June is PTSD Awareness Month. Throughout the month, Different Dream is raising awareness with a variety of posts about PTSD in children and parents of children with special needs. Today’s post looks at one way to prevent PTSD in children experiencing traumatic grief due to the loss of a loved one.

Grief Support for Children Can Prevent PTSD

The loss of a loved one can be very traumatic for children. Children need support from adults to process the traumatic grief they feel or the unresolved trauma can develop into PTSD. Unfortunately, the people closest to the child are also grieving, fragile, and unequipped for the task. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that organizations exist around the country to help children process their grief and support parents as they support their children. National Public Radio’s This American Life ran a story on May 15, 2015 about one such organization called The Sharing Place. The Sharing Place is located in Salt Lake City, but their website offers a wealth of links to other grief support for children resources.

The radio story about grief support for children is the third act of This American Life Episode 557. It’s about 20 minutes long and worth your time to listen, though not necessarily an easy listen. You will learn so much!

What Do You Know about Grief Support for Children?

Are you the parent of a child who has sought grief support for children after a traumatic loss? What was your experience? What resources do you recommend? What warnings can you offer? Share your hard-earned wisdom in the comment box if you wish…and I am so sorry for the loss that qualifies you to answer these questions.

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