Acute Stress Disorder - the hidden terrorist
Would you harm on your own six-month old baby to cause extensive physical injuries, including broken bones?
Well, a 25-old Canadian soldier did, and to all his 3 six-month-old sons (triplets). They suffered from a total of 19 broken bones.
His defence lawyer said ‘the father was stunned to see the extent of their injuries’.
The father was said to be suffering from acute stress disorder caused by several factors, including:
(a) his experience in Afghanistan. He was extremely frustrated for not being in the front-line actions (his job was to load equipment on to military planes and trucks),
(b) he claimed that he was drugged in a bar, beaten and robbed during a sidetrip to Budapest,
(c) he could not cope with having 4 infant sons (he already had an infant son before the triplets were born),
(d) he was abandoned by his own father at a young age,
(e) he was hearing voices in his head, telling him “you’re a failure”.
He withdrew from social life and his own family. He began to indulge himself heavily in playing video games, eating potato chips, staying up through the night, excessive drinking and using drugs.
Psychologist David Kolton wrote, “It seems evident that upon returning from Afghanistan he suffered with symptoms of acute stress disorder (ASD), which, after six months of symptoms, diagnostically became the more chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It also seems clear he experienced a . . . major depressive episode.”
Acute stress disorder (ASD) vs Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Before someone is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), they are often diagnosed with a disorder called acute stress disorder (ASD). Why? Because PTSD is considered more of a longer-term, even chronic, disorder, while acute stress disorder occurs more immediately and generally doesn’t last as long, especially if it’s treated. Left untreated, acute stress disorder often turns into post-traumatic stress disorder - a debilitating ailment that leaves patients panicky, angry and haunted by battle memories.
So what kinds of treatments are most helpful with acute stress disorder?
There are no medications approved for the treatment of ASD (although a medication may be prescribed for associated anxiety or depressive symptoms). So treatment usually is a type of psychotherapy.
“Virtual Iraq” - a new treatment
A new treatment known as “Virtual Iraq” uses digital technology designed to help returning combat troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. This technology uses the latest video game technology - plus a smell machine and a vibration platform - to help patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
This treatment could help many soldiers who don’t find relief from medication or traditional psychotherapy.
Proponents of “Virtual Iraq” claim that it really jogs the patients’ memory, and puts them back there very powerfully, and makes them realize a lot of things they had consciously or subconsciously repressed. They believe that once these memories are available, patients can begin to talk with therapists, eventually making the phantoms less terrifying.
“Virtual Iraq” creates a digital world that is not only full of threats and stressors - roadside bombs, insurgents firing grenades, a bleeding U.S. soldier slumped in the Humvee’s passenger seat - but also the mundane details of a soldier’s everyday life in Iraq. It can also can create a variety of aromas, including sweat, burning trash and Middle Eastern spices.
Many people with post-traumatic stress disorder find it difficult to face their terrifying memories. They either refuse to enter into traditional therapy or don’t complete it, and these are the ones that will most benefit from virtual therapy, proponents say.
Once patients get immersed in the digital Iraq, they can recall painful emotions and events more easily. They still must endure the difficult process of imagining and talking about what happened to them, but they have help with the crucial first steps.
The entire virtual set-up - computers, software and other equipment - is estimated to cost about $7,000.
Experts say post-traumatic stress disorder is or will be a significant problem for many of the 1.7 million soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
