How to Treat Acute Stress Disorder

Acute stress disorder is caused by a life threatening or traumatic event that a victim experiences or bears witness to. The stress disorders sets in within one month of the event and is marked by psychic re-experience of the event, anxiety and a need to avoid reminders of the event. Follow these steps to treat this debilitating anxiety disorder.

Instructions

• 1

  Diagnose the disorder. Acute stress disorder has some fairly distinct diagnostic markers. One important and measurable marker is time: the disorder is characterized by the onset of complex anxiety and a need to avoid reminders of the trauma within one month of the traumatic event. Get the acute stress disorder diagnosed so it can be properly treated.

• 2

  Work with a psychologist or psychiatrist. The first major step in the treatment of acute stress disorder is a consultation with a psychology specialist. The move by the patient to see a mental health professional has a profound effect on the patient and is the first step in the treatment process. So, get a patient to a psychological or psychiatric consult to begin to treat acute stress disorder.

• 3

  Utilize psychopharmacological treatments. Pharmacotherapy has a very positive impact in the treatment of acute stress disorder. A number of different medication can be prescribed, depending on the severity and nature of the disorder. Antidepressants such as Clomipramine, benzodiazepines such as Alprazolam and Clonazepam and various SSRIs are used for pharmacotherapeutic treatments of the disorder.

• 4

  Use cognitive behavioral therapy. As more research and experimentation is done with acute stress disorder, researchers and clinicians are finding that cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective treatments of the anxiety disorder. Working to change the patient's thought patterns and then behavior proves effective in helping the patient recover from the stress disorder.