Daily we are bombarded with traumatic events through the media: the Oklahoma tornado, the Boston Marathon bombing, the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, the Aurora movie theatre shooting or the Columbine High School shooting.

Do you talk with your teen about these events? Traumatic events affect everyone and often we discuss these events with our younger children, spouse, co-workers and friends but we forget about our teenagers. Maybe we figure they are too busy with their own lives or they won’t want to talk about these events. You may be surprised. Teenagers are very tuned into their world and the world around them. Social media constantly broadcasts events of the day.

In Part 1 of this blog, we discussed reactions to traumatic events and how they can cause Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in teenagers.

Now we are going to discuss other issues that can develop in teenagers due to traumatic events.

Depression is feeling sad and having low moods for several weeks. Depression interferes with daily life. Your teen may be less energetic, lose interest in activities they once enjoyed, etc. They feel like things will never get better. They may feel guilty or hopeless. There are no right answers to why things happen.

Sometimes the depression caused from a traumatic event or disaster can lead to a teen wanting to hurt them self or end their life. This is serious. If your teenager is talking about suicide, get help now.

Teens can become angry after a traumatic event and feel that it wasn’t fair. They don’t understand why the situation happened. Anger is a normal and natural emotion, but if the anger continues it can result in aggressive behavior that causes problems in relationships. We know that acting out anger just makes things worse. Talk to your teen when you see he or she is angry and validate their feelings. Let them know it is ok to feel angry and upset about a situation. Remind them it is not ok to act out their anger.

Another problem that a traumatic event can lead to in teenagers is Drug or Alcohol Abuse. It is a common way to for people to deal with feelings, memories or mental images of a disaster or traumatic event. It is a form of self medicating to numb the intense or difficult feelings attached to a traumatic situation. Of course, we know this is not the answer to dealing with the affects of a traumatic event.

Recovery takes time. Immediately after a traumatic event it is difficult to stop thinking about it. Emotions are heightened. Typically the intensity of the emotions and feelings will subside as time goes by. It is a gradual process.

Treatment for anxiety, depression, alcohol and substance abuse is available. Triumph Youth Services has years of experience working with young men suffering from PTSD, depression, drug and alcohol abuse and many more.

Call them today.

Reference:
http://www.wipps.org/BTS/ptsd_subpages/handouts/Reactions_Survivors.pdf