Columbus, OH – SUN Behavioral Health Columbus recently published a blog post about what acute stress disorder (ASD) is and how people can heal from this condition. ASD is similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in that it occurs due to a traumatic experience. Traumatic experiences might come from natural disasters, sexual assault, witnessing a death, war, car accidents, etc. ASD develops within weeks after a traumatic event, but it is temporary and only lasts up to a month. PTSD lasted longer than a month.
“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,” the blog post states.
There are several symptoms someone with ASD will experience, which include categories of dissociative, re-experiencing, avoidance, anxiety or arousal, and distress. Someone with ASD is not required to have dissociative symptoms, but it is still possible. The other categories are requirements. These symptoms make life feel daunting and disrupt a person’s work and social lives, making it difficult to complete or start necessary tasks. People might also find it difficult to tell others about what happened to them.
Dissociation in ASD includes a reduced awareness of one’s surroundings, feeling numb, or being unable to remember aspects of the event. Re-experiencing in ASD might involve nightmares or flashbacks that feel like they are reliving the experience. Avoidance symptoms are when they actively try to avoid people, places, activities, thoughts, conversations, and objects that remind them of what happened. Anxiety and arousal symptoms might involve having a difficult time falling asleep or getting easily startled.
Generally, ASD resolves after a few days to a month. However, treatment can still be helpful. For example, if someone is having suicidal or self-harm thoughts, attending a crisis care center is necessary for stability. Other signs that treatment for ASD is necessary include being unable to experience positive emotions, being unable to concentrate, experiencing nightmares that make someone feel like they are reliving the experience, or experiencing intense distress when reminded of the event. Additionally, if symptoms last longer than a month, it might be a sign of PTSD instead of ASD, which often requires treatment to find recovery.
Only a healthcare professional can diagnose someone with ASD. They will ask about symptoms and psychological and physical health history. The main factor that would lead a doctor toward an ASD diagnosis would be if symptoms have existed for less than a month. If they have existed for longer than a month, they will lean towards a PTSD diagnosis. Typically, ASD resolves in a month, but there are some things people can do to manage this condition. This includes surrounding oneself with loved ones and practicing self-care. Early treatment and an official diagnosis from a healthcare provider can prevent ASD from developing into PTSD later on.
“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 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,” the blog post continues.
SUN Behavioral Health Columbus solves unmet needs for adolescents and adults in Columbus, OH. Their crisis care center is open 24/7 to ensure that anyone, regardless of day or time, can access reliable and stabilizing mental health care. Their center is even open during all major holidays. SUN Behavioral Health also offers no-cost care assessments that allow potential patients and their doctors to work with their team to design a treatment plan that will best allow them to find healing.
To learn more or schedule a consultation, call them at 614-706-2786 or visit their website. SUN Behavioral Health solves unmet needs.
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For more information about SUN Behavioral Columbus, contact the company here:
SUN Behavioral Columbus
Chris Nemeth
614-953-521
info@sunbehavioral.com
900 E Dublin Granville Rd
Columbus, Ohio 43229
