Acute stress disorder, Addiction, Addison’s disease, Adenoid hyperplasia

Acute stress disorder: 

Acute stress disorder (ASD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by a cluster of dissociative and anxiety symptoms occurring within one month of a traumatic event. (Dissociation is a psychological reaction to trauma in which the mind tries to cope by “sealing off’ some features of the trauma from conscious awareness). Acute stress disorder is a new diagnostic category that was introduced in 1994 to differ¬entiate time-limited reactions to trauma from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Addiction:

 Addiction is a dependence on a behavior or substance that a person is powerless to stop. The term has been partially replaced by the word dependence for substance abuse. Addiction has been extended, however, to include mood-altering behaviors or activities. Some researchers speak of two types of addictions: substance addictions (for example, alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking); and process addictions (for example, gambling, spend¬ing, shopping, eating, and sexual activity). There is a growing recognition that many addicts, such as polydrug abusers, are addicted to more than one substance or process.

Addison’s disease: 

Addison’s disease is a disorder involving disrupted functioning of the part of the adrenal gland called the cortex. This results in decreased production of two impor¬tant chemicals (hormones) normally released by the adrenal cortex: cortisol and aldosterone.

Adenoid hyperplasia: 

Adenoid hyperplasia is the overenlarge¬ment of the lymph glands located above the back of the mouth. Located at the back of the mouth above and below the soft pal¬ate are two pairs of lymph glands. The tonsils below are clearly visible behind the back teeth; the adenoids he just above them and are hidden from view by the palate. Together these four arsenals of immune defense guard the major entrance to the body from foreign invaders—the germs we breathe and eat. In contrast to the rest of the body’s tisso.es, lymphoid tissue reaches its greatest size in mid-childhood and recedes thereafter. In this way children are best able to develop the immunities they need to survive in a world full of infectious diseases. Beyond its normal growth pattern, lymphoid tissue grows excessively (hypertrophies) during an acute infection, as it suddenly increases its immune activity to fight off the invaders. Often it does not completely return to its former size. Each subsequent infection leaves behind a larger set of tonsils and adenoids. To make matters worse, the sponge-like struc¬ture of these hypertrophied glands can produce safe havens for germs where the body cannot reach and eliminate them. Before antibiotics and the reduction in infectious childhood diseases over the past few generations, tonsils and adenoids caused greater health problems. reaction, usually lasting less than six months, to a stressful event or situation. It is not the same thing as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which usually occurs in reaction to a life-threatening event and can be longer lasting.