“When an individual is traumatized, especially early on in life, the memory of the trauma is stored both in the brain and the body,” explains Carla Marie Manly, PhD, a clinical psychologist, trauma specialist, and author based in Sonoma, California. When you feel or act emotionally younger than your actual age, this is known as age regression.Īge regression means that, later in life, child-like behavior patterns can appear again when we feel unsafe or when we encounter triggers related to previous trauma - even if we’re unaware that we’ve been triggered. Trauma can “freeze” your emotional response at the age you experienced it. When trauma impairs your ability to develop full emotional maturity, this is known as arrested psychological development. But preventing risks for trauma, like maltreatment, violence, or injuries, or lessening the impact of unavoidable disasters on children, can help protect a child from PTSD.Traumatic events can overwhelm your body and mind, leaving a lasting mark on your mood, relationship, and sense of self long after the trauma has ended. Many factors may play a role, including biology and temperament. It is not known exactly why some children develop PTSD after experiencing stressful and traumatic events, and others do not. If you need help finding treatment facilities, visit.Find a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, a search tool by the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder, a research tool by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP).Psychologist Locator, a service of the American Psychological Association (APA) Practice Organization.Here are tools to find a healthcare provider familiar with treatment options: Medication may also be used to decrease symptoms. Behavior therapy, specifically cognitive-behavioral therapy, helps children learn to change thoughts and feelings by first changing behavior in order to reduce the fear or worry. Psychotherapy in which the child can speak, draw, play, or write about the stressful event can be done with the child, the family, or a group. Once the diagnosis is made, the first step is to make the child feel safe by getting support from parents, friends, and school, and by minimizing the chance of another traumatic event to the extent possible. Because the event was distressing, children may not want to talk about the event, so a health provider who is highly skilled in talking with children and families may be needed. For a PTSD diagnosis, a specific event must have triggered the symptoms. The first step to treatment is to talk with a healthcare provider to arrange an evaluation. Learn about the guidelines for diagnosing and treating PTSD Serious illness or death of a close family member or friend.Being a victim or witness to violence or crime.Physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment.Read a guide for clinicians on deciding if it is ADHD or child traumatic stress.Įxamples of events that could cause PTSD include Avoiding places or people associated with the eventīecause children who have experienced traumatic stress may seem restless, fidgety, or have trouble paying attention and staying organized, the symptoms of traumatic stress can be confused with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Denying that the event happened or feeling numb.
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