Spiritual Homeopathy

Acute Stress Disorder

Acute stress disorder is an abnormal reaction to sudden stressful events.

The basic response of the body is the same as in the normal stress reaction, but the symptoms are more severe and last for a longer period.

Acute stress disorder lasts no more than 4 weeks.

It is generally accept that having symptoms after a stressful event is normal for up to about 48 hours, but after this point the majority of people will have recovered.

Increased arousal:

  • Anxiety and panic attacks
  • Restlessness, impaired concentration, and purposeless activity
  • Irritability, depression, anger, or despair
  • Insomnia

‘Dissociative’ symptoms:

  • Emotional numbness and ‘being in a daze’
  • Reduced awareness of surroundings
  • Difficulty in recall of the stressful events
  • Depersonalization and derealization

‘Re-experiencing’ symptoms”:

  • Flashbacks
  • Recurrent images or thoughts
  • Disturbing dreams

Avoidance of reminders of the stressful events

Maladaptive coping strategies

Acute stress disorder is diagnos when symptoms last from 2 days up to 4 weeks.

Psychological theories:

  • A variety of psychological mechanisms are probably at work in acute stress disorder, but dissociation is the most studied.
  • It is thought that dissociation reduces the negative consequences of trauma by restricting awareness of the event and thereby preventing the person from being overwhelmed by the traumatic experience.
  • Unfortunately, this prevents recovery as it does not allow the experience to be processed also integrated into existing coping mechanisms.
  • A similar problem occurs when a person uses avoidance strategies excessively.

Biological theories:

  • The main theory is based upon classical conditioning.
  • When a traumatic event occurs (an unconditioned stimulus), people respond with fear (unconditioned response).
  • As reminders of the trauma occur (conditioned stimulus), people then respond with fear reactions (conditioned response).
  • It is thought that in some people, the stress response becomes sensitized to repeated stimuli, and a larger response is produced to each stimulus.
  • Those people who suffer a panic attack during a traumatic event are very likely to experience increasing panic attacks in the few weeks afterwards. 

For acute stress disorder, eat magnesium-rich foods like bananas, spinach, and nuts to relax muscles and nerves. Include omega-3s from salmon, walnuts, and flaxseeds to reduce anxiety. Consume antioxidant-rich foods like berries and dark chocolate to combat stress. Drink herbal teas (chamomile, green tea) and plenty of water for hydration. Avoid caffeine, sugar, processed foods, and alcohol, as they worsen stress. Eat small, balanced meals to stabilize energy and mood.

  1. Balanced Diet: Include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
  2. Hydration: Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and flush out toxins.
  3. Avoid Caffeine: Reduce coffee, tea, and energy drinks to prevent anxiety spikes.
  4. Limit Sugar: Minimize processed sugar intake to stabilize mood swings.
  5. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Eat fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds to support brain function.
  6. Magnesium-rich Foods: Consume spinach, bananas, and almonds to reduce stress.
  7. Vitamin B Complex: Whole grains, eggs, and dairy help manage stress responses.
  8. Herbal Teas: Chamomile and green tea promote relaxation and better sleep.
  9. Probiotics: Yogurt, kimchi, and kefir improve gut health and mood regulation.
  10. Dark Chocolate: Contains antioxidants that reduce stress hormones.
  11. Lean Proteins: Chicken, fish, and tofu help in neurotransmitter production.
  12. Ditch Alcohol: Avoid alcohol as it worsens anxiety and stress symptoms.
  13. Regular Meals: Eat on time to maintain blood sugar levels and prevent irritability.
  14. Mindful Eating: Chew slowly and focus on food to enhance digestion.
  15. Meditation: Practice deep breathing exercises to calm the nervous system.
  16. Regular Exercise: Engage in yoga, walking, or aerobics to release endorphins.
  17. Adequate Sleep: Maintain a proper sleep schedule for emotional balance.
  18. Sunlight Exposure: Get morning sunlight for Vitamin D and mood enhancement.
  19. Avoid Processed Foods: Say no to junk food to prevent sluggishness.
  20. Stay Social: Interact with loved ones to reduce feelings of isolation.

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Homeopathic Medicines for Acute Stress Disorder:

The homeopathic remedies (medicines) given below indicate the therapeutic affinity but this is not a complete and definite guide to the homeopathy treatment of this condition. The symptoms listed against each homeopathic remedy may not be directly related to this disease because in homeopathy general symptoms and constitutional indications also taken into account for selecting a remedy, potency and repetition of dose by Homeopathic doctor.

So, here we describe homeopathic medicine only for reference and education purpose. Do not take medicines without consulting registered homeopathic doctor (BHMS or M.D. Homeopath).

1. Arsenicum album:

  • This remedy covers a lot of fears and anxieties that lead to obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Your mind can’t stop playing the same trauma over and over again.
  • You can only focus on the negative-worrying, perhaps, that something bad will happen either to you or a loved one. In addition, you may overly concerned about germs or your health, to the point of hypochondria.

2. Aconitum napellus:

  • Often follows a sudden, unexpected trauma, such as an earthquake or car accident.
  • A deep fear of death sends you into a panic state.
  • You can feel your heart beating at a rapid pace that comes on all of a sudden.
  • You may feel faint, along with perspiration and trembling.
  • Things that would not have bothered you before can trigger panic attacks, such as driving on a freeway, getting into an elevator, or flying in an airplane.
  • “I went to the supermarket and on the way in the car, I thought I would die,” is the type of statement you might make.

3. Argentum nitricum:

  • Very anxious, especially about health.
  • I call it “Monkey Brain,” when patients can only focus on their health or lack of it, convinced that every minor ache or ailment is the symptom of a fatal disease, and tend to go from doctor to doctor to get diagnoses.
  • Lots of fear- for example heights, crowds, small spaces, etc.
  • They have a need to express their feelings in an impulsive way with anyone who will listen.
  • They have a feeling of impending doom, such as some evil force is coming for them.

4. Stramonium:

  • Night fears and nightmares.
  • Fear of the dark, animals, violence, especially when being alone.
  • Terrifying nightmares, waking up panic-stricken and full of anxiety. Similarly, anxiety turns into destructive and malicious behavior, an out-of-control feeling, and anger.
  • The fears are so deep that they bring on panic.
  • Patients can’t stand to be alone. Their reaction to fear is violence.
  • They feel they need to protect themselves, so are always on the attack.

5. Lyssinum:

  • Hypersensitive to sound, light, smell, also even others’ emotions. Furthermore, their emotions are raw, like exposed nerves.
  • They feel they are being torment or ridiculed, also have a dread that something bad will happen to them.
  • May have many phobias, such as fear of driving, flying, injury, suffocation.
  • May also fear being alone, even though they tend to do better by themselves in a quiet room without much light.
  • They have an irrational fear of water, either seeing it or just thinking of it.
  • They have bitten by an animal and had fears since then.
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Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans of PTSD patients have shown hypoactivity of the frontal cortex and hyperactivity of the temporal cortex, demonstrating the possibility of a correlation between PTSD and neural functioning. A more recent study showed hyperactivation of the superior prefrontal and cingulate cortex and medial posterior precuneus.

 

DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for acute stress disorder:

1. Exposure to a traumatic event in which the following were present:
  • Either Actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others;
  • The person’s response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror.
2. Due to the distressing event, the individual has at least three of the following dissociative symptoms:
  • A subjective sense of numbing, detachment, or absence of emotional responsiveness;
  • A reduction in awareness of his or her surroundings;
  • Derealization;
  • Depersonalization;
  • Dissociative amnesia.

3. The traumatic event is persistently re-experienced through recurrent images, thoughts, dreams, illusions, flashback episodes, or a sense of reliving the experience.

4. Marked avoidance of stimuli that arouse recollections of the trauma.

5. After that, Marked symptoms of anxiety or increased arousal.

6. The disturbance leads to, clinically significant distress.

7. The disturbance lasts for a minimum of 2 days and a maximum of 4 weeks and occurs within 4 weeks of the traumatic event.

8. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition, is not better accounted for by Brief Psychotic Disorder, and is not merely an exacerbation of a pre-existing Axis I or Axis II disorder. 

  • Adjustment Disorders

  • Brief Psychotic Disorder

  • Depression Dissociative Disorders

  • Postconcussion Syndrome

  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Substance abuse

Research on prevention strategies for stress-related disorders has taken a number of avenues, including intervention before and after trauma and the use of both psychosocial and somatic approaches.

Despite advances in neurobiological understanding of response to trauma, clinical evidence for preventive interventions remains sparse. This review provides an overview of prevention approaches also summarizes the existing literature on prevention of ASD and PTSD, including clinical and preclinical studies.

What are the symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder

  • Anxiety and panic attacks
  • Restlessness, impaired concentration
  • Purposeless activity
  • Irritability, depression, anger, despair
  • Insomnia

  • Reduced awareness of surroundings
  • Difficulty in recall of the stressful events
  • Disturbing dreams

  1. Psychiatry , Fourth Edition- Oxford Medical Publications – SRG- by Geddes, Jonathan Price, Rebecca McKnight / Ch 23.

  2. https://www.betternutrition.com/natural-rx/homeopathic-remedies-stress-anxiety-ptsd

  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560815/
  4. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2192581-differential
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4677144/