Hey, it's Annie with a special blog post.
We at FNDN really care about our community, especially the youth. They are the future leaders of the world and need the attention they deserve.
Our planet and society is crying for help. But if we can't show children compassion and understanding, how can we expect them to show it to others?
When a child has suffered from a trauma and has subsequently been diagnosed with PTSD, they need to receive proper assistance in addition to treatment.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or a close friend of the family, you recognize this child needs help.
You have noticed that the child is struggling with schoolwork, becomes easily irritable, has nightmares, is losing his or her friends, and has irrational fears.
Today, I am going to share with you some ways to help this child; it is so important to understand.
6. Love and Support
This child is going through something extremely challenging. During this time of adjustment, offer them unconditional love and support.
If the child is ready to talk, let him or her speak openly about the trauma.
Reassure them that they are safe, loved, and they’re not “going crazy.”
5. Keep Schedules Similar
There is nothing more jarring than disrupting a child’s schedule. If they have a usual routine, do not break it.
They are already dealing with enough change in the state of their mental health. Changing their external world will not be helpful.
If the child wants to take too much time off of class, talk with a mental health professional about whether or not that should be discouraged.
4. Physical Activity, Nutrition, Sleep
Getting exercise, eating nutritious meals, and getting quality sleep are the pillars of health and happiness.
Encourage workouts with the child. Maybe you two could get a gym membership.
Go grocery shopping to get lots of whole foods and healthy snacks and then make a home-cooked meal. Check out the child’s sleeping environment to see if it is dark, quiet and not too hot.
3. Limit Social Media
Exposure to media coverage can re-traumatize children.
Repeatedly watching a disturbing event on the television or the Internet can cause PTSD in children who were not even present at the event.
Try to limit the child’s viewing of explicit images and videos as much as possible.
2. Trust and Safety
Childhood is a time when children build a foundation of trust in their world.
When they feel as if their world is unsafe, it can cause identity and intimacy issues in the future.
After this trauma, the child probably feels like the world is a scary and unpredictable place.
Help your child rebuild trust and safety by keeping promises, admitting when you do not know the answer to something, explaining to the child that the trauma was not their fault, helping to manage stress, and creating routine.
1. Support Groups and Therapy
Being around a community of people that have undergone similar traumatic experiences can help your child feel less alone.
They might feel a sense of camaraderie with other members of their support group. Individual therapy can help dramatically.
Do some research on what type of therapy is best suitable for your child and make an appointment. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been shown to be effective in treating children with PTSD.
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Helping this child is your number one priority. You want him or her to feel safe, loved, and happy.
Now that you understand how to help, you can be the best you can for the child. Make sure you’re seeking help for yourself.
Seeing a child that you love dearly experiencing so much pain and suffering is unimaginably difficult.
I hope this blog has provided helpful information so you can help your child with PTSD in the best way possible.
Annie
Author
FNDN
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