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More about Acute Stress Disorder:
Causes and symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Alternative treatment Prognosis Prevention Resources |
Definition
Acute stress disorder (ASD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by a cluster of dissociative and anxiety symptoms occurring within one month of a traumatic event. (Dissociation is a psychological reaction to trauma in which the mind tries to cope by "sealing off" some features of the trauma from conscious awareness).
Description
Acute stress disorder is a new diagnostic category that was introduced in 1994 to differentiate time-limited reactions to trauma from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
— Rebecca J. Frey
