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In-Depth Information on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
For more detailed information on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, including symptoms, treatment, real-life stories, and questions and answers, see About Posttraumatic Stress Disorder .
Overview of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
A child may develop Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after witnessing or being exposed to an extreme traumatic situation in which the child or a significant person were involved in actual or threatened death or injury causing intense fear, helplessness or horror. In most cases, the initial shock and distress elicited by the trauma diminish with time and the emotional wounds are processed and diffused. When the memory of the trauma does not abate and the disturbance causes impairment in different areas of life, the child is at risk for developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Children's PTSD symptoms fall into three different categories including
- re-experiencing: reliving the traumatic event through recurrent memories or nightmares
- arousal: nervousness, irritability or anger, disorganized and agitated behavior
- avoidance: shunning thoughts, feelings or places that evoke memories of the event.
Cause: PTSD may develop after a one time event, after repeated abuse, or in children who live in violent environments or war zones. Children are also likely to be born with different biological tendencies to respond to stress.
Treatment: In the early aftermath of an event, intervention by parents and professionals can be helpful. In addition to family and community support, children with symptoms that do not abate may be successfully treated with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to help children restructure their thoughts and learn coping strategies for handling distressing symptoms.
Related Articles
The following articles are arranged chronologically, according to the date of publication or last update.
Organizations
Browse through a list of staff-selected organizations and online resources to learn more about Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
