Stress Disorders
Stress disorders are a group of mental illnesses that fall within the scope of psychiatry. These disorders are characterized by significant emotional or psychological reactions to traumatic or stressful events. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most well-known stress disorders. This occurs when someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, fight, or physical attack. Symptoms of PTSD may include intrusive memories or flashbacks of the event, avoidance of people or places that may trigger memories of the trauma, and increased agitation, including hyperarousal and difficulty sleeping. Acute stress disorder (ASD) is another stress disorder that occurs in response to a traumatic event. Symptoms of ASD are similar to those of PTSD, but are usually shorter in duration, lasting from 3 days to 1 month after the event.
