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Supporting Teens in the Aftermath of Traumatic Events
13 Reasons Why Supporting Teens in the Aftermath of Traumatic Events
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Loss of familiar situations, friends, family, environment
Bullying Assault Shaming Community violence Rejection Abandonment Isolation Bereavement Psychological abuse Loss of familiar situations, friends, family, environment Sexual exploitation Natural disasters Sexual assault or rape Accidents LGBTQ issues Neglect Physical abuse Image from Marybicknell.com Image from Marybicknell.com
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Impact of trauma Anxiety, panic attacks Depression
Difficulty sleeping, nightmares Flashbacks of the event Easily startled or triggered Image from clipart-library.com
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Easily angered, irritability
May withdraw from others, avoid school Physical complaints Looking to escape from the pain, emotional numbing
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Joyner’s Suicide risk model
Thwarted Belongingness Perceived Burdensomeness Acquired Capacity Thomas Joiner, PhD
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Supporting teens in the aftermath of trauma
First and foremost, believe them! Don’t minimize what has happened Don’t try to get too quickly to “it will be ok” Try to avoid over-reacting Helpguide.org
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Show that you can be strong and be a support
Do encourage them to talk; if they don’t want to talk, encourage staying engaged, be together Show that you can be strong and be a support Netflix.com
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Express your love and support Ask what would be the most helpful
Be aware of media exposure, social media Validate their feelings and concerns Help build hope for the future clipartfest/com
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Guilt and Shame If the teen was a victim of someone else’s behavior, reassure them it was not their fault Help the teen discern the difference between things he/she is responsible for and things he/she is not Talk about feelings of unfairness, guilt, shame, anger, desire for revenge conexuscounseling.ca
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If the teen did something of which he/she is not proud, talk about taking responsibility, making amends, doing better next time Never blame the victim for being in the “wrong place,” dressing inappropriately, drinking too much Differentiate between doing things in the future to enhance safety vs inappropriately blaming the victim theclearingnw.com
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Bullying: what you can do
Respond to the bully firmly, act confident even when you are not Do something unexpected (such as using humor) or something kind Don’t walk alone, avoid isolated places, find allies Block the cyberbully through , phone, social media Report any threats or violence Stick up for others who are being bullied Tell a trusted adult Teensafe.com
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Ways to Manage Overwhelming Emotions
Self-soothing (think of relaxing via the 5 senses) Distraction for some respite Mindfulness practice, meditation, spiritual practice Pay attention to physical well-being: sleep, nutrition, exercise Stick to routines or create routines Minimize other sources of stress mashable.com
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What do trauma victims need?
Being heard and respected Re-develop a sense of safety Re-establish a sense of autonomy and power linkedin.com
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Dealing with the push away
Show support and care, don’t give up Be patient Tolerate some lack of disclosure Talk about talking about it Theodesseyonline.com
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Use other ways to communicate: notes, art, poetry, music
Encourage talking with other trusted adults Agree upon how we would know things are getting too difficult learningforlife.fsu.edu
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Safety Planning What keeps me going when times are hard? Reasons to want to live, things that give me hope Stressors and triggers: avoid when I can, be prepared when they happen anyway Warning signs I might notice that indicate I am struggling Warning signs others might notice linkedin.com
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Ways to cope that I can do with others: meet for coffee, watch a movie
Ways to cope that I can do on my own: listen to music, go for a walk, read something uplifting Ways to cope that I can do with others: meet for coffee, watch a movie Things I might be tempted to do that make things worse: isolate, stay up all night, use alcohol or drugs Things others might do that make things worse: saying that thing that annoys me, expecting too much of me yourtherapy.com
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Creating a safe environment: Suicide-proof your home
Create a plan for teens to signal parents when they need to be rescued from an uncomfortable social situation People to call for support
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treatment is needed WHEN you notice
Symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, trouble sleeping Difficulty functioning at school or in activities Symptoms are manifesting as physical complaints (headaches, stomach aches) Withdrawal, isolation Suicidal thoughts or self-harm behaviors saalma2014.wordpress.com
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“You could use some support” vs. “you need help”
Remember to get support for yourself if someone you are close to is hurting linkedin.com
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Image from popsugar.com
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