Describe the two main differences between Acute Stress Disorder and PTSD.
The two main differences between Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are diagnostic criteria and symptoms and duration and onset of symptoms.
Regarding diagnostic criteria and symptoms, the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) states that PTSD requires meeting a certain number of symptoms within established clusters, whereas ASD is diagnosed based on the expression of symptoms in total. Furthermore, PTSD includes non-fear based symptoms such as risky behavior, negative thoughts, and decreased interest in activities, which are not included in the criteria for ASD (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2007).
In terms of duration
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The DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) highlights that there are several reasons why Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may be mistaken for each other.
One reason is the overlap of symptoms, including re-experiencing the traumatic event, avoidance of reminders, negative changes in mood and cognition, and increased arousal. These similar symptoms can make it challenging to differentiate between the two
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The statement highlights the difficulties in diagnosing PTSD immediately after a traumatic event. This is due to several reasons, such as the fluctuating and diverse symptoms of PTSD, which may not present until later and may also be masked by other conditions related to the trauma. The unpredictable nature of PTSD symptoms can also make it challenging for healthcare professionals to diagnose the condition accurately in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event.
One reason that makes early PTSD diagnosis difficult is the fluctuating course of the disorder, as mentioned by Bryant (2013) in Research Quarterly - Veterans Affairs: "The course of posttraumatic stress is fluctuating, impeding attempts to accurately identify most people at risk for PTSD". Additionally, the variability of PTSD symptoms can make it challenging for healthcare professionals to diagnose the condition immediately after a traumatic event, as some individuals may not experience symptoms for weeks or months after the traumatic event, according to NIMH (2021): "Some people with PTSD don’t show any symptoms for weeks or
Throughout the history of American warfare there have been many different names for PTSD. Dating back to the civil war when this mental illness was called soldier’s heart, the First World War called it shell-shock, and the Second World War, battle fatigue; soldiers have been experiencing the trauma and psychological issues that come along with the mental illness of PTSD(cite Take heart; Post-traumatic stress disorder). Psychological deterioration was noted in men of combat as early as 490 B.C. and has since become the leading cause of death for U.S veterans. It was not until 1980 that PTSD was recognized as a true disorder with its own specific symptoms, and it was at this time that is was deemed diagnosable and was added to the American Psychiatric
CMN 553 Unit 3 Journal The consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cuts across the age barrier of several mental illness, as it affects both the young and the old. Likewise, the understanding of the triggers, risk factors, symptoms, diagnostic features, and pharmacotherapeutic and psychotherapy options are some of the learning objectives for this unit’s clinical experience. Also, the ability to carefully weigh on some of the differential diagnosis prior to the inference of this disorder is paramount as the psychiatric nurse practitioner (PNP) student critically considers in other not to misdiagnosis the patient (Sadock, Sadock, & Ruiz, 2014).
PTSD is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event, either experiencing it or witnessing it. Some of the most common symptoms of PTSD include recurring memories or nightmares of the event(s), sleeplessness, loss of interest, or feeling numb, anger, and irritability, but there are many ways PTSD can impact your everyday life. Sometimes these symptoms don’t surface for months or years after the event or returning from deployment. They may also come and go, which makes it really hard for the soldiers to adjust mentally. This Disorder made it hard for many soldiers to find work and be able to just live a normal daily
“An estimated 8% of Americans − 24.4 million people − have PTSD at any given time. That is equal to the total population of Texas” (PTSD United 1). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has existed since the dawn of time, but only in the past 50 years has it been recognized as an actual problem. However, even now, it is still not always acknowledged as a legitimate condition. As a result, it is not always properly treated.
Resulting in depression, nightmares, anxiety and sudden displays of anger or aggression. It wasn't until the late 1970s, the condition of post-traumatic stress disorder, rephrased its common symptoms to include the long-term challenges.("Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)"). Now psychologist have even been able to classify; head trauma, life-threatening natural disaster, rape, beating, and domestic abuse, to being trauma-related contributors for PTSD. Resulting in about 7.7 million Americans to be suffering from the condition in a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health ("Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)").Thanks to discoveries like these, people are more aware of post-traumatic stress disorder and are capable of recognizing the signs and symptoms. Now PTSD is seen as a key related condition, people associate with war and other traumatic-related
Although ASD is not the same as PTSD they both fall into the same category. Both PTSD and ASD are caused by a traumatic and terrifying event. ASD is a mental health problem that can occur in the first month after a traumatic event, mostly triggered by the loss of a loved one. Holden here has had to experience this when he was thirteen years old coping with the loss of his younger brother Allie. He resulted in violence as a way to cope with the emotional loss of his brother.
Mental Illnesses are commonly known within society. Depression and anxiety are obstacles that individuals may encounter on a daily basis. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is a mental illness that can last many years. Adults, children, and the elderly can all suffer from this dreadful disorder. From severe stress levels to the events in war, these people seem to fight constant battles within their memory.
PTSD As a Result of Unnecessary Conflict Post Traumatic Stress Disorder occurs when an individual experiences a traumatic event, such as combat, assault or natural disasters. With PTSD, individuals feel threatened and stressed beyond the healthy reaction. The physical symptoms of the disorder include alcohol and drug dependence and the inability to maintain jobs and relationships. On the psychological spectrum, symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks and social avoidance.
Although there was never a diagnosis for the symptoms of PTSD, many countries dating back to 1678 have called it many different things but never connected it with a diagnosis as a whole. Up until the 1980s all of the symptoms were connected with war. They were all just called sad, or distraught over the sights of war. By the 1700s, physicians began to have clearer conceptualizations of the disorder which would eventually be known as PTSD. Dominique Jean Larry, a prominent French surgeon, described the disorder as having three stages: 1) “heightened excitement and imagination,” 2) “period of fever and prominent gastrointestinal symptoms,” and 3) “frustration and depression”.
Usually if an individual cannot function in their daily activities or lifestyle for more than four weeks, it is possible they have posttraumatic stress disorder. PTSD usually has four symptoms to assist in diagnosis which are “reliving an event”, “avoiding situations that remind you of the event”, having more cynical beliefs and feelings, along with hyperarousal. Reliving an event can occur as a nightmare or bad memory, these are ways to flash back into an event where the individual feels as he/or she is re-experiencing the traumatic event all over again. Avoiding situations is when the individual refuses certain situations or avoid other people that may trigger off the traumatic memory. In addition to avoiding articulation of the traumatic event even thoughts.
The first one is a normal stress response, which is what happens before PTSD begins. Although this is what happens before PTSD occurs, “it does not always lead up to the full-blown disorder,” According to https://bestdaypsych.com/. Traumatic events like accidents, injuries, surgeries, or anything else can cause normal stress response. Normally, you should recover within a few weeks. Another type of PTSD is acute stress disorder.
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that follows the experience of a traumatic event. Of the 2.7 million American veterans that served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, at least 20% were diagnosed with PTSD (Veterans Statistics). PTSD affects everyone differently but the most common symptoms of PTSD include: reliving the event, increased anxiety, and avoiding any reminders of the trauma (Robinson,Segal, Smith). These symptoms negatively affect their life
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is a mental disorder that most often develops after a veteran experiences a traumatic event. While having this illness, the veteran believes their lives are in danger. They also may feel afraid or feel they have no control over what is happening. If their feeling does not go away, the symptoms may disrupt the person 's life, making it hard to continue daily activities.
The social and emotional functioning of children who experience childhood trauma is often disrupted. One of the most common effects of childhood trauma is the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Felitti et al., 1998; Bremner et al., 2003;2010). PTSD is a condition that can occur after an individual experiences or witnesses a traumatic event, such as physical or sexual abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, in childhood. Symptoms of PTSD can include intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and intense feelings of fear and anxiety.
There are many different types events in modern society that can trigger acute and post-traumatic stress disorders. For me personally when I was young I really interested in amusement park rides, and it wasn't until the ride had started that i realized i was afraid of heights. I began panicking my heart rate increased, I begin to feel as though I was going to fall out of the ride, and I just got really shaky until the ride stopped. When I got off the ride my legs felt like jello for quite sometime, I would experience these same fears after that when I would drive over a bridge, walk over a bridge, or sometimes I would have dreams in which I was falling in mid air and would wake up panicking. I once worked with a young lady who had been sexually assaulted as a child and the presence or even the sound of sand paper she would begin to panic, because it brought flashbacks of her assaulter beard scratching on her face and chest.