Teen trauma is difficult to face. Both parents and children can be overwhelmed by traumatic events and their consequences. Parents must be courageous in taking the first steps to address trauma within the family. It isn’t easy for anyone.

Teenagers are more likely to experience trauma if they experienced any form of childhood trauma such as being in an unstable or unsafe environment, being separated from a parent, having a serious childhood illness or undergoing any form of childhood abuse including neglect, physical, verbal and sexual abuse.

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Common reactions to trauma in teenagers

Every young person is different, but common symptoms of distress include: strong emotions such as sadness, anger, anxiety and guilt. overreacting to minor irritations. repetitively thinking about the traumatic event and talking about it often.

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Facing Teen Trauma

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Teen trauma can be healed only once it is faced. Know that you are not alone in the struggle.

Teen trauma is not rare. In a recent study, 61 percent of teens (ages 13 to 17) had been exposed to at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. 19 percent had experienced three or more such events.

When you consider the challenging lives of teenagers, these numbers are not surprising. Adolescence is a time of transitions and growth. Furthermore, teens are being exposed to the world on a larger scale. This exposure happens as they mature and take steps toward adulthood.

Accidental trauma can occur. For example, if a teen is badly injured or witnesses a life-threatening incident. Yet, accidental trauma is only one of the many kinds of teen trauma. Teen trauma also includes physical violence, sexual assault, emotional distress, and mental suffering. Moreover, teen trauma experiences often result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

 

Teen Trauma and PTSD

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders provides the definition for PTSD. PTSD is defined as a mental disorder. Such a disorder is experienced by someone who has suffered a traumatic event.

 

Potential PTSD symptoms include panic attacks, nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance syndrome, and incongruous fear.

PTSD is a complex way of describing the long-term consequences of traumatic events. Some of these traumatic events happen only once, like the death of a loved one or a bad car accident. However, some traumatic events occur repeatedly. Ongoing teen trauma include child abuse, bullying, sexual exploitation, and sexual abuse. Repetitive cases of teen trauma can be particularly damaging.

Traumatic events can generate an overwhelming sense of terror, panic, and helplessness. It’s hard when a teen suffers from PTSD. The traumatic feelings can be triggered and re-experienced over and over again. Even though the traumatic event is in the past, the pain is still there and has not been fully addressed in order to start the recovery process.

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Primrose Intervention Services LLC understands how hard it is to see a child in pain. Caring, professional treatment can ease you and your child into the healing process. Once your child feels secure, the real work of recovery can begin. Here at Primrose Intervention, we have Trauma coaches who hold certifications with Correctional Counseling Inc-CCI/MRT.

 

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