Acute Stress Reaction is a label given to a particular type of anxiety. It is anxiety which comes on very quickly after a sudden life changing event, like the break up of a relationship, a bereavement, or unexpected job loss. The symptoms, which can vary in severity often include some or all of:
Anxiety
Constant worry
Very negative future outlook
Depression
Restlessness and agitation
Low appetite
Difficulty sleeping
Fear of being alone
Confusion
Feeling of helplessness
Depersonalization (spacy, out of body feeling)
Treatment
One cure is time. Unlike Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which tends to appear sometime after the event, an Acute Stress Reaction, usually starts almost immediately and will normally go away on its own eventually.
Medication such as Benzodiazepines (valium, xanax etc) can be prescribed to aid sleep and calm agitation. SSRIs like Prozac, lexapro and Celexa are sometimes prescribed. It should be noted that drug therapy is not necessarily the answer.
Severe Cases – EMDR
If the Acute Stress Reaction continues the initial cause should be worked through with a therapy. EMDR can be used to quickly re-processes the traumatic memory and often brings rapid relief. Simple counseling may well help if EMDR is unavailable.
The sufferer would do well to cut down on caffeine and make efforts to keep their diet stable and regular. Often people can “snap out” of an Acute Stress Response when they find hope that whatever they thought was going to be so bad (being unemployed, going through treatment for a serious medical condition, adjusting to life alone etc) is in fact possible and still holds some enjoyment.
