What you’ll learn to do: describe trauma- and stressor-related disorders

Figure 1. We all experience stress from time to time, but how we cope, adjust, and react will vary.

In this section, you will learn about trauma- and stressor-related disorders. These are a group of disorders in which a person usually experiences a trauma or major life change. The disorders you’ll learn about include post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, adjustment disorder, and attachment disorders.

We all experience stress from time to time—from moving to a new home or getting involved in a car accident—but how we cope, adjust, and react will be different depending on prior experiences, personality, and level of resilience (adaptability to change). Those who are unable to adjust and cope with the stress of their experiences, to the point that it affects them emotionally, socially, etc., will likely be diagnosed with one of the disorders you’ll read about over the next few pages.