Trauma Case Studies

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Introduction Upon the initial impact of a traumatic experience an individual can experience a vast number of psychological and physical reactions. Trauma is unique to each individual and therefore reactions to trauma will differ from person to person (Van der Kolk, McFarland & Weisaeth). The reactions of the individual immediately after a trauma can be debilitating and beyond frightening yet they would not be viewed as beyond human capacity (Freidman, 2015). The symptoms or reactions typically experienced immediately after a trauma are typically known to diffuse naturally within 48-72 hours, if the symptoms extend beyond this period of time up to a four week period the individual would be considered for the diagnosis of ASD (Bryant, Friedman,…show more content…
Once acute stress disorder became recognized, this helped professionals make the distinction between adjustment disorders and reactions occurring due to a traumatic incident. This in turn provided a way for professionals to better characterize the psychological and physical symptoms that could develop into post-traumatic stress disorder (Isserlin, Zerach & Solomon, 2008). With professionals having a better understanding of acute stress disorder and the ability to identify symptoms, early intervention in the acute stage might decrease the risk for post-traumatic stress…show more content…
These symptom continue in a vicious cycle in that worry cultivates psychical and emotional arousal and the physical and emotional causes worry (Shiraldi, 2009). Typically the symptoms produced by a stress reaction dissolve naturally soon after the threat of danger is gone. This window of time that would be considered a normal stress reaction is 48-72 hours. (Bryant, Friedman, Spiegel, Ursano & Strain, 2011). For some victims the symptoms continue long after the traumatic incident occurred, it could be that they are suffering from acute stress disorder (Comer,

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