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Pushed Far Beyond Their Limits 

Trauma happens when teenagers experience a negative event that goes far beyond their ability to handle it and is deeply disturbing to them. Trauma can happen in many different ways. It can range from experiencing severe physical harm or pain to intense fear of death or injury. Teenagers can suffer trauma resulting from sexual abuse, physical abuse, or emotional abuse. Sometimes the trauma happens in "slow motion" where we can't point to a specific event and it seems to be more about how things were generally. The defining characteristic is that whatever happened it was so intense and horrible that the teenager was not able to deal with it and they are still suffering the effects of the trauma even though the trauma itself may have happened long ago. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is the mind and body's attempt to deal with unresolved trauma. The symptoms of PTSD can include intense fearful reactions triggered by events that are reminiscent of the trauma like panic attacks and avoidant behavior. Nightmares and flashbacks are also common. Left untreated PTSD can be very damaging to a teenager's life. 

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Treating trauma and PTSD involves developing a therapeutic relationship with plenty of trust. Then doing the difficult work of processing the various emotional and physical consequences of the trauma by talking about the traumatic experience with the associated emotions present and listening to the body's physical reactions. Trauma tends to have a heavy physical component and is "held" by the body. This can manifest in muscle tension, digestive issues, headaches, skin reactions, breathing irregularities, and heart palpitations. PTSD can also give rise to other disorders like depression or substance abuse, making the treatment more complicated. It's emotionally demanding work that requires courageousness on the part of the teenager. But as the teenager becomes more and more comfortable "going there" the emotional intensity begins to digest, valuable lessons and strength begin to show. ​

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Parenting teenagers who are suffering from PTSD can be confounding because their reactions do not have a direct link to what they are experiencing in the present. These teenagers are truly haunted by their trauma. It's common for them to be dismissed as "dramatic", "exaggerating" or even "psychotic" because the real reasons for their inordinate reactions are only found by understanding what they went through and what it did to them. And that's not apparent in the moment.  However, when parents understand PTSD more fully they can be a powerful part of helping their teenagers heal and recover their strength. Eventually, teenagers can free themselves from the effects of trauma and reclaim their independence. 

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Below are some typical symptoms of PTSD that may help you determine if your teenager could benefit from psychotherapy to address their trauma. 

Does your Teenager:

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• Have Regular Nightmares?

• Experience Flashbacks?

• Have Intrusive Thoughts About Their Trauma?

• Can't Seem to "Get Over" What Happened to Them?

• Avoid Thinking or Talking About Their Trauma?

• Avoid Reminders of Their Trauma?

• Show Signs of Being Afraid of Reexperiencing Their Trauma?

• Have Trouble Remembering Their Trauma?

• Seem Numb to or Detached From The Trauma?

• Act Constantly On Edge?

• Show Hypervigilence?

• Have Erratic Outburts?

• Have Unexplained Physical Problems?