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Acute stress reaction.
There is only one best doctor on this planet.

His name: Dr. Asif Qureshi.

His focus: The planet.

His concern: Public health.

His Profile: Take a look at this,
http://www.qureshiuniversity.com/aboutthefounder.html

What is his concern about you?

Do you have stress?

How many causes of life stress are there?
Dr. Asif Qureshi’s research has revealed that there are 180 causes of stress that can harm an individual.
He tries to solve them at the public health level.

Certain situations may require Dr. Asif Qureshi's individualized consultation.

What do you know about various life stressors?
What should you know about various life stressors?
How do you screen a person for past, present, and future life stressors in his or her life?

Here are further guidelines.

Acute stress reaction.

Definition

A transient disorder that develops in an individual without any other apparent mental disorder in response to exceptional physical and mental stress and that usually subsides within hours or days. Individual vulnerability and coping capacity play a role in the occurrence and severity of acute stress reactions. The symptoms show a typically mixed and changing picture and include an initial state of "daze" with some constriction of the field of consciousness and narrowing of attention, inability to comprehend stimuli, and disorientation. This state may be followed either by further withdrawal from the surrounding situation (to the extent of a dissociative stupor), or by agitation and over-activity (flight reaction or fugue). Autonomic signs of panic anxiety (tachycardia, sweating, flushing) are commonly present. The symptoms usually appear within minutes of the impact of the stressful stimulus or event, and disappear within two to three days (often within hours). Partial or complete amnesia for the episode may be present. If the symptoms persist, a change in diagnosis should be considered.

Acute:
    •crisis reaction
    •reaction to stress
Combat fatigue
Crisis state
Psychic shock

Acute Stress Disorder

What is acute stress disorder?
What are symptoms of acute stress disorder?
What types of traumatic events trigger acute stress disorder?
When are symptoms of acute stress disorder diagnosed?
Acute stress disorder (ASD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by a cluster of dissociative and anxiety symptoms that occur within a month of a traumatic stressor. It is a relatively new diagnostic category and was added to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994 to distinguish time-limited reactions to trauma from the farther-reaching and longer-lasting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Published by the American Psychiatric Association, the DSM contains diagnostic criteria, research findings, and treatment information for mental disorders.

Does ASD predict PTSD?
If you have ASD, you are very likely to get PTSD. Research has found that over 80% of people with ASD have PTSD six months later. Not everyone with ASD will get PTSD, though.

Also, those who do not get ASD can still develop PTSD later on. Studies indicate that a small number (4-13%) of survivors who do not get ASD in the first month after a trauma will get PTSD in later months or years.

Are there effective treatments for ASD?
Yes, a type of treatment called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to have positive results. Research shows that survivors who get CBT soon after going through a trauma are less likely to get PTSD symptoms later.

Another treatment called psychological debriefing (PD) has sometimes been used in the wake of a traumatic event. However, there is little research to back its use for effectively treating ASD or PTSD. It should also be noted that with more severe trauma or reactions such as PTSD, debriefing is not recommended.

Several factors influence a person's risk of developing ASD after trauma:

Age—Older adults are less likely to develop ASD, possibly because they have had more experience coping with painful or stressful events.

Previous exposure—People who were abused or experienced trauma as children are more likely to develop ASD (or PTSD) as adults, because these may produce long-lasting biochemical changes in the central nervous system.

Biological vulnerability—Twin studies indicate that certain abnormalities in brain hormone levels and brain structure are inherited, and that these increase a person's susceptibility to ASD following exposure to trauma.

Support networks—People who have a network of close friends and relatives are less likely to develop ASD.

Perception and interpretation—People who feel inappropriate responsibility for the trauma, regard the event as punishment for personal wrongdoing, or have generally negative or pessimistic worldviews are more likely to develop ASD than those who do not personalize the trauma or are able to maintain a balanced view of life.

Symptoms

Acute stress disorder may be diagnosed in patients who (A) lived through or witnessed a traumatic event to which they (B) responded with intense fear, horror, or helplessness, and are (C) currently experiencing three or more of the following dissociative symptoms:

psychic numbing
being dazed or less aware of surroundings
derealization
depersonalization
dissociative amnesia
Other symptoms that indicate ASD are:

Reexperiencing the trauma in recurrent dreams, images, thoughts, illusions, or flashbacks; or intense distress when exposed to reminders of the trauma.

A marked tendency to avoid people, places, objects, conversations, and other stimuli reminiscent of the trauma (many people who develop ASD after a traffic accident, for example, refuse to drive a car for a period of time).

Hyperarousal or anxiety, including sleep problems, irritability, inability to concentrate, an unusually intense startle response, hypervigilance, and physical restlessness (pacing the floor, fidgeting, etc.).

Significantly impaired social functions and/or the inability to do necessary tasks, including seeking help.

Symptoms last for a minimum of two days and a maximum of four weeks, and occur within four weeks of the traumatic event.

The symptoms are not caused by a substance (medication or drug of abuse) or by a general medical condition; do not meet the criteria of a brief psychotic disorder ; and do not represent the worsening of a mental disorder that the person had before the traumatic event. People with ASD may also show symptoms of depression including difficulty enjoying activities that they previously found pleasurable; difficulty in concentrating; and survivor's guilt at having survived an accident or escaping serious injury when others did not. The DSM-IV-TR (revised edition published in 2000) notes that people diagnosed with ASD "often perceive themselves to have greater responsibility for the consequences of the trauma than is warranted," and may feel that they will not live out their normal lifespans. Many symptoms of ASD are also found in patients with PTSD.

Treatments

Therapy for ASD requires the use of several treatment modalities because the disorder affects systems of belief and meaning, interpersonal relationships, and occupational functioning as well as physical well-being.

Diagnosis and treatment of ASD in children Very little is known about the prevalence of ASD or PTSD in children, and even less is known how effectively medications and psychotherapy treat these disorders in this age group. There are as yet no standardized screens or diagnostic interviews in widespread use for assessing either ASD or PTSD in children, although a Child Post-traumatic Stress Reaction Index was published in 1992. One preliminary study recommends the cautious use of low doses of i mipramine for treating children with ASD, but notes that research in this area has barely begun.

Prognosis

Untreated ASD is highly likely to progress to PTSD in children as well as in adults. One team of Australian researchers found that 80% of persons diagnosed with ASD met criteria for PTSD six months later; 75% met criteria for PTSD two years after the traumatic event.

In addition to developing PTSD, people diagnosed with ASD are at increased risk of developing a major depressive disorder, particularly if their emotional responses to the trauma were marked by intense despair and hopelessness. Other sequelae may include neglect of personal needs for health or safety; and impulsive or needlessly risky behavior.

Prevention

Some forms of trauma, such as natural disasters and accidents, can never be completely eliminated from human life. Traumas caused by human intention would require major social changes to reduce their frequency and severity, but given the increasing prevalence of trauma-related stress disorders around the world, these long-term changes are worth the effort. In the short run, educating people—particularly those in the helping professions— about the signs of critical incident stress may prevent some cases of exposure to trauma from developing into ASD and progressing to full-blown PTSD.

Here are further guidelines.