poonanny said:
Acute Stress Disorder is usually the diagnosis for people who lose loved ones; and yes...symptoms are DP/DR. Look it up, cause im too lazy.
poonanny you're a genius.
And a key thing here, Acute Stress Disorder can result in DISSOCIATIVE SYMPTOMS. PTSD in its pure form does not have DP/DR as part of the mix... at least not to this degree.... and no I'm not an expert, but there is a difference in the two syndromes.
http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmanual/section15/chapter187/187f.jsp
why don't my URLs work these days? ACH cut and paste. Sorry.
Acute Distress Disorder (Again from the Merck Manual, same as the DSM)
"Acute stress disorder resembles posttraumatic stress disorder in
that the person has been traumatized, reexperiences the trauma,
avoids stimuli that remind him of the trauma, and has increased
arousal.
However, by definition, acute stress disorder begins
within 4 wk of the traumatic event and lasts a minimum of 2 days
but no more than 4 wk. A person with this disorder has three or
more of the following
dissociative symptoms: a sense of numbing,
detachment, or absence of emotional responsiveness; reduced
awareness of surroundings (eg, being dazed); a feeling that things
are not real; a feeling that he is not real; and amnesia for an
important part of the trauma. (This is not delineated in the symptoms of PTSD -- the dissociation from which we experience here.)
The prevalence of acute stress disorder is unknown but is
presumably
proportionate to the severity of the trauma and the
extent of exposure to the trauma.
Many persons recover once they are removed from the traumatic
situation and given appropriate support in the form of
understanding, empathy for their distress, and an opportunity to
describe what happened and their reaction to it. Many benefit from
describing their experience several times. Drugs to assist sleep
may help, but other drugs are probably not indicated because they
may interfere with the natural healing process.
-----------------------------------------------
So yes, I stand corrected. There is a SPECTRUM of trauma. But again, the point is PTSD seems to be the result of HORRENDOUS, LIFE-THREATENING TRAUMA. This is what I've always read about.
On the other hand psychiatry keeps redefining itself. PTSD as a diagnosis has seeped into other types of trauma definitions. Mental Health Professionals are also unique in their diagnostic technique.
I had a very traumatic (long term verbal abuse/neglect type scenario) but I can't say a diagnosis of either PTSD or Acute Stress fits me. I'd gather it has to do with specific incidents again. Moreso than long term trauma.
This gets very confusing.
Best,
D :shock: Learn so many new things every day.
-Panic Attacks And Panic Disorder
-Phobic Disorders
-Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
-Acute Stress Disorder
-Generalized Anxiety Disorder
-Anxiety Due To A Physical Disorder Or A Substance
Again, see the delineation of specific anxiety disorders which require DIFFERENT approaches to treatment. I guess that is my point. Proper diagnosis = proper treatment.