Acute Stress Disorder – Three Essential Treatment Techniques to Overcome Traumatic Stress

Acute stress disorder can develop in a person who goes through something extremely traumatic. This disorder is characterized by anxiety, recurrent images or flashbacks of the traumatic event, and disturbances in behavior. Usually, it develops following an experience that exposes the subject to physical harm or severe mental harm, or after a near-death experience that causes intense fear in him.
This can be a major problem that can completely hinder a person from living a normal life. Usually, a person responds to acute stress disorder by becoming detached from his surroundings, by ceasing to participate in his usual activities, and by trying to deal with the problem on his own.
If you suffer from prolonged stress after a particularly difficult experience, what you are going through is perfectly normal. It is best to seek counseling and professional psychotherapy, which are said to be the most effective treatment for this problem. However, it is normal as well if you feel hesitant to seek help. That’s why there are now some self help techniques that are designed to help with acute stress disorder. Fortunately, they are also known to work really fast, so you can welcome the positive changes into your life as soon as possible.
1. Re-Train Your Mind. Your mind got the shock of a lifetime after the traumatic experience you went through. Now, your mindset is that the world is a dangerous and harmful place. The decision to recover from the traumatic stress lies in your hands, and once you make that decision, you have to retrain your mind.
Why the need to re-train the mind? You have to make it believe, once again, that the world is safe and comfortable. To achieve this, you have to sync both your conscious and subconscious minds. If not, even if you try to convince yourself that the world is good, some lingering thoughts in your subconscious may be left to convince you otherwise.
One way of synchronizing your conscious and subconscious minds is subliminal programming. This is the practice of listening to audio or watching videos that are designed to deliver subtly placed messages in a form instantly absorbed by the brain. These messages are the only form of communication that the brain can recognize, so you can use them for re-training your mind. You can use messages such as:
I am safe.I am comfortable.I am free from the past.Healing comes naturally to me.
2. Self-Hypnosis. Aside from subliminal programming, another effective technique in treating acute stress disorder that you can do on your own is self hypnosis. You can hypnotize yourself to feel safer. Self hypnosis and subliminal programming are quite similar, in that they communicate with the brain at a less than conscious state. However, self hypnosis requires that you be in a trance for the mental stimulation to occur, while subliminal programming can easily be done even when you’re wide awake and inertly conscious.
3. Meditation. One common problem sufferers of acute stress disorder go through is sleeplessness or the inability to relax. For this problem, you can use meditation. Meditation is one of the most effective methods of making yourself relax. It also relaxes not just the body but also the mind.
To meditate, you just have to focus your attention on one single thought or object so that you leave behind your usual thoughts. This frees you from the burden that they are and allows your whole being to completely relax in the face of a completely harmless thought.

Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

If you have experienced a sudden traumatic and deeply disturbing event and the memories continue to haunt you, then you may be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Whilst for many, the dreadful memories can subside, one in three people could continue to experience the symptoms associated with this disorder for months or even years if help is not sought. Sadly, many people battle on alone, feeling weak at not being able to cope and hiding behind layers of guilt and secrecy.Post Traumatic Stress can affect you on a physical and psychological level and although the disorder may not materialize initially until some months after the event, you may find yourself reliving the experiences over and over again. It's not uncommon to feel angry, anxious, depressed, sad, tearful, emotional, grief-stricken and even guilty but in reality, there is no reason for you to question or to judge yourself and your own experiences are highly personalized and indicative to the trauma.

Causes of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder vary and include:

Witnessing a serious accident or being involved in one.

Ongoing physical abuse or rape

Being taken hostage

Witnessing death or a violent injury

The shock of being diagnosed with a serious or life threatening illness

Losing a loved one suddenly and without warning.The symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder include:Violent and powerful nightmares

Memory flashbacks

Rapid or irregular heart rate, physical aches and pains, anxieties and feelings of panic

A desire to shut out the memories and to shut down all emotions

Turning to alcohol to help numb the pain

A volatile emotional state

Extreme tiredness and irritability

The effects of PTSD will not just dissipate until you face up to your demons and seek out professional help. There is no shame in seeing a counselor on a regular basis and opening up and talking about your experiences can be highly therapeutic. It can be difficult to discuss your PTSD with anyone who is close to you and who might be affected by your experiences but a professional therapist will be able to support and guide you towards recovery.There are many options for recovery and your counselor may suggest:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Psychotherapy

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing

Group therapy

Medication

Sadly, it will take time to move away from the pain and dread of your memories but don't be too hard on yourself, you are only human. Sometimes, the reality of any situation is too much for the brain to contend with and whilst you may try to switch off the sights and sounds of that event, eventually it starts bubbling to the surface as a constant reminder of the horror. The best way to deal with your condition is to embrace professional help and take a giant step forward towards controlling the symptoms of your Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and laying it to rest.

Sources Of Stress

The best way to manage and handle stress is by knowing where it comes from. Being able to determine what the sources of stress affecting your life may help you become more effective in finding ways to eliminate or reduce it. Although not all types of stress are harmful or detrimental to your health, just simply knowing what is and what's not may help you a lot in trying to strike up a good balance.

Acute Stress

It is important to consider that there are two main types of stress that you might be experiencing. There is acute and chronic stress. Acute stress refers to the body's immediate response to a threat, challenge or scare. It is also commonly known as the fight or flight response. Not all acute stress is bad. It can sometimes provide a thrill that makes a person become more alert and focused for a certain short moment. This is especially true in cases where you need to go through a job interview or even riding a roller coaster.

Chronic Stress

The more serious type is chronic stress . This is characterized by experiencing prolonged periods of acute stress. The body's response to chronic stress may not be as immediate or as visible in most cases, but it may have longer lasting negative effects. Such types of stress come about as a result of lingering problems involving relationships, career and money.

Internal Stress Sources

Stress can come from either an internal or external source or even both. Internal sources of stress usually comes from within. It includes your fears, level of self -control, attitude as well as personal expectations. All these can sometimes lead to worries and stress.

External Stress Sources

There can also be sources of stress caused by outside forces. These stressors can either be events and situations that may happen in life. It can be brought about be certain life changes. Stress can also come about as a result of the environment you're in. the source can be the workplace, the home or even some place where disturbances are plenty. Stress can be brought about friends, family and even unexpected events .

You should bear in mind that it may be quite impossible to stay clear of stress. The best one can do is by trying to minimize them as much as possible, at least those that might greatly impact your health and well-being. Knowing where the source of stress may be coming from may help you find better ways to cope up with it.

Top 5 Negative Effects Of Stress

Did you have a hard day at work? Are your kids making it difficult for you to keep your sanity? Is it becoming difficult to juggle your marriage and your friends? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of North Americans find themselves stressing out about different aspects of their lives, yet most of them don’t know how to cope with it in an effective manner.

Everyone has something they could be stressed out about; just some people decide to focus on it more than others. Keeping a positive frame of mind will work wonders on your health – and may end up solving a couple of the problems we listed above in the meantime.

Worrying and stressing about the little things (or even the big things) can have negative impacts on your life.

Here are the top 5 negative effects of stress:

1. Weight Gain. It’s ironic that that both men and women stress out about their weight. It’s even more ironic considering the fact that being stressed out about those few extra pounds will likely lead to packing on a few more. It’s a known fact that the majority of individuals deal with stress by eating. So put down that pop tart and pick up a book. It will help relieve the stress and keep your figure fabulous.

2. Headaches/Migraines. If you’ve ever suffered from a migraine, you know it’s not a pleasant experience. What if we told you those circumstances could be avoided if you took time to de-stress. If you feel as though you’re worrying too much about certain things in your life, go for a run or hit the gym. It’s a heck of a lot better than spending the next 3 days in your bed with the curtains closed and the lights off, don’t you think?

3. Mood Swings/ Irritability. Individuals coping with stress can become very temperamental and often suffer from mood swings. If you know someone who has been stressed out recently, chances are they have also been high strung and difficult to be around. If you don’t like dealing with those types of people, make sure you’re not one of them yourself.

4. Bad Skin. Stress and worrying can not only have a negative impact on your health, but can also have detrimental effects on your appearance (besides weight gain). Stressing out (especially in teenagers) can lead to breakouts, skin inflammation and even cold sores. If feeling good isn’t reason enough to stop stressing, maybe looking good is.

5. Sleep Problems. Stress is the leading cause of sleep deprivation in average Americans. It’s easy to lose several hours of valuable sleep time, worrying about and analyzing all the problems you’re dealing with. The sad truth is they’re still going to be there in the morning, so you might as well get some rest in the meantime.

Remember, everything will work out in the end. It always does.

A Look At Some Important Stress Symptoms

There are many different symptoms of stress and sometimes they overlap with other types of symptoms. However, if you look at yourself honestly, or perhaps seek medical or other kind of professional help, you can find out if stress is your main problem. The following are some common stress symptoms that it's good to be aware of, but you may experience stress in your own way.

Unfortunately, one of the first physiological systems to be negatively affected by stress is the digestive system, which explains the complaints of various illnesses in the stomach. When your digestive health issues persist, your first thought may be to seek medical care, which is understandable, but often the cause is uncontrolled stress. Your stomach seems to develop various minor illnesses while the situation that fills you with dread persists. If you're stressed out while you're eating this is a recipe for heartburn or a stomach ache. Fortunately, these digestive health issues can be avoided by setting aside your worries while you are getting your physiological nourishment. Stress has an adverse impact on the way we choose food such that we select the food items that provide the most comfort at the soonest possible time instead of selecting the healthy foods available.

Another way that stress hurts is by making it more difficult for you to think clearly. People experiencing a great amount of stress find it difficult to make decisions, collect their thoughts, and respond to many situations. Your mind may be racing around but you are unable to focus an adequate amount of attention to the important decisions at hand. You should keep this in mind and consider meditation or other relaxation techniques before you make large decisions. You don't want stress to lead you to make bad decisions that will only cause more stress.

One of the most serious symptoms of stress is substance abuse that we all know has serious consequences. If you get into the habit of drinking or taking a drug, including legal prescription drugs, whenever you feel stressed out, this can easily lead to a habit or a serious addiction. Yes, the temptation to take drugs and to drink alcohol can be difficult to resist especially when you are under great pressure but this is absolutely not the best solution for your problems. If you find yourself engaging in these dangerous activities, we suggest immediately seeking help lest stress take control of your life. Stress symptoms aren't the same for every person. Once stress invades our lives and we allow it to consume us it can cause significant issues even though some stress is good for us. Therefore you should never ignore the signs of stress and you should always work to find effective stress management techniques.

Stress and Belly Fat The Vicious Cycle of Stress, Excess Abdominal Fat and Why It's So Hard to Lose It

Too much fat anywhere is not a good thing, but there are several reasons why too much belly fat is especially bad: It's the most likely to cause health problems, it makes it difficult to find clothes that fit, which causes challenges with projecting a professional image as well as self-esteem, and it also makes strangers draw inappropriate conclusions. Moreover, since it is often stress that either caused or continues to increase this particular pattern of fat distribution, the resulting stress from the consequences may well make the problem even worse.
1. Health Problems:
By now, most people know that too much fat upfront and center causes major health problems. We have read for years now that apples are bad - i.e., bodies shaped like apples, with most of the excess fat stored right in the stomach. Why? Apple shaped people have a much higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and related ailments. In fact, there's now a name for the body shape and its associated conditions: Syndrome X. And syndrome X is bad news indeed.
2. Professional Image:
The clothing industry has yet to catch up to the realities of body fat distribution among an ever increasing number of women. Most clothes that allow for a less than slender waistline are specifically made for pregnant women, and these days, many of them are designed to show off that pregnant belly rather than to camouflage and minimize it. This may work nicely for women who are in fact pregnant, but it makes things worse for those who aren't.
So it can be quite challenging to find flattering clothes, short of having them custom made. Some companies are beginning to see the potential in offering flexible waistbands, but far too often, clothes, even in stores specializing in plus-sized women, are designed for pear-shaped women. Women with apple shapes have a much more difficult time finding attractive, well-fitting, and professional-looking clothes.
3. Problematic And Embarrassing Assumptions:
Big bellies in men, sometimes referred to as beer bellies, can cause people to think that the bearer might have issues with excessive drinking, certainly a problematic assumption with potentially detrimental consequences for a man's career.
Women with excess fat in that area on the other hand are assumed to be pregnant, which theoretically has the benefit of being offered seats in crowded subway trains and such, but more likely causes strangers to feel at liberty to ask about due dates or even reach out and touch a woman's belly. While this sort of thing is an inappropriate violation of personal boundaries, it is also extremely humiliating to non-pregnant recipients, to say the least.
4. The Vicious Cycle:
All three of the above consequences of excess belly fat have yet another unfortunate consequence resulting from the previous three: They cause even more stress, and since stress may well have been responsible for the excess abdominal fat in the first place, and since it makes the body accumulate even more fat right where it's least wanted and prevents the fat that's already there from being burned off, the stress resulting from too much belly fat can easily result in more of the same and makes it even more difficult for affected people to lose weight and improve the situation. Thus, the vicious cycle continues and feeds on itself.