If you suffer from depression, your brain may release too little serotonin. When you suffer from anxiety-related conditions or an acute stress disorder, you may have a lack of GABA. Acute stress disorder is a type of mental health condition that sometimes develops into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Acute stress disorder treatment at a mental health treatment center in Portland, Oregon can help you overcome your symptoms and recover.
About 20% of American adults struggle with mental health disorders annually. Mental health disorders are chronic, incurable conditions that impact your brain chemistry, personality, and thoughts. Symptoms can become overwhelming and prevent you from socializing, working, or going to school. Many mental health disorders create neurotransmitter imbalances in your brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that your brain releases. Dopamine, GABA, and serotonin are three common types of neurotransmitters.
If you’re suffering from an anxiety disorder, such as acute stress disorder, finding treatment is critical. Fortunately, at Crestview Recovery, we’re proud to offer a range of evidence-based and holistic treatment options. Let us help you take your life back from anxiety. Contact Crestview Recovery today at 866.262.0531 to learn more about our acute stress disorder treatment program.
What Is Acute Stress Disorder?
Acute stress disorder occurs whenever you experience severe symptoms following a traumatic experience. Symptoms will last for less than 30 days, but if symptoms are left untreated, you can ultimately develop PTSD. If, after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic or violent event, you deal with symptoms like depression or anxiety, you may have acute stress disorder.
Signs and symptoms of acute stress disorder include:
- Disassociation
- Derealization
- Feeling like you are in a daze or lack situational awareness
- Depersonalization
- Anxiety and depression
- Difficulty or inability to recall the traumatic event
When you struggle with acute stress disorder, it is common to avoid people, places, or things that remind you of the traumatic event. You may also experience intense symptoms when you are exposed to people, places, or things that make you recall the traumatic event. This can make it difficult to leave your home or go out in public.
You can also re-experience the traumatic event that caused your acute stress disorder. This can include nightmares, night terrors, or flashbacks. Some people also experience persistent and overwhelming thoughts involving the event and feeling like they’re living through it again. Symptoms of acute stress disorder can intensify when you are exposed to triggers, which causes you to avoid stimuli that trigger your symptoms. An acute stress disorder treatment center Portland Oregon offers provides you the ability to safely work on your recovery in a supportive and understanding environment.
Acute Stress Disorder Treatment
Acute stress disorder treatment utilizes both evidence-based and holistic treatments. A mental health treatment center in Portland, Oregon offers both inpatient and outpatient treatment options for acute stress disorder. It is important to engage in acute stress disorder treatment as soon as you begin experiencing symptoms.
Left untreated, acute stress disorder can develop into chronic PTSD. As many as 20% of people who experience a traumatic event develop acute stress disorder or similar symptoms. Early treatment is often the best way to reduce and alleviate symptoms.
Evidence-based treatment that is commonly used during acute stress disorder treatment include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Dialectic behavioral therapy
- Anxiety management groups
- Individual counseling
- Medication management
- Medication-assisted therapy
Both inpatient and outpatient treatment programs specialize in helping you identify and cope with triggers and negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Finding healthy coping strategies can provide you with the tools and skills to learn how to manage, reduce and control your symptoms. Holistic therapies such as mindfulness exercises and meditation are excellent ways to reduce your anxiety and have few if any, potential side effects.
Finding Help Today
If you or a loved one is struggling with trauma-related symptoms, finding help from an acute stress disorder treatment can help you recover. Symptoms from PTSD or acute stress disorder can become disabling and damaging. Finding help as soon as you begin dealing with symptoms is the best way to ensure you can fully recover. At Crestview Recovery, we offer treatment for a range of mental health conditions, in addition to acute stress disorder. Our treatment options include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Bipolar disorder
- Personality disorders
Reach out to us today at 866.262.0531 to learn more about our programs and acute stress disorder treatment.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.