June is national PTSD awareness month. Today my topic is PTSD in children.
The lingering trauma of childhood
abuse is another sect of the population that may suffer from PTSD. Child abuse
comes in different forms. It is physical, mental, emotional, sexual and
neglect. Each indignation brings its own special hell for a child, and often
children suffer multiple atrocities at the hands of their caregivers. 14-43% of
children have experienced at least one traumatic abusive event prior to
adulthood. In 2017 according to the American Humane Association 1,720 children
died of abuse or neglect. 71.8% of those children were under the age of 3 and
49.6 percent were under the age of 1. While parents struggle with the line
between discipline and abuse, abusive behavior can be traumatizing for a child
and the affects may linger for a lifetime.
It is important
to note that a child’s brain does not fully develop until around the age of 25.
So during the formative years of development, especially the toddler years, a
child does not process the abuse the way an adult would. They are taking in
these actions as a part of life, not realizing that this is not normal or
healthy for them. Professionals do not always agree on how PTSD forms or may be
carried on through adulthood. What the statistics show is that females are more
likely than males to develop PTSD. There are some determining factors on
whether a child victim will develop PTSD.
·
The
degree of perceived personal threat.
·
The
developmental state of the child: Some professionals surmise that younger
children, because they are less likely to intellectually understand and
interpret the effects of a traumatic situation, may be less at risk for
long-term PTSD).
·
The
relationship of the victim to the perpetrator.
·
The
level of support the victim has in his day-to-day life as well as the response
of the caregiver(s).
·
Guilt: A feeling of
responsibility for the attack ("I deserve it") is thought to
exacerbate the changes of PTSD.
·
Resilience: the innate
ability to cope of the individual.
·
The
child's short-term response to abuse: For instance, an elevated heart rate
post-abuse has been documented as increasing the likelihood that the victim
will be later suffer from PTSD.
A child suffering from PTSD may have the
following symptoms
·
Have problems sleeping
·
Feel depressed or grouchy
·
Feel nervous, jittery, or alert and watchful (on guard)
·
Lose interest in things they used to enjoy. They may seem
detached or numb and are not responsive.
·
Have trouble feeling affectionate
·
Be more aggressive than before, even violent
·
Stay away from certain places or situations that bring back
memories
·
Have flashbacks. These can be images, sounds, smells, or
feelings. The child may believe the event is happening again.
·
Lose touch with reality
·
Reenact an event for seconds or hours or, in rare cases, days
·
Have problems in school
·
Have trouble focusing
·
Worry about dying at a young age
·
Act younger than their age, such as thumb-sucking or bedwetting
·
Have physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches
Therapy’s for
children who suffer from PTSD usually involve cognitive behavioral therapy and
medications for depression and anxiety. However, there are other ways you can
help a child suffering from PTSD.
·
Admit that the event happened. Pretending everything is normal
won't help your child.
·
Be supportive and get counseling for children and teens who have
seen or gone through a traumatic event. A child or teen may at first not want
counseling. But it may be needed months or even years after the traumatic
event.
·
Keep all appointments with your child's healthcare provider.
·
Talk with your child’s healthcare provider about other providers
who will be included in your child’s care. Your child may get care from a team
that may include counselors, therapists, social workers, psychologists, and
psychiatrists. Your child’s care team will depend on his or her needs and how
serious the PTSD is.
·
Tell others about your child’s PTSD. Work with your child’s
healthcare provider and school to create a treatment plan.
·
Reach out for support from local community services. Being in
touch with other parents who have a child with PTSD may be helpful.
·
Take all symptoms of depression and suicide very seriously. Get
treatment right away. Suicide is a health emergency.
Some other points
to note about PTSD in children
·
PTSD is a mental health problem. A child with PTSD has constant,
scary thoughts and memories of a past event.
·
A traumatic event, such as a car crash, natural disaster, or
physical abuse, can cause PTSD.
·
Children with PTSD may relive the trauma over and over again.
They may have nightmares or flashbacks.
·
PTSD is diagnosed only if symptoms keep occurring for more than
1 month and are negatively affecting the child’s life.
·
A child with PTSD may need therapy and medicine. They are at
higher risk for other mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and
suicidal thoughts
·
Call 911 if your child has suicidal thoughts, a suicide plan,
and the means to carry out the plan.
Tomorrow, I
will go into how childhood trauma affects adults and how to deal with a
co-worker who is a sufferer of childhood trauma. There is so much more I can talk about when it comes to abuse, but for now, I'll leave you with this bit to chew on.
Links to
references: (not in any format)
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