PTSD Professional Perspective: Helping PTSD Teens
Friday, January 22nd, 2010 • PTSD Guest Post: Professional Perspective •
We don’t often think about what happens to adolescents with PTSD. I was one of those teens so this population is close to my heart. Today, a guest post with insight into how to help those kids struggling with the heavy weight of post-traumatic stress symptoms. In fact, some of the facts and advice apply to all us, regardless of age!
Defining PTSD in Teens
Post-traumatic stress disorder has several symptoms associated with it. Basically, a teen that has PTSD will persistently experience anxiety and depression due to a psychological traumatic event. Events such as rape, abuse, natural disasters such as earthquakes, gang violence or a car crash can lead to PTSD. In addition, certain personalities, attitudes and biochemical reactions to stress can make a teen more likely to develop stress disorders that lead to PTSD.
According to research, PTSD lasts about 3 years on average if treatment is sought and five years without treatment[i]. This is evidence that treatment for PTSD is critical to the emotional well-being of the individual who suffers from it. So how do you support a teen that has PTSD? It is important to remember that a teen with PTSD can create an atmosphere of greater distress than an adult. This is because adolescents are already dealing with several hormonal changes and a psychological disorder can accentuate any emotional disturbances already being experienced.
Studies show that family and social support are very critical and necessary in order for a teen to overcome PTSD. More specifically, supportive family members can assist sufferers in examining their impact on others. In addition, family support can create an environment of improved communication and problem solving skills. Further, it helps if a teen participates in social groups with other teens who are suffering from PTSD. Mutual support groups such as these share feelings, insight and deal with guilt about coming to terms with what some teens have done in order to survive and cope with PTSD.
Healing PTSD in Teens
Talking about feelings and reactions to events with others creates an open environment for expression as well as trust. Cognitive therapy is also a very effective treatment for PTSD. This type of therapy can help a teen bring out deep-seated beliefs and feelings about the event, come to terms with it and trust again.
Support comes in many forms. One important caveat to remember is to suspend judgment of a teen’s actions that have this disorder. Out of control behavior is typical and can be dangerous and this is why it is important to seek help right away. Teens with PTSD are prone to flashbacks and extreme negative behavior. Patience, openness, understanding, knowledge of PTSD and a belief that things can and will get better are all supportive attitudes and should be practiced on a regular basis.
I personally believe in the miracle of spiritual healing and therefore I always recommend some type of breathing exercise, prayer or meditation and even chakra or energy healing. This can especially help with the anxiety associated with PTSD. Spiritual support opens the door to greater peace of mind and a teen may be more likely to trust the process of healing. Teens that believe they have the option of giving their suffering over to a higher power for complete healing usually stay open to spiritual support for other stress-related situations.
Going Forward
As you can see there are many ways to support a teen with PTSD. The most important thing to remember is to believe that it doesn’t last forever and there are many options available to treat it. If you are suffering from PTSD, trust the process of healing and allow the loved ones in your life to stand beside you and offer their support.
Cicely Majeed is a trained behavior therapist, Social Psychologist in training, life coach for at-risk youth, fashion designer, author and motivational speaker. She is the founder and CEO of Cages 2 Wings, an organization that caters to the personal development of teenagers. Cicely has designed her own curriculum called t.h.i.n.k. which teaches teens to gain knowledge of self and use more brain power. Earlier this year, Cicely published her first spiritual book for teens called “Before the 2nd Set of Footprints”, which can be purchased on her website, online store or at Amazon.com. For more information about the t.h.i.n.k. program and other products and services, please visit her website at www.cages2wings.com.
The views expressed here are solely those of the author. To contribue to ”PTSD Professional Perspective” contact Michele.
[i] Ronald J. Comer, Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, 5th edition (New York: Worth Publishers, 2008), 139
Tags: Cicely Majeed, post-traumatic stress, ptsd, symptoms, teens
Michelle this is great info – very insightful.
@Jo — I’m glad you find the info useful! PTSD info doesn’t often raise awareness for the teen population but if we help them sooner, there will be less PTSD adults!
hey um yeah so i am 15 and i have ptsd. its been getting worse over the past several weeks. I no your probably gonna say go talk to a therapist. but I CANT. due to the trauma… i have extremeeeeeeeeee trust issues. i cant even begin to start talking about the trauma… without getting a panic attack. what should i do?
@JM– The good news is: you don’t have to talk about the details of your trauma in order to be able to feel better. There are lots of alternative methods for recovery. Check out here: http://healmyptsd.com/treatment/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-treatment-alternative-therapy-options
And also, there’s a ton of info in the vids on the Heal My PTSD You Tube channel, both about alternative recovery options and why you don’t need to relive the trauma in order to let it go: http://www.youtube.com/user/HealMyPTSD/featured
Is there an adult who can help you decide which alternative recovery option to choose? That would be very helpful for you, too.
You can feel better, you just have to figure out which alternative method is right for you.
JM, my daughter is 14 and she has PTSD, panic attacks, depression. I understand you don’t feel you can trust, but do find someone to talk to, preferably someone not emotionally involved in how you feel, like a guidance counsellor, teacher, therapist. Sometimes it takes a while to find the right person. if you like reading and you think self help would be useful, try this book: the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook by Glenn R. Schiraldi. I bought it on amazon, it’s not too expensive, or you could try the library. The beginning chapters are good at explaining what is happening to you when you have panic attacks. It’s good for family or friends who care about you to read too to understand what you are going through. I think part of healing is understanding what is happening, and maybe that will open the way to trusting someone to help you later. best wishes.
I am doing research on PTSD in teenagers and its effects on their performance levels.Can you help me please?
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I’m 16 years old I’m not sure if I have PTSD, but I have all the symptoms. It’s been four months from when then accident happended. I keep having nightmare, waking up with my heart beating like I had been running a mile. Then during the day I keep having flashbacks, and the sounds still huant me. Anything scares me I never use to do that. I can’t pay attention in school, and everything gets on my nerves. I don’t know what to do, I’m going to a family counsolor for the death but I’m not getting over the acciednet. I hate this. I don’t know who to go to.
Hi Michelle, my name is Nicole. I was recently diagnosed with PTSD from a very traumatic hospital visit involving my health. I am now writing a school paper on PTSD awareness involving young people. I was wondering if you could help me by answering a few questions for my paper
.
1) When you were in your teens with PTSD, what would you say your biggest challenge was?
2) How do you think having PTSD at such a young age has shaped you as a person?
3) Who helped you the most as you worked through your PTSD? What did he/she do that was particularly helpful?
4) A lot of people in the world have PTSD, and I think it’s safe to say that, if given the opportunity to be cured tomorrow and never speak of the word PTSD again, they would. So my two final questions are: what inspired you to become a professional in helping teens with PTSD? Does working with teens with PTSD, especially as some may have similar cases to your own, ever bother you or bring back some of your PTSD?
Thank you for your time and help
-Nicole
I am now 16 but i was 15 when i first was diagnosed with ptsd and severe depression. I was gang raped and went around six months indinial i guess but i finally got help and its been a year but thanks to rape crisis i have already sought improvement. I was put on zoloft/setraline an antidepressant which as no good i just got addicted then stopped cold turkey and got bad withdrawal symptoms it upsets me knowing there is so little information about ptsd in teenagers so I hope by reading this you’ll seek help i was on the verge of taking my own life and i still suffer from the same thoughts and emotions from time to time but ptsd is no longer my life its is becoming the past and i am overcoming it please consider seeking help.