How to Combat Stress

Different Stress Disorders and How to Spot Them.

Everyone has experienced stress. It is the body and mind’s normal response to major life events.

Physical signs of stress include:

  • Headaches
  • Muscle tension
  • Physical signs
  • Stomach aches

While stress is a normal part of this face paced world, there are different kinds of stress, levels of severity, and ways to deal with it. There are four deployment related stress disorders that you should know about.

The first and mildest is Combat/Operational Stress Reactions (COSRs).

What is COSR?

Combat/Operational Stress Reaction is a short-term stress disorder that affects a soldier's fighting efficiency and results from the stress of battle. Combat stress reaction is commonly known as shell shock.

SYMPTOMS:

  • Depression
  • Difficulty performing routine tasks
  • Difficulty prioritizing
  • Frequency of urination
  • Fatigue
  • Indecision
  • Insomnia
  • Lack of initiative
  • Loss of beliefs
  • Mistrust
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Nightmares
  • Palpitations
  • Preoccupation with minor issues
  • Slower reaction time
  • Slowness of thoughts
  • Substance abuse
  • Shaking or tremors

While a lot of the symptoms of COSR are the same as those for Acute Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; however, there are usually fewer symptoms of COSR and they usually occur directly following the stressful event.

Adjustment Disorders are less serious and more common than Acute Stress Disorders and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders.

What is an Adjustment Disorder?

An Adjustment Disorder is a reaction to an identifiable stressor that is not expected. The reaction occurs within three months of the event or change. Symptoms are usually resolved within 6 months.

SYMPTOMS:

  • Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood
  • Adjustment with Anxiety
  • Adjustment with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood
  • Adjustment Disorder with Disturbance of Conduct
  • Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Disturbance of Emotions and Conduct
  • Adjustment Disorder Unspecified

Symptoms do not match any of the above groups. For example, social withdrawal or lack of inhibition.

Adjustment Disorders are split into the above six categories based on the symptoms described in the title.

The second most severe stress disorder seen in soldiers is Acute Stress Disorder (ASD).

What is Acute Stress Disorder?

ASD is a physical response to the exposure of an extreme traumatic event that occurs within a month of the experience.

SYMPTOMS:

  • Re-experiencing the event through thoughts, recurrent images, dreams, flashbacks or reliving.
  • Avoidance of activities, places, people, etc. that cause the recollection of the event.
  • Increased anxiety: difficulty falling and staying asleep, inability to focus, easily startled, irritability, etc.
  • Dissociation
    • Being unaware of your surroundings.
    • Feeling as if you are "outside your body."
    • Feeling as if things are happening to you.
    • Feeling as if you cannot feel.
    • Feeling detached.
    • Not being able to remember important things about the traumatic event.

Symptoms of ASD usually last no longer than a month. If symptoms persist you may have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The most severe stress disorder is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?

PTSD may develop after the exposure to an event where either fatal physical harm was threatened or took place.

SYMPTOMS:

  • Intense emotions such as: horror, hopelessness, and fear.
  • Re-experiencing the event through thoughts, recurrent images, dreams, flashbacks or reliving.
  • Avoidance of activities, places, people, etc. that cause the recollection of the event.
  • Increased anxiety: difficulty falling and staying asleep, inability to focus, being easily startled, irritability, etc.

Symptoms can begin to show immediately following the traumatic event or show up months after. Except for the exclusion of disassociation, the symptoms of ASD and PTSD are very similar. However, when experiencing PTSD the symptoms last at the least a month and cause considerable difficulties in one’s ability to function.

What should you do?

If you are experiencing any symptoms of a Deployment related stress disorder speak to your health care provider or chaplain.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Your wellbeing is not only important to you, but those around you.