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Acute stress response
The WHO defines acute stress response as “ a transient disorder that develops in an individual without another visible mental disorder , in response to exceptional physical and mental stress , which will usually subside within hours or days ” ( ICD-10 ). After a traumatic ( stressful ) event , humans will typically show a variety of behaviours . Immediately , they may be in a “ foggy state ”, unable to concentrate or focus . They may feel that what has happened is not real , and behave as if nothing has happened . If the sensory impressions are too overwhelming , they may become disoriented and not know at once where they are .
Later , they may withdraw into themselves , dissociate ( see section 2.3.6 ), or become “ as if anaesthetised ” or in a dream state . They may also enter a state of panic and want to flee or escape . They may show signs of anxiety or fear , develop a rapid heartbeat , sweat , become dizzy , vomit , tremble , have breathing problems , or be in pain . Headaches , abdominal pains and aching muscles are common . Some people do not remember what happened .
An acute stress reaction may contain some or all of the crisis reactions mentioned above . The reactions are often referred to as “ mental shock ” ( that occurs immediately after a traumatic event ), or “ combat fatigue ” ( after war experiences ).
Severe symptoms usually subside after a few weeks , and many people recover without suffering persistent or long-term ( mental ) harm or long term effects .
Anxiety
A survivor may experience anxiety alongside other trauma symptoms . Traumatic events usually trigger anxiety , panic and fear . If the anxiety becomes more marked than other symptoms , survivors are described as struggling with an anxiety disorder . Characteristically , reactions to threats or triggers are both intense and disproportionate .
If a survivor becomes anxious for no apparent reason and without being in danger , it is important to try to find out why . If the anxiety is an effect of past traumatic events and subsequently caused by a trigger , appropriate procedures must be adopted . Anxiety that has no visible cause can seem unreal , and may disturb not only the survivor but his milieu .
Depression
Depression occurs frequently alongside other symptoms after traumatic events , especially in the first months . It is often exacerbated if survivors experience feelings of guilt , or are rejected by their family and social networks , which often occurs after sexual abuse or rape . If depression is severe , it can induce suicidal thoughts and attempts to commit suicide . To alleviate their suffering , some survivors adopt coping strategies , such as self-harm . If the depression is severe , targeted treatment is required ( that does not focus only on trauma ).
Post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD )
The WHO states that this condition “ occurs as a delayed or prolonged response to a stressful event or situation ( of short or long duration ) of an exceptionally threatening or catastrophic nature , which is likely to cause pervasive distress in almost everyone ” ( ICD-10 ). PTSD can start as an “ acute stress response ”, followed by a full PTSD disorder . However , survivors may sometimes show few or no symptoms for several weeks or months immediately after the traumatic event . Others may exhibit acute stress , then be stable with almost no problems or symptoms , but nevertheless develop PTSD .
APPENDIX