Trauma in Teens: How it Effects Them, How Adults Can Help and Be More Involved
Blog By Hailey Dalton
Learning Objectives:
- Teen trauma and the struggles of teens opening up.
- Signs of trauma in your teen.
- How to help your teens with their trauma.
What is Teen Trauma?
Trauma in teens is something that is overlooked in many teenagers" lives. Teenagers often have a hard time expressing themselves and asking for help. Due to not wanting to seem weak.₂ They often will not ask for help when needed and act like everything is fine. This is not a habit that you want your teenagers to form. As parents you need to be inviting and encourage your children to come to you when they are struggling, or if something that was unjust happened to them. You need to be loving and not overlook signs that your teenagers give you in regards to their struggles.₃
Teenagers are most likely to have trauma from experiences in their childhood.₂ This is why parents need to be actively involved in their Child"s life. I am not suggesting that you are a helicopter parent, but creating a relationship with your children from a young age. projecting as a parent that you are always a source of comfort and help to them. That will heighten the chance of your child coming to you if something happens to them.
Be a source of comfort for your children. I know as a parent this can be scary to have these types of conversations with your teens. It is overall better that you do.₃ Your kids may react well or they may react in a way of defensiveness. It is shown in a study that was done about how parents react in these kinds of conversations and how children react. Crazy enough the kids are more comfortable in having these conversations than their parents.₃ Overall what I think that is saying is your child just wants to know that you care and you will listen to them. It is better to have the conversation than putting it off due to us being nervous on how our children will react.
Signs and symptoms of trauma in teenagers:
- Flashbacks
- Sleep problems
- Emotional numbing
- Anti- social behavior
- Depression
- withdrawal/isolation
- School problems
- Guilt
- Confusion
- Risky behavior₂
- self harming₂
Types of Trauma
- Acute Trauma: A single event that last for a limited period of time.₃
- Chronic Trauma: Multiple experiences of trauma over a long period of time.
- Complex Trauma: Trauma that extends over many years of the Child"s life.
Types of Trauma that Children can Carry With Them Into Their Teenage Years
- Being in an unstable or unsafe environment
- Being separated from a parent
- Having a serious childhood illness
- Undergoing any form of childhood abuse including neglect, physical, verbal and sexual abuse.
How we can help:
When your teenager is acting out and it is not their normal behavior check up on them and let them know they can talk to you. They may be reserved at first and not talk, but at least they know you care and will be supportive. The best thing for your children to know is that you are there for them and will help them.₃
- Actively listen
- Check back in with them
- Show you care
- Offer to get them professional help
How unhealed trauma can affect life₃
- Live in a state of fear: This means if the trauma is not fully addressed the trauma victim will always try to avoid those types of situations. This can have a very negative effect on their lives.
- Addiction: Drugs, alcohol, or any other kind of addiction can be used to dumb the feeling they have towards the unhealed trauma.
- Effect relationships: Unhealed trauma can make the trauma victim push away people they were once close to as well as affect them or prohibit them from making further relationships with others.
- Lose trust in everyone and everything: This one is one that can be most hurtful. This can lead the trauma victim to do something that is not good.
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: This can cause the victim to have flashbacks, nightmares, or fear of the traumatic thing happening again. It will put their life on hold to try and prevent those things from happening.
When trauma is unhealed and has stemmed from the teenager"s childhood in some type of abuse, the child will find ways to protect themselves from it the best that they can. They will attempt to come up with their own ways of protecting themselves that will work for only a time, it will eventually catch up with them.₁ It is called emotional conditioning theory.
Therapy For Teenagers With Trauma₁
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Talk therapy to examine the client's thought patters and how they influence behavior and choices.
- Exposure Therapy: This helps clients confront and overcome their fears. It helps them create safe environments in ones they once thought were bad.
- Narrative Exposure Therapy: Our life story heavily depends upon the things that our minds tell us each day. This type of therapy helps clients "rewrite" their story by helping the client develop more positive things to tell oneself. This creates a better outlook on life.
- Psychodynamic Trauma Therapy: This type of therapy focuses on different factors that cause the client's post traumatic stress disorder. It focus on the clients unconscious mind. The therapist helps the client recognize and process the painful memories and feelings so they can get released and not be avoided.
Reflection:
- How will you be more proactive in making sure your teenager is doing okay?
- What can you do as a parent to ensure your child that you are there for them?
- What are ways you can try to be more present in your children's lives?
- ADAMS, C. B. L. (2012). Beyond Attachment: Psychotherapy with a Sexually Abused Teenager. American Journal of Psychotherapy (Association for the Advancement of Psychotherapy)
- Kerig PK. Linking childhood trauma exposure to adolescent justice involvement: The concept of posttraumatic risk‐seeking
- McGuire R, Hiller RM, Cobham V, Haag K, Halligan SL. A mixed-methods investigation of parent-child posttrauma discussion and the effects of encouraging engagement
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