There is a rising number of people suffering from acute stress disorder in the U.S. Although there is no definitive treatment for this disorder, there are a number of new medical breakthroughs that can help treat symptoms such as detachment, numbing, and nightmares.
Some of the newest breakthroughs for the treatment of acute stress disorder suggest that a combination of various drugs and other psychological therapies are a highly effective treatment option for acute stress. Acute stress disorder research also shows that certain forms of psychological therapy are more effective than others.
New acute stress disorder medical breakthroughs include:
- Psychotherapy is a good option for people suffering from anxiety and stress. Medical breakthroughs are being made in the field of psychiatry, and different forms of psychotherapy are now being used in the treatment of traumatic stress. Apart from regular psychotherapy, exposure therapy; a variant of cognitive-behavioral therapy, is now being used. Stress inoculation training is also another new research therapy that is being studied.
- Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or TFCBT is a new recommendation for the treatment of traumatic stress disorder. It is superior to regular cognitive therapy, which is generally advocated for people with stress and anxiety.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, which is also known as EMDR, is a new method of psychotherapy that is being used as a treatment for a variant of acute stress syndrome; post-traumatic stress disorder. Approved by the American Psychiatric Association, it has gained popularity as an effective treatment method in the U.S. as well as other international communities. According to scientists, eye movements help the patient to recover.
- Interpersonal Therapy is a form of psychotherapy. It is a new medical advancement that includes involvement of social support groups. This new therapy is now considered more effective than other treatments such as prolonged exposure therapy.
- Medications A number of medications that are currently being researched are known to be highly effective in the treatment of acute stress disorder. These include alpha adrenergic agonists, which come in the brand name Catapres, and other gluco-corticoids that prevent stress and anxiety. Beta blockers like propranolol are also known to be highly effective in the treatment of the associated symptoms of hyper arousal and prevent the patient from remembering traumatic episodes.
Although many new treatments have still not been approved for usage, these are the latest medical breakthroughs in the field of acute stress syndrome that are available for use.
© Newsmax. All rights reserved.