Trauma- and stress-related disorders result from exposure to a traumatic or stressful event.
Specific disorders include acute stress disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
These disorders cause similar symptoms but differ in how long they last.
- ASD:
- Typically begins immediately after the event.
- Lasts from 3 days to 1 month.
- PTSD:
- Lasts for more than 1 month.
- It may develop as a continuation of acute stress disorder or develop separately up to 6 months after the event.
Although depression and anxiety are often prominent, individuals with trauma-related disorders often have a wide variety of symptoms that may not obviously seem related to the traumatic event.
For example, individuals may:
- Act aggressively;
- Be unable to experience pleasure; and/or
- Feel restless, discontented, angry, numb, or disconnected from themselves and others.
Mental Health Matters 