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PART III : THEORY aches and pains . Headaches and pains in the stomach and muscles are very common . Some people may not be able to recall what has happened .
Acute stress reactions may include all the crisis reactions mentioned above , including ‘ psychic shock ’ ( strong reactions that follow immediately after a traumatising event ), and ‘ combat fatigue ’ ( reactions after participating in or witnessing armed conflict ).
The severe symptoms of acute stress reaction tend to diminish after some weeks , and many individuals recover without persistent or long term ( mental ) damage .
Anxiety
A survivor may experience anxiety alongside other symptoms of trauma . Traumatising events usually generate anxiety , panic , and sensations of fear . When anxiety is very much more apparent than other symptoms , however , the survivor can be said to suffer from an anxiety disorder . This has two major characteristics : the reaction to threat is both very intense and disproportionate . When a survivor becomes anxious apparently without reason and even without being in danger , her anxiety can be disturbing to herself and others .
In such circumstances , it is important to find out why the person has become so anxious . If her anxiety is trauma-induced , a different approach to helping the person may be required .
Depression
Depression often occurs alongside other symptoms after rape ( and other traumatising events ), especially in the first months . It is frequently due to blame or rejection by family and social networks . It can be so pronounced that it requires distinct and separate treatment . If a depression is deep and severe , it may induce suicidal thoughts .
Dissociation
Dissociation is frequent after trauma and occurs when the mind ‘ withdraws ’ from the body . It is an instinctive survival and defence strategy that humans and animals adopt when faced by a severe threat . It explains why survivors may not remember what happened to them ( partial amnesia ). In conditions of acute stress , some mental functions may not work properly , including feelings and emotions . This may explain the emotional numbness that some survivors of traumatic events experience afterwards . Helpers may find a survivor distant , not really present , unfocused and silent . She may lack feelings of thirst , hunger or pain , even if she is injured , and may lose control over her movements ( motor control ), at least for a period . The re-experiencing of a catastrophe ( for example in flashbacks ) may also be understood as a dissociative state of mind , because flashbacks represent a partial or complete disruption of the normal integration of a person ’ s emotions and memories .
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ( PTSD )
As defined by the WHO , this condition “ arises as a delayed or protracted response to a stressful event or situation ( of either brief or long duration ) of an exceptionally threatening or catastrophic nature , which is likely to cause pervasive distress in almost anyone ” ( ICD-10 ).
PTSD may start as an ‘ acute stress reaction ’, which is followed by a full PTSD syndrome ; however , survivors may sometimes show few or no symptoms for several weeks or months . They may exhibit acute stress , then be stable with almost no distress , then develop PTSD .
If an individual already has a background of emotional illness or insecurity , her reaction to new traumatic events may be exacerbated . But pre-existing factors do not predict the development of PTSD .