Question

Please list and define: Adjustment disorder, acute stress disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. What treatment options are available? Which treatment do you believe will be most effective?

Answer 1

@Ferredoxin4

Answer 2

Adjustment disorder:
These are generalized stress that could have depressive symptoms, and are present during stressful situations. In other words, this is the typical layman’s stress (i.e. stress for a test, etc.)

ASD - Includes flashbacks of a traumatic event, only lasts for WITHIN 1 month.

PTSD - If ASD is over 1 month, it becomes PTSD.
Signs of PTSD: [nice acronym is RAH]
-Reappearance: Flashbacks of traumatic event
-Avoidance: Trying your best to avoid the event or any similar situation again, even the flashbacks. (i.e. for Vietnam Vets with PTSD, this could mean avoiding to go outside, in fear of a war)
-Hypervigilance: Goes along with Avoidance, you’re extremely careful about the situation around you.

It might almost look like agoraphobia, but it’s the flashbacks (reappearance) that makes the difference.

Answer 3

Treatment options:
There’s always medication: SSRIs
Therapies:
-CBT therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy. It was designed by Aaron Beck, the father of the cognitive psychological aspect. The goals are: Relieve symptoms, Resolve the problem, and develop strategies. Clients are supposed to overcome problems by learning to think rationally and logically. This changes their behavior, and reduces PTSD.

The main gist for CBT: Changing irrational thoughts to rational thoughts

-REBT - Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy: This is another cognitive therapy designed by Albert Ellis. The clients are basically challenged into rational beliefs with all-or-nothing statements. The goal is to discuss the Actions, Beliefs, and Consequences (ABC)

The main gist for REBT: It’s basically trying to make the client’s irrational thoughts sound stupid, forcing the client to agree with more rational thoughts.

-Group Therapy -Small groups of clients with similar concerns meet together with therapist

-Cognitive Triad Therapy - Another therapy designed by Beck, it focuses on changing perceptions towards feelings in self, world, and future. Used in MD and PTSD.

-Flooding/Exposure - pleasant stimulus + traumatic stimulus = anxiety removal

-Systemic Desensitization - Using relaxation techniques and confronting the fear/PTSD trigger.

-Gestalt Therapy (By Fritz Perl) - Is a directive INSIGHT therapy, used so that the client can accept their feelings and their past conflicts. This is for adjustment disorder, hassle stress, and catastrophic stress.

Answer 4

It depends on the disorder:
For adjustment disorder or daily stress, I'd recommend group therapy, gestalt therapy, and systemic desensitization/mediation.
For ASD and PTSD, I highly recommend group therapy (especially for Vets) because they would share similar experiences and this would hopefully lower the response to the traumatic stimuli.

Answer 5

For medications you can just put Antidepressants. SSRIs are a type of them.