Effective Methods in Dealing with Acute Stress Disorder

Effective Methods in Dealing with Acute Stress Disorder

 

You were walking along the street when you noticed two men fighting. Suddenly one of them shot the other to his death. At first it seemed like it didn't have any effect on you until you're having flashbacks. You could no longer go to sleep, and when asked about what happened, you couldn't remember all of the details. You couldn't even recall if you were really there.

 

What you're exhibiting are the typical signs of acute stress disorder.

What is acute stress disorder?

 

It is a type of psychological disorder that develops immediately after the trauma. You don't have to be directly involved in a traumatic or fearful experience for you to have it. Take, for example, the situation above.

 

ACD is often referred to as PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, but the two are completely different. For you to be diagnosed with the latter, the symptoms should last for at least a month. Nevertheless, some of the signs of ACD overlap with those of PTSD.

 

What happens when you have ACD?

 

You feel as if you're not really physically present. Your mind starts to wander off too often. It feels like everything that has happened is all a dream—or a nightmare. You also suffer from depersonalization, where you feel numbed or completely unattached to the event. There's also dissociative amnesia, where certain pieces of vital information, those you could have never overlooked, are forgotten.

 

Physically you experience majority of the common symptoms of stress, such as lack of sleep, lack of appetite, digestive problems, constant headaches or migraines, and weight loss. You may also become irritable, moody, or uninterested to the usual things you do.

 

How do you deal with ACD?

 

The first step to take is to get a proper diagnosis. You have to see a therapist or a doctor who can conduct a lot of tests to determine if you have ACD. Normally if it's confirmed you will be provided with the following types of help:

 

Medication

 

When you have ACD, you also develop anxiety and sometimes depression. Doctors subscribe drugs that would reduce the symptoms of these disorders. The medications can increase serotonin to uplift your emotions, as well as anti-depressants to calm your nerves.

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

 

There are also natural treatments that are given to sufferers of ACD. These include cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. The procedure aims to fill your mind with positive thoughts. You will also be taught how to confront the source of your trauma and develop ways to face it head on.

 

A lot of therapists these days make use of subliminal messages or affirmations together with these recognized therapies. These are positive statements that can influence the subconscious mind. When the subconscious mind accepts them, they become your new truths, and your outlook in life changes from something negative to positive. 

 

You may be asked to listen to these subliminal messages during therapy sessions, though a number would give you an mp3 version so you can listen to them as often as you can.

 

Nelson Berry is the Pioneer of Subliminal Messages Videos and Subliminal MP3s Audio Subliminal Messages Online. Valued at $160, click for 4 Free Subliminal Messages!