Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) are mental health conditions that you can develop after a traumatic event, such as violence, serious accidents, or natural disasters.
What is trauma?
In psychological terms, trauma is defined as a deeply distressing or overwhelming experience that has significant and lasting negative effects on your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Trauma can affect your life in many ways, including changes in your mood, behavior, relationships, substance use, and overall health.
Examples of traumatic events:
- Witnessing or experiencing violence
- Experiencing physical, sexual or emotional abuse
- Seeing someone killed or badly injured
- Being in an accident that could have led to death
- Experiencing a natural disaster
- Loss of a loved one
Main features of PTSD and ASD:
Re-experiencing the traumatic event:
- Having repeated distressing memories of the event that you cannot control
- Repeatedly having dreams about the event
- Repeatedly feeling or acting as though you are reliving the event (sometimes taking the form of flashbacks or hallucinations)
- Feeling great emotional distress or physical agitation when something reminds you of the traumatic event
Avoiding things or situations that remind you of the trauma, along with feelings of emotional numbness:
- Trying to avoid thoughts, feelings, conversations, activities, people, or places that remind you of the trauma
- Difficulty remembering important parts or events that took place during the trauma
- Feeling less interested in activities you normally enjoy
- Feeling detached from others
- Feeling like you can’t experience a full range of emotions
- Feeling like the future is uncertain or that you don’t have a future
Feeling physically anxious, jumpy, or on edge:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Acting in an irritable manner or having angry outbursts
- Difficulty concentrating
- Frequently feeling on guard or vigilant
- Feeling easily startled
Other symptoms
Symptoms of these disorders cause significant distress or impairment in daily life, including:
- Intrusive memories or flashbacks
- Nightmares or difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty making decisions
- Negative mood
- Increased anxiety or fear
- Irritability and anger
- Implusivity
- Increased alcohol or drug use
Want to learn more about PTSD and ASD?
Online resources
Visit these resources to learn more about PTDS and ASD:
- Eisenberg Family Depression Center Toolkit: The Depression Center Toolkit provides information, tools, support and resources to guide you through your mental health journey.
- National Center for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder The National Center for PTSD (NCPTSD) aims to advance the clinical care and social welfare of U.S. Veterans through research, education and training on PTSD and stress-related disorders. The website provides educational material on trauma and PTSD for a variety of audiences.
- National Institute for Mental Health - PTSD: Learn more about PTSD signs and symptoms, risk factors, and treatment and therapies.
Recommended reading
Courage After Fire by Keith Armstrong, 2006. This book provides strategies and techniques that war veterans suffering from PTSD and their families can use to aid in reintegration into society.
Effective Treatments for PTSD: Practice Guidelines from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies by Edna Foa, 2008. This reference guide for clinicians provides strategies for treating a wide range of patients with PTSD.
Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman, 1997. Author Judith Herman delves into the history of trauma and places the individual’s experience with PTSD into a broader social context.
The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery, and Growth by Glenn Schiraldi, 2009. Describes PTSD, its symptoms, and options for self-treatment of symptoms.
Finding treatment
To explore mental health treatment and support options, visit our treatment services or support resource sections.