Acute Stress Reactions and Disorders (Research Paper Sample)

Acute Stress Reactions and Disorders
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Abstract
Acute stress disorder occurs as a result of a distressing incidence in which an individual experiences or witnesses a happening that makes that person to go through intense, troubling or unanticipated terror, strain. On the other hand, acute stress reaction is the mind's and body's reaction to feelings of extreme vulnerability. The principal presumption of both acute stress reactions and disorders is that dissociation is a major coping means for managing distressing experiences. There is inadequate evidence to suggest the routine use of medication in the treatment of disorders. Immediate pharmacologic interference may be useful in alleviating detailed linked symptoms, such as aches, sleeplessness, and hopelessness. Even though diagnostic consistency and homogeneity may be increased with an objective definition of the stressor, there is a strong indication that a rigorous explanation of the stressor strictness would lead to false unconstructive diagnosis.
Acute Stress Reactions and Disorders
Acute Stress Reaction
In cases of acute stress reaction, the mental state of a person rises in reaction to a frightening or disturbing event. The start of, a stress reaction is linked with particular mental proceedings in the nervous system, by means of the discharge of adrenaline. These generate an instant physical response by prompting increases in heart pace and inhalation, contracting blood vessels. The symptoms linked with acute stress response demonstrate great dissimilarity with that of acute stress disorder, but in general comprise of an early state of "shock", with some constraints on the field of realization and lessening of concentration, lack of the ability to grasp stimulus, and bewilderment. This condition may be rapidly followed by a desire to pull out from the adjacent situation, with additional reactions such as nervousness, weakened judgment, perplexity, lack of involvement, and gloominess. The warning signs usually become visible within a considerable amount of time upon the impact of the traumatic event and fade away within hours. Complete or partial amnesia related to the episode may be observed.
Symptoms of Acute Stress Response
The resulting symptoms of acute stress response occur as a result of a distressing occurrence in which the individual witnesses an occurrence that makes the victim go through such extreme experience that brings with it disturbing or fear, stress, which threatens or involves a serious injury, jeopardized serious trauma or death. Such symptoms demonstrate great dissimilarity but in general comprise of an early state of "shock", with some constraints of the field of realization and lessening of concentration, lack of the ability to grasp stimulus, and bewilderment. This condition may be rapidly followed by pulling out from the adjacent situation or confrontation, nervousness, weakened judgment, perplexity, lack of involvement, and gloominess.
The symptoms usually emerge within a few minutes after the stressful event or stimulus and vanish within a few days. Limited or complete memory loss for the incident may be present. Most psychologically affected victims of trauma tend to doubt their faith, whereas others grow in their faith. These symptoms are similar to mental symptoms; however, the warning signs continue for an extended period. The treatment of both disorders frequently involves psychotherapy, and in severe cases medications may be prescribed. In most cases, the victim may experience an acute stress reaction as a variation of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is the body's and mind's reaction to feelings of intense helplessness.
Acute Stress Disorder Condition
On the other hand, acute stress disorder was established in 1994 as a diagnostic category in distinguishing time-limited responses to distress from post-traumatic stress disorder. This disorder is distinguished by a collection of dissociative and nervousness symptoms taking place within one month from a disturbing event. Apart from being a diagnostic category in distinguishing time-limited responses to distress, it also analyses any psychiatric issue that may occur in patients who have experienced any distressing event. Persons with this disorder are at greater risk of mounting posttraumatic stress disorder. Acute stress disorder originates from exposure to distress and is termed as a stressor that brings about deep fear and, usually, entails serious harm to oneself or others.
This includes rape, assault, warfare, natural catastrophes, etc. The principal presumption of ASD is that dissociation is a major coping means for managing distressing experiences. Tracing its past roots to Bryant (2003) theory of dissociation, this presumption states that individuals should lessen the unpleasant emotional outcomes of trauma by confining their responsiveness of the experience (Briere, Scott, & Weathers, 2005). Such a decline in responsiveness of the traumatic occurrence can be observed in perceptual modification, memory destruction, or emotional disconnection from one's surroundings. The suggestions that a person should endeavor to manage overpower anxiety linked with a pain is consistent with the stress on rejection as a major post traumatic coping stratagem.
The function of dissociative responses has in recent times been incorporated into cognitive system mold of PTSD. Network models speculates that subsequent to a trauma, anxiety structure that have mental depiction of the traumatic experience and are distinguished by unnecessary risk related viewpoints develop. It is estimated that these fear systems result in an intentional prejudice to threat-related material, and can elucidate such post traumatic symptoms as invasive reminiscences, and avoidance. This model proposes that adaptive recuperation from a trauma relies on two circumstances. Foremost, the fear structure must be triggered so that the cognitive plan can be customized. Next, there needs to be an opening of new-fangled information that confronts the fear-related scheme. Based on this theory, declaration of posttraumatic stress is weakened if policies are employed that stop the individual from getting the fear systems and giving out the affectively-laden reminiscences.
Symptoms
Common symptoms that victims of acute stress disorder experience are: numbing; disconnection; dissociative loss of memory; unrelenting re-experiencing through thinking and dreams; and averting of anything that reminds them of the episode. During this time, they must have symptoms of disquiet, and considerable impairment in at least one essential area of operation. Other symptoms include a merging of one or more dissociative and nervousness warning signs with the evasion of reminders of the disturbing event. Dissociative symptoms include emotional lack of involvement, momentary loss of memory, depersonalization, and demoralization. Apprehension symptoms linked with acute stress disorder consist of petulance, physical agitation, sleep problems, incapability to concentrate, and being easily upset. Apart from the symptoms, acute stress disorder also poses other risk factors for its victims.
These risk factors include a record of sexual exploitation, lesser cognitive ability, taking on in excessive safety behaviors, and bigger symptom severity a few weeks after the trauma. Persistent psychological distress that is rigorous enough to obstruct psychological or social functioning may call for further assessment and intrusion. Patients going through acute stress disorder may gain from mental first aid, which guarantees the patient's safety; giving that information about the occurrence, trauma reactions, and how to get by; offering practical support, and helping the patient to bond with community support and other services. Cognitive behavior therapy is efficient in lessening symptoms and diminishing the future occurrence of acute stress disorder. On the other hand, debriefing is equally important as it aims to alleviate emotional distress through giving out emotions about the disturbing event, offering education and tips on handling, and challenging to regularize reactions to distresses. Nonetheless, this technique may in reality obstruct natural recovery by overpowering victims. There is inadequate evidence to advocate the custom use of drugs in the handling of acute stress disorder. Short-term pharmacologic interference may be helpful in alleviating definite associated warning sign, such as soreness, restlessness, and despair.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of both disorders depends on an amalgamation of the patient's background and a physical assessment, which are necessary to rule out ailment that can cause nervousness. The essential attribute is a disturbing event within one month of the beginning of symptoms. Other diagnostic measure for acute stress disorder begins with the prerequisite that the individual has witnessed an occurrence that has been frightening to both oneself and another person. Additionally, it stipulates that person's response involved deep fear, vulnerability, or dismay. Even though diagnostic consistency and homogeneity may be increased with an objective definition of the stressor, there is a strong indication that a rigorous explanation of the stressor strictness would lead to false unconstructive diagnosis.
There must be an immediate and lucid chronological correlation amid the impact of an outstanding stressor and the beginning of symptoms; onset occurs within only some minutes, if not immediately. The warning sign illustrates a varying picture: in addition to the preliminary state of "bewilderment," despair, nervousness, annoyance, misery, over activity, and withdrawal might all be seen, but no symptom prevails for long; the symptoms resolve swiftly, in those cases where exclusion from the stressful surroundings is possible. However, i...