Michelle Miller
Liberty University
May 6, 2012
Abstract
Acute stress disorder and post-traumatic disorder are related in many of their symptoms, however acute stress disorder happens immediately following a traumatic event and never lasts more than a month. Acute stress disorder also shows signs of dissociation, which is associated with daydreaming or spacing out. Post-traumatic stress disorder victims have similar symptoms to acute stress disorder; however the symptoms persist for longer than a month. Treatment of both usually involves counseling and in extreme cases medications may be involved. Some victims of trauma tend to question their faith while others grow in their faith.
At 46 years of age …show more content…
Also, the traumatic event must be re-experienced in at least one of the following ways: “distressing recollections of the event or experience; dreams that are recurring and distressful; reliving the event or experience in the form of flashbacks, hallucinations, images, illusions, or thoughts; or reacting in a physiological manner to any aspect of the event or experience,” (2012). Avoidance is also displayed by the individual. For example, the individual may tend to avoid anything that is related to the traumatic event that was experienced. The individual may also tend to avoid any thoughts or feelings pertaining to the trauma and may not wish to talk about the event. Lastly, any activities, places, people, or things that pertained to the trauma may also be avoided. In order to be fully diagnosed, the individual must also be unable to function in important areas such as work and the symptoms must last two days or longer, but no more than a month, (2012). Post-traumatic stress disorder typically starts within three months of the traumatic event. In order to diagnose PTSD in an individual, they must have been exposed to an event or an experience that was traumatic and involved a serious injury or a threat to the individual’s death as well as physical integrity. The re-experiencing of the event or experience must be present in at least one of the following: “distressing