Suggestions for Teens following Trauma
Trauma can change the way you view your world. You may feel unsafe and insecure about situations and places you normally would enjoy. Your reactions to trauma will depend upon how closely you were involved with the people involved in the trauma, your personality makeup, your normal way of handling situations, and the type and amount of support you have in your life.
It is common for youth, like you, to have difficulty controlling your emotions or to become disinterested in normal activities.
A constructive way to view this situation is that you are normal kids involved in an abnormal circumstance.
It is natural for you to first experience some sort of denial. Fears, worries or nightmares are common following a trauma. Sleep disturbances or eating difficulties may happen. Also, you may begin to regress emotionally or act younger that their your age. You may become more clingy, unhappy and needy of parental attention and comfort. Feelings of irritability, anger, sadness or guilt may often emerge. Somatic complaints such as headaches, stomachaches or sweating are not unusual. You may repeatedly relive the trauma by acting it out in activities or dreams. Other youth, like you, may seek to avoid all reminders of the trauma by withdrawing from relationships, refusing to discuss their feelings, or avoiding activities that remind them of the people or places associated with the trauma. Some loss of interest in school, misbehavior, and poor concentration are other common reactions.
These symptoms may range from mild to severe. More severe symptoms may indicate that you are experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Depression. You need to be aware of how you are coping and try to seek assistance.
What can you do to feel better?
The following list of suggestions may assist you in getting back on track:
1. If you find that you are experiencing self-blame and guilt: Try to figure out which events you can control and which are uncontrollable. You didn't ask to be involved in this crisis…you just are. Try and be positive and focus on the good that you can do to help other youth avoid experiences like yours.
2. If you feel helpless or hopeless: Write or tell your current feelings to others. Share your experience. You are not alone. You need others and others need you. Try and participate in school and community events, memorial services, and future school violence prevention activities.
3. If you are losing interest and feeling down: Try to arrange an interesting activity every day; plan for future special events; discuss enjoyable topics; and focus on the future….You do have one.
4. If you lose your appetite or find yourself gaining or losing weight: Don't force yourself to eat; cook your favorite foods; make meal- time a pleasant occasion.
5. If you experience sleep difficulties: Keep regular bed-time hours; do relaxing and calming activities one hour before bed-time such as reading or listening to soft music; end the day with a positive experience.
6. If your feel that you can't concentrate and you feel restless: Change the activities that may increase your restlessness; participate in some activities that make you feel relaxed; increase your physical exercise and recreation activities.
7. If you feel overly scared or fearful: Participate in planned activities with your friends or family. Keep yourselves active and busy.
8. If you feel angry or you might want to strike back at yourself or someone else: Know that your feelings are normal. Express your feelings in appropriate ways such as talking to friends, family, and other adults that you trust; working out frustration and anger with physical exercise; or create a living memorial to your friends such as memory books, poems, or other artistic creations. Remember your emotions are normal responses to trauma-dealing with them requires good judgment, self-control, and positive support from others.
If you continue to feel emotions you are concerned about, contact your school's psychologist, school social worker, school counselor or your community mental health center.
For more information click on the blue headline to link to naspcenter.
NOTE: This handout is adapted from the Trauma and Children (Authors: Lazarus, P.J.) and Depression in Children (Authors: Saklofske, D., Janzen, J., Hildebrand, D., and Kaufmann, L.) Handouts for Parents, published by the National Association of School Psychologists, Andrea Canter and Servio Carroll, editors., 1998. (301) 657-0270 www.nasponline.org
WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
Clinical depression is an illness involving the body, mood, thoughts and behavior.
It’s not occasional or temporary: it lasts for 2 or more weeks, or 2-3 days each week. Depression is not a passing mood or a sign of personal weakness. It is an illness that can be successfully treated by certain health care providers/mental health professionals.
What are the symptoms of teenage depression?
Early symptoms of adolescent depression can be difficult to diagnose because they appear to be a normal part of the difficulties adolescents face. The normal stresses of adolescence include forming an identify, emerging sexuality, separating from parents, and making decisions for the first time, along with other physical, intellectual, and hormonal changes. An adolescent should be evaluated for depression if he/she experiences the following symptoms over an extended period of time and they interfere with his/her functioning:
• persistent sadness and hopelessness
• changes in eating and sleeping habits (eating and sleeping too much or too little)
• significant weight gain or loss
• missed school, poor school performance and/or a sudden decline in grades
• withdrawal from friends and family
• no longer enjoying activities that were once pleasurable
• indecision, lack of concentration, or forgetfulness
• feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• overreaction to criticism, irritability
• feeling that nothing is worth the effort
• frequent health complaints when no physical ailment exists
• anger, rage, anxiety
• lack of enthusiasm and motivation
• drug/alcohol abuse, thoughts of death or suicide
What causes depression?
Many factors contribute to depression, including genetic, biochemical, environmental, psychological and social. Risk factors may also contribute to depression, which can include:
• loss of a parent, friend or loved one
• break up of a romantic relationship
• abuse or neglect
• trauma, including natural disasters
