Dr. Henry Paul, MD

Psychiatrist, Author and Educator

PTSD IS AFFECTING OUR CHILDREN, TOO!

May 28th, 2014

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, often referred to as PTSD is in the news a lot. Much of the time referring to the anxiety disorder that many of our troops have returned home with. This anxiety disorder occurs after a person is a victim of, or exposed to, or a witness to a traumatic event(s) in which there is the experience of perceived possibility of death and/or bodily injury, and during which there was great fear, helplessness, horror, mental disorganization, or agitation. This can be one event (major car accident) or a series such as repeated sexual or physical abuse, or in the case of the troops, the horrors of war. PTSD can occur rather soon after a trauma or actually appear many months later.

In children and teenagers, several of the behavioral problems they manifest can be due to traumatic anxiety they are experiencing. Events that can cause PTSD in young people include a friend’s suicide, death of a parent or other family member or close friend, serious illness, seeing violence in the area where they live or in the house, physical or sexual abuse or parental drug use. As a result of the event(s) there is:

  1. An ongoing re-experiencing of the event(s) through mental images, thoughts, or perceptions of it
  2. Repetitive play involving aspects of the trauma (violent play themes over and over) Repetitive nightmares
  3. Repetitive re-enactments of the event
  4. Dissociative flashbacks (during which the child feels as if he is re-experiencing the event and misperceives events)
  5. Severe anxiety and altered physiology (startle response) when exposed to cues reminiscent of the trauma Avoidance of anything which reminds one of the event
  6. Altered memory
  7. Feeling distant and estranged
  8. A narrowing of feeling experience
  9. An attitude which conveys a feeling of having a foreshortened future
  10. Sleep problems, irritability, worry, startle response, trouble concentrating, hyper-vigilence, excessive anger.

According to the United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs about 15% to 43% of girls and 14% to 43% of boys go through at least one trauma. Of those children and teens who have had a trauma, 3% to 15% of girls and 1% to 6% of boys develop PTSD. Rates of PTSD are higher for certain types of trauma survivors.

DISCLAIMER

Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.