Learning how to understand, process and cope with difficulties – even tragedies – is a natural part of a child’s development process. But sometimes children get stuck. A sad, scary, bad or confusing experience, or repeated experiences, may leave a child with an overwhelming sense of fear and loss, making them feel that they have no safety or control over their lives. For some children, these feelings become so intense that they get in the way of their continued physical, emotional, social or intellectual development.
Trauma Symptoms for children can present differently than adults. Children can express the following:
- personally, experiencing traumatic events.
- witness to extreme exposure of adverse events
- distressing dreams and sleep disturbance
- distress from triggers
- avoidance
- feeling detached from others
- irritability and self-destructive behavior
- bed wetting
- angry outbursts toward self/family/friends/teachers
- negative beliefs and emotional state, unable to experience positive emotions
- inability to remember events (foggy brain) and difficulty to concentrate
- hypervigilant and a startled response
- avoidance and feeling detached from others.
Support, guidance and assistance of a therapist is fundamental for a child’s healing and meeting developmental mile stones.
If you or someone you know match the trauma symptoms listed above, I am confident that I can help and invite you to contact me today for a free consultation.
(207) 318-8899
therapy@renewcounselingme.com