Dec 30, 2020

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.”

It is important to understand the difference between normally occurring anxiety and a diagnosable anxiety disorder that is disruptive to daily life and requires professional intervention. Everyone experiences anxiety at times throughout their life. It is a normal and biologically helpful response to certain types of stress. Anxiety is not always a bad thing; in some instances it may keep you safe and even alive.

Anxiety distress, or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune, is a natural response to many of life’s events. For example, while awaiting the results of a serious medical test it is common to feel some anxiety. It is stressful and worrisome not knowing if you have a life-threatening disease. During this time you may have trouble sleeping, or concentrating on work. These responses are to be expected, and do not indicate that you have an anxiety disorder. After the results are in, and the crisis is over, the anxiety dissipates, and life returns to normal.

Similarly, if you experience a fright, like seeing a rattlesnake while hiking, you might momentarily experience some intense feelings of anxiety. Your heart rate might increase and you will find yourself in fight, flight or freeze mode. Those are necessary, and useful responses to the physical threat of a poisonous snake in your path. That instinct is your body’s way of keeping you safe and alive. Once the danger has passed, your heart rate returns to normal, and the fight, flight or freeze response subsides.

The APA describes a patient as having an anxiety disorder when they are,“having recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns” and the level of anxiety they are experiencing is out of proportion with the reality of their surroundings. Physical symptoms may be present, such as nausea, increased heart rate, or excessive sweating. Persons with an anxiety disorder often find their daily life disrupted by powerful physical and emotional symptoms. They often miss work or school, have trouble sleeping, find concentration difficult, all without a clearly definable stressor of a magnitude equal to their response.

 

If you have been experiencing Anxiety please start a FREE trial of online counseling and get help today.

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Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.

Acute Stress Disorder

April 15, 2018

Acute stress disorder (ASD) is an anxiety disorder, and more specifically a trauma and stress or related disorder, where the person has suffered a trauma, or witnessed a trauma, and certain symptoms follow. The disorder may sound very similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), and some argue that ASD is a precursor to PTSD, as they are very similar. The differences include ASD having solely anxiety and fear-based symptoms, while PTSD has some symptoms that are not normally associated with anxiety. For an ASD diagnosis, the symptoms must occur anywhere from three days after the traumatic event, to one month later.

Acute stress disorder symptoms can include:

• A subjective sense of numbing, detachment, or absence of emotional responsiveness
• A reduction in awareness of his or her surroundings (i.e., “being in a daze”)
• Derealization
• Depersonalization
• Dissociative amnesia (i.e., inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma)

While it is easy to see what causes acute stress disorder, it is harder to determine who will develop this anxiety disorder. The stressful event is obvious, but many people are able to cope with trauma without developing ongoing symptoms. What is known is that people with other mental health conditions seem to be more vulnerable to developing ASD. Also, having had a history of trauma and stress, and an avoidant coping style are shown to be connected to developing ASD and PTSD. An avoidant coping style means that a person attempts to bury their problems rather than address them.

One thing that is known to help people cope with trauma and stress is a psychological debriefing, following the stressful event. A psychological debriefing is often very helpful in preventing the development of any further mental health problems after a trauma. A debriefing is a structured group session, where everyone involved in the trauma talk about what they saw and experienced, their reactions, and receive some basic education on what is normal coping and what is potential problematic coping. Preventative interventions are frequently seen as the intervention of choice after a traumatic event.

There is also treatment available for people who have already been diagnosed with ASD. Cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness interventions have been shown to help treat anxiety disorders. Medication is available to help treat some of the symptoms of the disorder, and education of appropriate, and helpful ways to cope with an anxiety disorder.

Being a part of a life-threatening trauma can be hard enough, but sometimes it’s the after effects that are most painful. If this sounds like you or someone you care about, please reach out for help. The sooner you get the help you deserve, the easier it will be to overcome the symptoms.

 

If you have been experiencing acute stress disorder please start a FREE trial of online counseling and get help today.

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Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.