How to Select Acute Stress Disorder Medication
More than five million Americans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, every year. Of this number, somewhere betwean 60 and 75 percent will have acute stress disorder (ASD), which is PTSD that lasts for 1 to 3 months. The symptoms of ASD can range from depression to debilitating night terrors and flashbacks. To cope with this condition, your doctor may recommend medication based on your symptoms.
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Instructions
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Select Your Medication Based on Your Symptoms
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Treat depression with antidepressants, such as Zoloft, ****, Prozac and Celexa. These medications are available by prescription only and work as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. You can also try antidepressants like tricyclics and anti-anxiety catalysts if SSRIs don't work for you or the side effects are too strong.
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Select an anti-anxiety medication if you have social interaction problems and constant worry. Your doctor can prescribe any one of the group of benzodiazepines on the market, such as Valium, **** and Ativan. These minor tranquilizers are highly effective and quick releasing, working in the central nervous system to relax your muscles and chemical levels.
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Choose mood stabilizers like lithium and Depakote to regulate your emotions. Your therapist may recommend these drugs due to violent mood swings, uncontrollable moods or episodes of sporadic behavior. Mood stabilizers are often used with antidepressants to combat acute stress disorder.
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Select beta-blockers to calm the physical symptoms related to acute stress disorder. Beta-blockers like Sectral, Tenormin and Trandate are typically prescribed to treat anxiety indicators such as rapid heart rate and tremor.
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Use natural medication such as valerian root, kava kava extract and even chamomile tea to soothe your brain and central nervous system naturally. These can be obtained without prescription, but they should be approved by your doctor as a part of an ASD treatment plan.
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Tips & Warnings
Since PTSD/ASD can develop at any age, it is best to have children who have experienced traumatic events analyzed by a licensed therapist, regardless of any appearance of symptoms. Childhood trauma left untreated generally increases the likelihood of susceptibility to these conditions later in life.
Never take medication not specifically prescribed to you by your personal physician or therapist.
Benzodiazepines are highly addictive in nature, so the sooner you can wean yourself off of the drugs (as recommended by your doctor, of course), the better. Some studies show that people can become addicted to medication like **** or Valium in as little as 3 days.
