What is Trauma?
There are times in our lives when everything seems to be turned upside down, swirling around us like a hurricane, or as if the ground has dropped out beneath us.
These can include major, traumatic events: losing a job, experiencing a natural disaster, divorce, abuse, a pandemic. They can also be more subtle events that are equally traumatic: a friend moving away, the death of a pet, a new baby, a move to a new home, a change of schools, or a friend no longer talking to us in class.
Trauma is about perception.
Did we feel that we were in danger? Danger could be a threat to our physical selves or to our way of life as we know it.
How Trauma Affects Us
Trauma, regardless of severity, can affect us at psychological and biological levels. It can affect our ability to process information rationally and to calm ourselves.
Children and adults experience similar traumatic reactions in a variety of ways:
- Nightmares
- Intrusive Thoughts
- Sleep Problems
- Physical Complaints (e.g., stomachaches and headaches)
- Withdrawal from others
- Self-harm
- Sadness
- Irritability
- Aggression
- Inattention
- Feeling on edge
- Impulsivity
When Trauma Becomes PTSD
Sometimes trauma overwhelms the brain’s usual adaptive response to events, and we become “stuck.” If the symptoms we experience from a traumatic event persist beyond three months and become disruptive to our functioning in everyday life, PTSD can develop and cause long-term disruption in our lives.
Symptoms can vary over time or from person to person, but overall, PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into four types:
- intrusive memories
- avoidance
- negative changes in thinking and mood
- changes in physical and emotional reactions.
When to Reach Out for Help
If you or your child has any of the above symptoms and it is making it difficult to do the things you could easily do before, reaching out for professional help is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your child. Mental health professionals are trained and passionate about helping others heal from trauma.
You don’t have to go through these events and times alone.
How Therapy Can Help
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network recommends evidence-based practices, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma assessments, and interventions that develop children’s self-regulation.
Cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques have been shown to be effective in treating children and adolescents with persistent trauma reactions and have been demonstrated to reduce serious trauma reactions, such as PTSD, other anxiety and depressive symptoms, and behavioral problems. Most evidence-based, trauma-focused treatments include opportunities for your child to review the trauma in a safe, secure environment under the guidance of a specially trained mental health professional.
CBT and other trauma-focused techniques can help children with cognitive distortions related to the trauma, such as self-blame, develop more adaptive understanding and perceptions of the trauma.
You Are Not Alone
Trauma can be a defining moment, but it doesn’t have to define you! Sometimes we need someone to help us find our way back to ourselves and to the power we have over our lives.
The good news is help is available.
CGC has trained therapists to help your child overcome their trauma and get back to thriving.