1) Directly experiencing the traumatic events

2) Witnessing it

3) Learning that the events occurred to a close family member or friend

4) Repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details

B) Presence of 9 or more of the following symptoms from 5 categories of intrusion negative mood dissociation avoidance and arousal beginning to worsening after the traumatic events

Intrusive symptoms:

1. recurring, involuntary and intrusive distressing memories of the traumatic event

2. recurrent distressing dreams, related to event

3. dissociative reactions e.g., flashbacks, in which the individuals feels or acts as if the traumatic event were recurring

4. intense of prolonged psychological distress or marked physiological reactions in response to internal or external cues that symbolise or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event

negative mood

5. persistent inability to experience positive emotions

dissociative symptoms

6. an altered sense of reality of one's surroundings or one's self

7. inability to remember an important aspect of the traumatic event

avoidance symptoms

8. efforts to avoid distressing memories, thoughts of feeling associated with the event

9. efforts to avoid external reminders that arouse distressing memories associated with the event

arousal symptoms

10. sleep disturbance

11. irritable behaviour and angry outbursts

12. hypervigilance

13. problems with concentration

14. exaggerated startle response

D. the disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other areas of functioning

C. duration of the disturbance in B is 3 days to 1 month after trauma exposure

E. the disturbance is not attributed to substance, medication or alcohol, or another medical condition such as traumatic brain injury

motor vehicle accidents = 13-21%

brain injury = 14%

assault = 24%

rape = 59%

Lasts at least a month and then will lead to PTSD if it is over a month.

Symptoms may alleviate with medications such as SSRIs or with therapy

Not everyone who has trauma will get acute stress disorder, and not everyone who has acute stress disorder will get PTSD