TRAUMA DISORDERS
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER & ACUTE STRESS DISORDER
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition caused by a traumatic experience.
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include flashbacks, nightmares, feeling very anxious and difficulty sleeping.
The main treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder are antidepressants and talking therapies.
Any situation that a person finds traumatic can cause post-traumatic stress disorder. Examples include a road accident, an assault and childbirth.
Acute stress disorder (ASD) is an intense and unpleasant reaction that develops in the weeks following a traumatic event. Symptoms typically last for one month or less. If symptoms persist beyond one month, affected individuals are considered to have post-traumatic stress disorder.
(source: nhs.uk)
UNSPECIFIED TRAUMA or STRESS-RELATED DISORDER
A diagnosis of “unspecified trauma- or stress-related disorder” is used for patients who have symptoms in response to an identifiable stressor but do not meet the full criteria of any specified trauma- or stressor-related disorder (e.g., acute stress disorder, PTSD, or adjustment disorder). For example, their symptoms may occur more than 3 months after the stressor, or their symptoms may last longer than 6 months. The symptoms cannot meet the criteria for another mental or medical disorder, and cannot be attributed to the physiological effects of a substance.
(source: DSM 5; Kaplan & Sadock’s Concise Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry)
ADJUSTMENT DISORDER
An adjustment disorder is when a person has difficulty coping with one or more significant and stressful events or life changes. These could include bereavement, divorce, separation or a relationship ending, serious illness or health issues in yourself or among friends or family, loss of employment, financial hardships, moving to a different home, country or city or other unexpected catastrophes or general life changes. Such stressful life events or changes can affect you in a number of ways. You might:
Become distressed or preoccupied with the stressful event or life change
Feel low or depressed in mood
Feel anxious and worried
Feel overwhelmed or unable to cope
Experience physical symptoms (such as insomnia, headache, abdominal pain, chest pain, palpitations, tiredness, dizziness, muscle tension or pain, concentration difficulties, loss of appetite)
Feel socially withdrawn or unable to carry our everyday activities and notice an impact on your work or academic performance
Adjustment disorder can be acute, where it lasts for up to 6 months, or chronic, lasting for longer when the stressful event or change has longer term consequences.