Conditions & Diseases: Psychological & Mental Health

Acute Stress Disorder

See Also:
Acute Stress Disorder: Introduction & Symptoms
Acute Stress Disoder: Causes & Risk Factors
Acute Stress Disorder: Treatment Options

Acute Stress Disorder Treatment

Acute stress disorder affects the individual for the short term comparing to other anxiety disorders. However, treatment is necessary in order to avoid long-term damage. Left untreated, acute stress disorder can affect the individual's beliefs and meaning system, interpersonal relationships, and normal functioning, and can even evolve in a long lasting trauma related condition, posttraumatic stress disorder.

The main two direction in treating acute stress disorder are: psychotherapy and medication.

I. Psychotherapy

There are several forms of psychotherapy that can be effective in treating acute stress disorder. Some of the psychotherapies used for individuals with acute stress disorder include: cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, therapeutic writing, psychological debriefing, psychoeducational therapy, and supportive therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy seems to be one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy in treating acute stress disorder. This form of therapy focuses mainly on changing the dysfunctional cognitions developed in relation to the trauma and modifying behaviors engaged in during anxiety-provoking situations. The major advantages of cognitive behavioral therapy is that it ameliorates the symptoms and prevents the development of posttraumatic stress disorder. Approximately, 80 percent of the individuals diagnosed with acute stress disorder develop posttraumatic stress disorder. The main disadvantages is that if engaged too early into the therapeutic process, the individual can be deprived of absorbing the information or acquiring the new coping skill that result from the traumatic event due to the high levels of physiological arousal and anxiety.

Psychoeducational therapy is a variant of the cognitive behavioral therapy that proved to be effective in treating acute stress disorder. This form of therapy combines cognitive restructuring with exposure techniques and anxiety management methods to reduce the symptoms.

Supportive therapies include group and family therapy. The advantage of this form of therapy is that it creates a safe, warm and caring environment where individuals can share their experience and receive support and understanding. Narrating the experience in the form of a story allows the individual to comprehend the experience and to incorporate it into their overall life. Participating in a group or family therapy, the individual reduces their risk of social isolation.

Psychological debriefing is a psychological technique used with individuals that have experienced traumatic events. The purpose of this approach is to reduce the potential psychological harm caused by the trauma by informing the individual about what they experienced and allowing them to talk about it. Unfortunately, studies conducted on the efficiency of this form of therapy did not reveal enough supported data.

II. Medication

There are limited studies conducted on the efficiency of medication for individuals with acute stress disorder. Some benefits can be obtained by prescribing antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), or tricyclic antidepressants. Antidepressants can be prescribed when the acute stress disorders progresses to posttraumatic stress disorder.

Usually, the medication used for individuals with ASD targets individual symptoms such as hyperarousal (clonidine), anxiety or panic symptoms (propranolol, clonazepam, or alprazolam), avoidance symptoms (fluoxetine), and insomnia or nightmares (trazodone, topiramate).

See Also:
Acute Stress Disorder: Introduction & Symptoms
Acute Stress Disoder: Causes & Risk Factors
Acute Stress Disorder: Treatment Options

Article by Alina Morrow
MS Psychology
Medical Writer
OmniMedicalSearch.com

Sources:

PsychCentral, Acute Stress Disorder Symptoms, by John M. Grohol Psy.D., September 2006
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth edition, Acute Stress Disorder, May 2003
Disorder Information Sheet, Acute Stress Disorder, August 2003
Psychology Today, Acute Stress Disorder, May 2007
United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Acute Stress Disorder: A Brief Description, by Laura E. Gibson Ph.D., May 2007
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Evidence-Based Management of Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), Date unknown
Encyclopedia of Mental Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, 2007