling may involve fake enactments of traumatic events and counseling to strengthen coping mechanisms. Last medically reviewed on November 28, 2017 Experiencing a traumatic event or period in life can make it difficult to think normally. Often people go through a period of anxiety, stress, and acute fear. Returning to a state of normality can take time. Many people gradually heal and return to normal function, but some develop a long-term trauma-related disorder that can affect their daily lives. When a person experiences a traumatic event or is exposed to long-term trauma, they may develop acute stress disorder¹ (ASD). ASD can majorly impact a person’s life, making them feel disconnected from the world, constantly anxious, stressed, angry, and ashamed. People may feel overwhelming fear when exposed to places, people, and ideas that remind them of their traumatic experiences. They may also frequently relive the traumatic episode. These symptoms can develop quickly after exposure to trauma but usually become less severe after a few weeks. Symptoms that persist over a month may be considered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)², which has similar symptoms to ASD. The primary difference between the two is that PTSD lasts longer. It is a good idea to seek professional advice if you experience any symptoms of ASD after a traumatic experience. Even if you feel your symptoms are not intense, talking through your experience may help to prevent symptoms from developing further. It is always helpful to seek support. Some examples of extremely traumatic events that may cause ASD to include:
People can also develop ASD from an indirect experience of trauma, such as hearing about a family member’s death or working as a police officer on a violent or stressful crime. Health professionals like doctors, mental health workers, and therapists may also experience ASD due to hearing accounts of trauma or witnessing patients in great distress. People are diagnosed with ASD if they experience eight or more of the following symptoms within one month after the traumatic experience:
The symptoms must significantly impact the person’s ability to function in their daily lives. The therapist will also evaluate whether the symptoms might be caused by alcohol or other drugs; if so, the person will not be diagnosed with ASD but may have a substance use disorder. The likelihood of developing ASD depends on the nature and severity of the trauma. However, it is currently estimated that between 15 and 40 percent of people exposed to a traumatic experience may develop ASD. The numbers are different in different studies and likely depend on the nature of the trauma and the specifics of how the diagnosis is made. Anyone who experiences a traumatic event is at risk of developing ASD, but some factors can increase a person’s likelihood of developing the condition. These include:
These factors increase the risk of a person who has experienced trauma developing ASD and/or PTSD. Psychotherapy is among the most widely used treatments for acute stress disorder. This type of treatment involves talking with a professional therapist. Although this may sound simple, it can be very effective. There are many different psychotherapy methods, and a therapist may choose one or more methods to use with a particular person suffering from ASD. One of the most commonly used methods in people suffering from trauma is a unique type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), known as trauma-focused CBT. In this therapy, the therapist will help the individual see their developing beliefs around the traumatic event. The therapist will also help the individual replace negative beliefs or irrational thoughts with healthier alternatives. CBT can help the individual work through a traumatic event's stress, which may prevent acute stress disorder from evolving into PTSD. PTSD is similar to ASD. Exposure to a traumatic event or long-term situation in which death, serious bodily harm, or sexual assault occur or are threatened can lead to PTSD. Similar to ASD, post-traumatic stress disorder can also develop from hearing an account of trauma or witnessing the aftermath of a traumatic event. PTSD is a long-term condition that is characterized by symptoms that:
These symptoms are similar to ASD. However, in people with PTSD, symptoms persist for longer than one month. For people with PTSD, their symptoms may severely disrupt their daily lives. If you have PTSD, you may experience various symptoms, including: PTSD can bring on a series of thoughts, feelings, and memories about the traumatic event/period that can cause distress. You may feel like you’re reliving the trauma through sudden flashbacks. These can feel very real and are a source of anxiety for many people with PTSD. It is important to have a support network around you composed of people who understand what you have been through and can look out for you during these episodes. Dreams or nightmares about the traumatic experience are also very common for people with PTSD. These can be recurrent and may affect your sleep. It can be worthwhile seeking medical advice when experiencing trauma-related dreams, as a lack of sleep is never helpful for an anxious mind. Doctors may offer prescription medications to help you get the rest you need. Other symptoms include frequent episodes of zoning out or spacing out. From the outside, it may look to others like you have a vacant, dazed expression and are not paying attention to what’s happening. You may need gentle prompting to return to the present moment. You may also experience bodily reactions when you’re reminded of the trauma. This can include things like shaking or twitching or even feeling like you’re reliving the physical experience of the trauma. Avoidance symptoms are also a key sign of PTSD. You may actively and persistently avoid any reminders of the traumatic experience. These reminders could be internal (like particular thoughts, memories, and emotions) or external (like topics of conversation, people, places, items, and situations). You might be unable to remember some or all of the traumatic experiences. Many people with PTSD develop negative, false, or distressing beliefs about themselves or the world, like ‘I am broken’ or ‘the world is a cruel place.’ Mistaken beliefs about the causes of the trauma are also common, such as believing that the event was your fault. This negatively affects your mood and can make it more difficult to maintain healthy relationships. You may also experience ongoing negative emotions, like constant rage, fear, shame, guilt, and/or despair. It may be hard to feel happy, excited, or uplifted. You may lose interest in the activities you used to enjoy. You may feel isolated from others around you, especially if they do not understand what you went through. You may constantly feel irritable and be easily angered. You may find that you tend to engage more in self-destructive or risky behaviors, like driving too fast, abusing drugs and alcohol, or having unsafe sex. It's not unusual to feel like you are always looking for danger. The world may feel like a more threatening place after a traumatic experience, making it difficult to relax. It is also common for people with PTSD to be easily startled; sudden sounds or movements can be frightening and may even cause a flashback to the trauma. It may also be more difficult for people with PTSD to concentrate. This can make it hard to work, study, or even hold a conversation. Sleeping difficulties are common for people with PTSD due to increased brain alertness and stimulation. Nightmares related to the traumatic event can also disrupt the person’s sleep. Those who experience ASD are more likely to develop PTSD. Studies³ have found that approximately half of all people who experience ASD will develop PTSD. Acute stress disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are very similar conditions. ASD is a common response to a traumatic experience; symptoms include anxiety, social withdrawal, mental stimulation, insomnia, and flashbacks. Symptoms of ASD usually last for several days after the event and up to one month. Symptoms of ASD that persist longer than a month may be cause for concern. PTSD is an anxiety disorder affecting people who have had traumatic experiences. PTSD is a long-term, chronic condition that can make people withdrawn, anxious, easily startled, and prone to vivid flashbacks. Many people with ASD develop PTSD in the long term. |