Acute Stress Disorder

**Semantic type:** Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction

**Definition:** An anxiety disorder precipitated by an experience of intense fear or horror while exposed to a traumatic (especially life-threatening) event. The disorder is characterized by dissociative symptoms; vivid recollections of the traumatic event; avoidance of stimuli associated with the traumatic event; and a constant state of hyperarousal for no more than one month.