Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) / Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)

PTSD or ASD is the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure to one or more traumatic events e.g. actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.

Recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive distressing memories and/or dissociative reactions (e.g. flashbacks) in which the individual feels or acts as if the traumatic event(s) were recurring, intense or prolonged psychological distress and/or physiological reactions to cues that symbolise or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event(s).

• Alterations in arousal and reactivity associated with the traumatic event e.g. irritable behavior and angry outbursts toward people or things, self-destructive actions, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, concentration problems, sleep disturbance
• Negative alterations in cognitions and mood associated with the traumatic event(s)
• Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the traumatic event(s)
• Symptoms persist for more than 1 month

ASD consist of symptoms similar to PTSD, but the symptoms typically last from 3 days to a month.

Effective treatments for PTSD / ASD include different types of psychotherapy (talk therapy) or medication. Trauma-focused psychotherapies are the most highly recommended type of treatment.