Overview of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

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Overview of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
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Overview

• Post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD is a serious
  mental health condition that affects people who
• have survived a terrifying physical or emotional
  event. Even after they are safe and physically
• removed from the event, people with PTSD are
  plagued by flashbacks, memories or frightening
• thoughts that can last for weeks, months and
  sometimes years. 
• While you have probably heard about PTSD in the
  context of war veterans, the disorder can
• impact anyone who has gone through a traumatic
  experience including children.
• Other facts about PTSD you might not have known
• Girls are more likely to develop it than boys.
• The more violent the experience, the more likely
  a survivor will have PTSD.
• A child has a greater chance of developing PTSD
  if the trauma involved her family or others very
• close to her.
• A solid support network is essential in
  recovering from PTSD.

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PTSD Symptoms Causes

• What are the symptoms of post-traumatic stress
  disorder?
• Intense anxiety when separated from family
  members or around
• strangers
• Disturbances in sleep
• Sad, withdrawn mood
• Feeling jittery, on edge or on guard
• Easily startled, especially by sounds or sudden
  movements
• Loss of interest in activities and subjects
  previously enjoyed
• Physical or emotional detachment from family
  members and friends
• Feeling or acting numb
• Difficulty displaying affection
• Excessive or illogical irritability

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PTSD Symptoms Causes

• What can cause post-traumatic stress disorder in
  a child?
• Accidents, such as car or plane crashes
• Natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes
• Acts of war or terrorism
• Violent crimes, such as a home invasion,
  kidnapping or murder
• Physical, emotional or sexual abuse either of the
  child or of another
• family member in front of the child
• Neglect
• House fires
• Exposure to violence at school or in the
  community

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Treatments for PTSD in Children

• Psychotherapy
• PTSD Treatment for Child or talk therapy, is the
  mainstay of mental health
• treatment at Children's. Psychotherapy will teach
  a child with PTSD specific coping strategies,
  including learning how to
• Identify feelings of fear
• Manage fear and anxiety with relaxation
  techniques and self-soothing
• activities
• Talk or play-act, for very young children through
  the traumatic event
• to release and understand buried feelings
• Think about the traumatic event in ways that do
  not involve self-
• blame or guilt
• Plan what to do if another traumatic event should
  occur
• Restore trust in others and build hope for the
  future

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Trauma Systems Therapy

• Children's psychiatrists and psychologists have
  used TST to train other
• clinicians, as well as providers in health and
  community agencies, to
• Recognize when a child is struggling with loss of
  emotional control
• tied to a trauma
• Take steps to address the problems in the child's
  environment that
• continue to trigger these feelings
• TST also teaches children themselves to develop
  skills for keeping
• emotional control during times of stress.