4 Childhood Trauma and PTSD Updates

by jphilo | Feb 23, 2015 | Advocacy and Research, Different Dream, PTSD

4 Childhood Trauma and PTSD Updates

Childhood trauma and PTSD have been in the news frequently of late. That’s good news after years of trying to raise awareness about this form of mental illness. For this author, whose book about childhood trauma and PTSD will be released later in 2015, it’s good news indeed. It’s even better news for parents raising traumatized children. This post highlights four advances in the field that have been in the news during the past several months.

Anxiety Disorders, Childhood Trauma, and PTSD

Anxiety disorders are often closely tied to childhood trauma and PTSD. This article at Mom Junction describes 5 types of childhood anxiety. Then, it offers 9 practical ways to deal with anxiety issues in kids. If your child’s trauma is manifested by anxiety, you will want to read 5 Types and 9 Ways to Deal with Anxiety in your Kid.

How Teachers Can Help Kids Impacted by Childhood Trauma and PTSD

Next up is a short article at The Atlantic’s website. The article suggests five strategies teachers can use to support traumatized children. Why do teachers need to know these strategies? Because, the article says, 1/4 of students have experienced a traumatic event. So you might want to check out How Teachers Help Students Who’ve Survived Trauma and then pass it on to your child’s teacher. Even if your children haven’t been traumatized, many of their classmates are.

Childhood Trauma and PTSD Impacts More than One in Four Kids

If you find it hard to believe that 1 in 4 children are impacted by childhood trauma and PTSD, then prepare yourself for an even bigger shock. New research conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore finds that almost half of children in the United States suffer from traumatic stress. Still skeptical? Then read this Health Day press release to get the whole story.

Preventing Childhood Trauma and PTSD in Medically Fragile Children

And finally, a new program at Children’s Hospital of Orange County is being used to prevent or reduce childhood trauma and PTSD in hospitalized children. The hospital has built an Infusionarium. One wall of the Infusionarium, where kids play video games and check their social media accounts while receiving chemo or other infusions, is a huge aquarium. To get the whole story, A Hub for Social Media and Video Games Can Reduce PTSD in Kids Enduring Chemo Treatment, explains the Infusionarium very well.

Other Childhood Trauma and PTSD News?

Have you read other stories about childhood trauma and PTSD lately? Heard about some breakthroughs? Please tell about them in the comment box. Thanks!

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Jolene Philo is the author of the Different Dream series for parents of kids with special needs. She speaks at parenting and special needs conferences around the country. She’s also the creator and host of the Different Dream website. Sharing Love Abundantly With Special Needs Families: The 5 Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities, which she co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman, was released in August of 2019 and is available at local bookstores, their bookstore website, and at Amazon.

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How Does a Parent Develop PTSD?

For the parent of a child with ASD, the initial trauma comes from realizing that ‘something isn’t right’ with her child, researching, and ultimately gaining the diagnosis. This trauma is perpetuated when a parent begins to mourn and grieve the loss of the child that he thought he would have. The next phase is gaining treatment and not being entirely sure how it will work and what the outcome will be. Then, adolescence hits and some children with ASD become aggressive. Some kids have been aggressive all along. As a result, parents are left defending themselves, hiding bruises, and staying at home so that ‘no one else’ can witness the physical aggression. This becomes even more complicated when there are other children in the home who parents struggle to give attention, nurturance and time to but can’t because taking care of a child with ASD can sometimes be a 24 hour job.

Raising a child with ASD can also take a toll on a marriage. Parents are left to care with little time for themselves as a couple. Finding someone else to care for the child is difficult. That caretaker or babysitter needs to be trained and be okay with some physical aggression and meltdowns. And the icing on the cake is that some families become one income households so that one parent can take care of the multiple needs and therapies for the child with ASD, meaning that money can be tight, which is another source of distress for parents. Sometimes the marriage doesn’t survive.

Parents are also left anticipating what might trigger their child and are constantly accommodating and modifying the environment to help their child to stay calm or regulated. As children with ASD get older, some parents of children who are aggressive have to make a very tough decision about whether or not to find a residential program.

Throughout this process that takes place over years and years, parents become burned out, distressed, anxious, depressed and sometimes even feel hopeless and helpless.

How to Gain Help for PTSD

For those families that are eligible, finding community and state-based resources such as Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) which can offer respite care. That is, for a few hours per month, a DDD representative will take care of the child with ASD so that parents can have a break. (To find the DDD in your state, do an internet search with the terms “division of developmental disabilities” and the name of your state.)

For parents who feel distressed, seek help. Consult with a psychologist to help you process your emotions and your experience, and offer you support throughout your journey. If feelings of nervousness or sadness become overwhelming, it is okay to consult with a psychiatrist for anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication. It is okay for parents to seek help for themselves instead of maintaining a 100% focus on their child with ASD.
If your child’s school offers parent support groups, participate in them. Talk to the other parents who are also experiencing the same types of stressors and emotions. Find solace in each other. Have play dates with each other. Offer respite to each other.

Your Experience with PTSD and Parents of Kids with Special Needs?

If you have advice for stressed-out parents of kids with special needs or if you think you have PTSD, leave a comment in the box below. You can also contact me via email using this form.

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Dr. Liz Matheis is a clinical psychologist and school psychologist in Parsippany, NJ. She offers support, assessments, and advocacy for children who are managing Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, learning disabilities, and behavioral difficulties, as well as their families. She is also a contributor to several popular magazines. Visit www.psychedconsult.com for more information.