This article will provide a comprehensive understanding of the differences between acute stress disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Introduction
When looking at PTSD vs. acute stress disorder, the causes are the same: experiencing a traumatic event or, having a close family member experience a traumatic event, or witnessing a traumatic event. These events can include things like:
- Sexual abuse
- Domestic abuse
- Physical abuse
- Car accidents
- Natural disasters
- Violence
- Serious illnesses
- Injuries
- Death
- War
Both conditions are categorized in the DSM, and they relate to mental health symptoms that develop After experiencing a traumatic event.
With acute stress disorder vs PTSD, the timeline for when the symptoms develop is slightly different. In most cases with PTSD vs acute stress disorder, the need for treatment manifests sooner in acute stress than it does in PTSD.
Trauma-related mental health conditions are highly prevalent, and it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis for both conditions in order to find the right treatment.
Understanding Acute Stress Disorder (ASD):
-What Is Acute Stress Disorder?
Originally, acute stress disorder appeared in the 4th edition of the DSM, the previous version of what is used today for mental health diagnosis. The purpose was to predict which individuals who had survived a trauma would be unlikely to experience a natural recovery. By design, this would help provide appropriate treatment sooner rather than later.
With acute stress disorder vs. PTSD, individuals who started to display dissociative responses at the time they experienced trauma or shortly after were considered more likely to develop PTSD down the line.
-Symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder
In order to be diagnosed with acute stress disorder, an individual needs to have experienced a traumatic event with at least one symptom of re-experiencing, including one of the following:
- Recurring thoughts
- Images
- Nightmares
- Flashbacks
- Intense emotional distress when reminded of the trauma or triggered
An individual must also display and avoid all reminders of their trauma or trauma-related thoughts.
With acute stress vs. PTSD, the same requirement exists for symptoms of increased anxiety or arousal, including:
- Sleep issues
- Irritability
- Poor concentration
- Hypervigilance
- Being startled easily
Individuals with acute stress disorder must have symptoms that interfere with their daily function or cause significant distress that can’t be better explained by another condition.
The key differences between acute stress reaction vs. PTSD include the following:
- An individual has to experience three of the five dissociative symptoms during the traumatic event or immediately after, including:
- numbing/detachment
- Reduced awareness of one’s surroundings
- Derealization
- Depersonalization
- Dissociative amnesia
- The disturbance has to last at least two days immediately after the trauma but no more than four weeks, and it has to occur within four weeks of the traumatic event taking place.
Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:
-What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Over 50% of all adults will experience at least one traumatic event in their lives. 8% of Americans will develop PTSD because of it. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition that develops as a result of a traumatic event, but it’s one that develops several months after the event when an individual is unable to properly process that trauma.
-Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
In order to be diagnosed with PTSD, an individual needs to have experienced a traumatic event with at least one symptom of re-experiencing, including one of the following for at least one month:
- Recurring thoughts
- Images
- Nightmares
- Flashbacks
- Intense emotional distress when reminded of the trauma or triggered
An individual must also display and avoid all reminders of their trauma or trauma-related thoughts.
With acute stress vs. PTSD, the same requirement exists for symptoms of increased anxiety or arousal, including:
- Sleep issues
- Irritability
- Poor concentration
- Hypervigilance
- Being startled easily
Individuals with PTSD must have symptoms that cause significant distress that can’t be better explained by another condition.
Treatment and Management:
-Treatment Approaches for Acute Stress Disorder
CBT
The most common form of treatment for acute stress disorder is a trauma-focused form of CBT. This type of treatment involves a small amount of exposure therapy in some situations to slowly change the way in which traumatic memories mimic fear. This is one of the most effective forms of treatment for acute stress disorder, as it helps disrupt cognitive distortions and manage symptoms.
-Treatment Approaches for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
EMDR
One of the most popular treatments for PTSD is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), used by the WHO and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
EMDR is considered the most effective treatment for PTSD, and it doesn’t require individuals to sit and talk through their trauma but instead to simply picture it in their mind in great detail while a professional has them follow different movements with their eyes. Leading individuals through side-to-side eye movements or sounds changes how the brain stores traumatic memories, which are otherwise disrupted and can’t be properly processed in the brain.
Subsequently, this type of treatment can stop unnecessary reinforcements or triggers because the neural links associated with an improperly stored traumatic memory are broken and replaced with new neural links that do not activate anxiety, anger, or fear.
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Trauma-informed therapy is a specific type of psychotherapy facilitated by specialists who work hard to avoid retraumatization during the therapy session.
- If, for example, music was playing in the background of your home when you witnessed domestic abuse, a therapist would take that into consideration and avoid having music playing during your sessions.
- If being touched at all is a trigger for you, a therapist would avoid physical contact in any form to help ensure they don’t re-traumatize you during a therapy session.
Therapists who specialize in trauma-informed therapy receive unique training and certification that qualify them to provide the care they need if they struggle with PTSD.
Medication
In some cases, SSRIs are prescribed for short-term treatment of PTSD, which are best when used in conjunction with therapy.
Summing up
Acute stress disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are both trauma-related mental health issues. While they do share similarities in symptoms, the biggest difference between acute stress reaction vs. PTSD has to do with the timeline and the dissociative nature of the symptoms.
Someone struggling with acute stress reaction will almost immediately follow the trauma and start to dissociate from their current surroundings and their body. PTSD takes much longer to develop and doesn’t have the same dissociative aspects. No matter which you have, it’s important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment for recovery.
