![]() ![]() What your child needs most is your understanding, soothing presence, and support to get through it.” Stern notes that “these signs do not mean there’s anything ‘wrong’ with your child - they are your child’s ways of trying to cope with a traumatic event. “You know your child better than anyone and can tell if something is ‘off.’ Notice if there is a major shift in your child’s behavior, especially eating or sleep disturbances (nightmares, trouble falling asleep alone, sleeping much more than usual), increased clinginess or anxiety, avoidance of particular places or individuals, somatic symptoms without a clear physical cause (such as (stomach aches or headaches), or sudden changes in mood, irritability, or aggression.” “One of the best things parents can do - whether dealing with emotional trauma or children’s normal ‘ups and downs’ - is noticing,” says Stern. “These experiences literally get ‘under the skin,’ shaping risky behavior and risks to physical and mental health.” How do you spot the signs and support your child? “Childhood emotional trauma, if left unaddressed, can alter the development of the brain and body’s stress response system,” says Stern. Repetitive play - for example, repeatedly re-enacting a dog bite - can reveal experiences and emotions where a child may be feeling stuck in the trauma of the event.”Īny trauma symptom can be transient or long-term, which is why spotting signs early and supporting your child is of utmost importance. “Because children process their experiences through play, they may also re-enact traumatic events this way. It can also make it harder for them to form relationships and attachments with others.Īmong the less obvious symptoms, adds Stern, are reenactments of the experience. Trauma in children can evoke feelings of fear or constant anxiety and make it really hard to regulate their emotions. It can even impair memory and lead to low self-esteem. *This could also affect how someone's mind works, like how they learn. There are dozens of ways that trauma can manifest within children, including: ![]() So even when we’re no longer in danger, our brains and bodies remain on high alert, releasing a cascade of stress hormones that can interfere with our ability to pay attention, sleep, or engage with others socially.” Emotionally, there may be a feeling of helplessness, loss of control, and a sense of being stuck in that mode. “But in childhood trauma, we often can’t escape the threat or return to a feeling of safety. ![]() “Major stressors put our bodies into fight/flight/freeze mode - our entire nervous system is focused on managing a threat and keeping us safe,” she says. The same is true of children and adolescents, explains Jessica Stern, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Virginia’s department of psychology. Trauma experts agree that “ the body keeps the score,” which means that when we experience a seriously distressing event, the trauma has a way of weaving its way throughout our bodies, with the after-effects of fear and stress showing up days, weeks, months, and even years later, especially if we don’t actively work on healing. What happens to the mind and body after trauma? Trauma responses can also vary by age and/or developmental stage, so it’s understandable if you want to support your little one no matter what they’ve gone through or how they’re handling it. Some potentially traumatic stressors include bullying psychological, physical, or sexual abuse and/or neglect natural disasters, terrorism, and community and school violence witnessing or experiencing intimate partner violence sexual exploitation accidents illness or injury the sudden or violent loss of a loved one refugee and war experiences and military-related experiences, such as parental deployment, loss, or injury.īut not every child reacts to every event in the same way, and in some cases, parents might not even be aware their child has had a traumatic experience. Many experiences can trigger an emotional trauma response in kids, per SAMHSA. Children of all ages can suffer from traumatic stress after experiencing a violent or dangerous physical, psychological, or emotional experience, and it can overwhelm their ability to cope and heal properly, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Try as we may, we can’t keep our little ones in a bubble and protect them from bad things happening to them - especially these days, when it can feel downright impossible to shield your child from trauma. ![]()
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