When you or someone you love has had a traumatic experience, it can be challenging to know how to react or if further help is required. It is normal to feel out of sorts after such an experience and even have some symptoms such as difficulty sleeping. However, what should you do when symptoms become disruptive to everyday life or more severe than you feel you can handle? It can be reassuring for someone who has experienced trauma to learn that there are treatment options available to help if things are starting to feel out of control. In fact, some people who experience these kinds of symptoms choose to seek acute stress disorder treatment.
At True Life Center, our acute stress disorder treatment program in San Diego, CA, provides comprehensive care for people who are ready to learn how to manage symptoms of acute stress. Learn more about treatment for acute stress disorder from our team today.
What Is Acute Stress Disorder?
Most people have heard of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in which a person’s life is disrupted by anxiety, feelings of panic, intrusive thoughts, and even flashbacks to the traumatic event. Acute stress disorder is similar, except that it can be diagnosed between three days and one month after the traumatic event, while PTSD cannot be diagnosed until the symptoms have persisted for one month or longer.
Patients with acute stress disorder might experience symptoms such as:
- Nightmares
- Intrusive thoughts involving the traumatic event
- Feeling numb or empty
- Flashbacks
- Confusion and disorientation
- Trouble recalling details of the traumatic event
- Anxiety, panic, or racing heartbeat
How to Know If You Need Acute Stress Disorder Treatment
Often, people who experience symptoms of acute stress disorder will get better on their own. However, some people might have particularly severe symptoms or be at risk of developing PTSD. Such people can benefit from timely intervention and treatment by professional therapeutic and counseling staff. Even if two people have had the same traumatic experience, they will not necessarily have the same reaction. Everyone processes trauma differently and may need help to deal with what has happened.
Some signs that you may need to seek acute stress disorder treatment are:
- Previous diagnosis with PTSD or acute stress disorder after a traumatic event
- Symptoms become so severe that it impacts eating, sleeping, or self-care
- Other mental health conditions are present
- Mood swings or uncharacteristic behavior
Treatment of Acute Stress Disorder
Most of the time, patients who have been diagnosed with acute stress disorder receive a treatment plan that includes intensive psychotherapy. If symptoms are severe, medications or other types of therapy might be recommended. Often, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help patients regain control of their thoughts and reduce distressing symptoms. Another type of therapy that can help patients with acute stress disorder is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). This therapeutic technique can help reduce stressful and negative associations and help patients reframe their reactions to negative memories.
Choose True Life Center for Acute Stress Disorder Treatment
If you are in the San Diego, California area, contact our True Life Center team. Our facility has been designed to be serene and relaxing, providing the perfect environment for our patients to recover and focus on healing. Our evidence-based neurobiological integration approach to treatment helps our patients achieve their goal of lasting recovery. We understand that mental health conditions and emotional disruptions are experienced physically in the body, so each patient will be offered a treatment plan that attends not only to their mental and emotional health but also to their physical health.
If you or someone you care about has experienced a traumatic event and needs help, reach out to us today. Our caring and compassionate staff are available at 866.420.1792 or online to help you access the treatment you need. Let us tell you how we can help with a treatment plan for acute stress disorder.
