Trauma Signs, Sources & Therapies to Help Your Teen

Trauma is on the rise among teenagers. As many as 43% of young people have experienced at least one traumatic event. After suffering trauma, regardless of the cause, children have an increased risk for panic disorders, anxiety, and depression.

The ongoing effects of trauma on adolescents can lead to eating disorders, behavioral issues, and problems developing healthy relationships. Some teens with traumatic experiences will develop PTSD, a more severe form of trauma that impacts daily life.

Trauma is not something to ignore, and it won’t go away on its own. Thankfully, help is available, but first, you must learn to identify trauma and its effects to get help for your child when needed.

Common Sources of Trauma in Teens

Teens can experience a number of traumatic events, but some are more common for adolescents than others. Some common sources of teen trauma may include:

1. Abuse

Abuse towards teens can take many forms. Sadly, many teens are victims of physical and sexual abuse. These have lasting effects on the teen and may make them more prone to PTSD because of it.

Emotional abuse can also happen to teenagers. This form of abuse often comes from a caregiver or sibling. Neglect is a form of emotional abuse that can lead to PTSD, especially if the neglect happened when the teen was going through a major developmental change.

2. Natural Disasters

Teenage victims of natural disasters, such as house fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods, often experience trauma. While this trauma happens to the entire community, its effect on the teen is still strong. The uncertainty that comes in the aftermath of these types of disasters has long-term effects.

3. Medical Trauma

If a teenager has a serious medical condition, the ongoing fear of the outcome, along with the trauma that comes from invasive medical procedures, can have an effect. Medical stress at a young age can cause psychological damage to the child. This can even be true if it was not the teen who was sick but rather someone the teen was close to.

4. Spousal Abuse

Teens who witness the abuse of a parent from an intimate partner can experience a trauma response. This source of trauma is often overlooked because the negative action didn’t happen to the teen directly. However, the effect is still strong.

5. Grief

The loss of a loved one to death, especially if that loved one was a close family member, can lead to trauma. Teens who have a parent who dies or who loses a sibling may experience PTSD symptoms.

6. Bullying

Bullying is a form of emotional abuse, but it deserves its own spot on the list because it is so prevalent. The advent of cyberbullying, which makes it difficult for a child to get away from their bullies, has made this an even stronger source of trauma. Teens who are bullied can feel like the bullying is a relentless problem with no hope of relief.

 

Recognizing Signs of Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms for Teens

Almost every teen will suffer some form of traumatic experience during adolescence, but not every teen will develop PTSD or need trauma-informed treatment. How can you know if your child does? Some signs of unhealthy trauma coping mechanisms in teenagers indicate that you consider teen trauma therapy treatment include:

• • Self-medicating with drugs or alcohol

• • Withdrawing from family and friends

• • Changes in academics

• • No interest in extra-curricular activities

• • Sudden changes in mood or ongoing problems with mood swings

• • Changes in appearance

• • Sudden weight loss or weight gain

• • Increased anxiety and panic attacks

These signs of trauma and symptoms don’t always mean a child is dealing with PTSD, but they can indicate a problem and will benefit from early intervention for teen trauma.