Acute stress disorder lasts from 3 days-1 month after the traumatic event. If the individual presents symptoms of acute stress disorder for more than a month, the diagnosis is changed to PTSD.


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Differential diagnoses to acute stress disorder may include:


-Adjustment Disorders


-Panic Disorder


-Dissociative Disorders


-Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)


-Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)


-Psychotic Disorders


-Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)


Differential Diagnoses to Acute Stress Disorder

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

DSM-5

There are similar neurocognitive symptoms between these two disorders/injuries, but TBI symptoms tend to cause persistent disorientation and confusion (neurocognitive effects). Additionally, if symptoms last longer than one month, then it is not due to acute stress disorder. 


Traumatic Brain Injury as a Differential Diagnosis to Acute Stress Disorder

Symptoms of acute stress disorder may be attributable to an adjustment disorder. When certain criteria of acute stress disorder are not presented in an individual, it may be an adjustment disorder.


Adjustment Disorders as Differential Diagnoses to Acute Stress Disorder

People experiencing acute stress disorder may also experience panic attacks, which are a common symptom. Someone may diagnose an individual with panic disorder if the panic attacks occur without warning/unexpectedly and if anxiety arises from fearing another attack.


Panic Disorder as a Differential Diagnosis to Acute Stress Disorder

Without the presence of common acute stress disorder symptoms, extreme dissociative responses may be connected to the individual having a dissociative disorder. 


Dissociative Disorders as Differential Diagnoses to Acute Stress Disorder 

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder as a Differential Diagnosis to Acute Stress Disorder

If an individual experiences intrusive thoughts that do not connect to a traumatic experience as well as a lack of acute stress disorder symptoms, the individual may be diagnosed with OCD if they happen to experience recurrent intrusive thoughts.


Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder as a Differential Diagnosis to Acute Stress Disorder

A psychotic disorder, like acute stress disorder, may result in detailed flashbacks. Someone experiencing an acute stress disorder flashback would be reliving their traumatic experience. These flashbacks differ from illusions, hallucinations, and other perceptual distortions.


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