Talk with your child’s healthcare provider about other providers who will be included in your child’s care. Keep all appointments with your child's healthcare provider. But it may be needed months or even years after the traumatic event. A child or teen may at first not want counseling. Pretending everything is normal won't help your child.īe supportive and get counseling for children and teens who have seen or gone through a traumatic event. Here are things you can do to help:Īdmit that the event happened. Teach children that it is OK to say no to someone who tries to touch his or her body or make him or her feel uncomfortable.Įncourage prevention programs in your community or local school system.Īs a parent, you play a key role in your child’s treatment. These measures may help prevent PTSD in children: It is also affected by the level of family support. Recovery depends on the child’s inner strengths, coping skills, and ability to bounce back. Others have symptoms that last much longer. These may help some children feel calmer. A child learns skills to handle his or her anxiety and to master the situation that led to the PTSD. It can also improve your child’s quality of life.Ĭognitive behavioral therapy.
It can ease symptoms and enhance your child’s normal development. Early diagnosis and treatment is very important. It will also depend on how severe the condition is. Treatment will depend on your child’s symptoms, age, and general health. He or she will do a mental health evaluation. But they can also start months or years later.Ī child psychiatrist or mental health expert can diagnose PTSD. For those with PTSD, symptoms most often start within 3 months after the traumatic event. PTSD is diagnosed only if symptoms keep happening for more than 1 month and are negatively affecting the child’s life and how he or she functions. Not every child or teen who goes through a trauma gets PTSD. Have physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches Reenact an event for seconds or hours or, in rare cases, daysĪct younger than their age, such as thumb-sucking or bedwetting
The child may believe the event is happening again. These can be images, sounds, smells, or feelings. Stay away from certain places or situations that bring back memories They may seem detached or numb and are not responsive.īe more aggressive than before, even violent Lose interest in things they used to enjoy. They may also:įeel nervous, jittery, or alert and watchful (on guard) They may have nightmares and disturbing memories during the day. Some may relive the trauma over and over again. What are the symptoms of PTSD in a child?Ĭhildren and teens with PTSD feel a lot of emotional and physical distress when exposed to situations that remind them of the traumatic event. How supportive a child’s family and community are after the event How well the child is able to recover quickly from difficult things (resiliency) How close the child was to the traumatic event Violent personal attacks, such as a mugging, rape, torture, or kidnappingĪ child’s risk for PTSD is often affected by: Natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes Invasive medical procedures, especially for children younger than age 6 Something that happened to someone close to the childĪ child or teen may suffer from PTSD after one of these traumatic events:īad accidents, such as car or train wrecks PTSD in children often becomes a long-term (chronic) problem.Ī traumatic event that triggers PTSD may be: They may feel emotionally numb for a very long time. Some children with PTSD have long-term effects. Or they may not happen for 6 months or longer. The symptoms of PTSD may start soon after a stressful event. He or she finds the event terrifying, either physically or emotionally. A child with PTSD keeps having scary thoughts and memories of a past event. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Children What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children?