Most people have heard of shell shock, combat stress and battlefield flashbacks. These synonyms for post traumatic stress do not, however, tell the full story. This serious mental condition is not reserved for adults and it does not solely impact veterans. Children, too, are subject to the repetitive terrors post traumatic stress can ditch out.
As it is with adults, so is it for children as far as the causes of post traumatic stress. A combination of factors comes together and flips the switch for the onset of this condition. The physical, psychological causes can include genetics and brain chemistry. The triggers, however, are almost always violent and are very traumatic. Children with post traumatic stress are likely to contract the condition following:
* Sexual abuse. Children who endure sexual abuse are sometimes subject to the onset of post traumatic stress.
* Violence. Children who witness serious violent acts, especially if they involve the death of loved ones, are more likely to develop it.
* Serious accident, natural trauma. Children who witness or are involved in serious crashes, especially involving death, can contract this condition. It is also possible for young survivors of natural disasters to face some of the problems associated with it.
Stress Symptoms
Youngsters are subject to all of the same symptoms that adults face. They, however, may also display a few others that their caregivers are likely to notice. The common symptoms of this condition in children include:
* Flashbacks. This is the prime trait of this condition no matter the sufferer's age. During flashbacks, victims of this condition vividly relive the experience that caused them trauma.
* Fear of flashback triggers. Children and adults are both likely to avoid anything they believe will trigger a flashback. This can include anything from particular images on television to sounds, smells and locations.
* Clinging behavior. While adults sometimes withdraw to avoid triggers, children are very likely to cling to a parent or other loved one. They might find it very difficult to be separated from the person they find safety and comfort in.
Treating Post Traumatic Stress
Both children and adults can benefit greatly from therapy. The Mayo Clinic points to a very good track record of recovery for patients who undergo a combination of medication and psychotherapy.
This is a serious condition that can greatly impact the life of an adult and even a child. Treating this condition if it is present can help give a child the footing he or she needs to overcome flashbacks and move on with life following a traumatic event.
Post Traumatic Stress In Children
Well, this is the major cause for stress in most of the children. You may ask what other problems the children have except their school and studies. Perhaps you are not fully familiar with the ways of the children and the world of children. They have their own priorities.
Well, study is the main job and responsibility fixed by the parents and the educational system of the day. But at the same time, they spend substantial time with idiot box, hundreds of TV channels. Who will patronize the pizza huts? Now, if you tell them to give up everything and concentrate on studies alone, will it not cause stress for them? Can't you understand their difficulty?
The number of subjects, the number of languages they are expected to learn, the number of assignments they are expected to do, the never ending homework, the to and fro travel in those crowded buses, whether it is rain or shine, you need to be a child again to understand their problems. And how difficult it is to get the signature of the parents, if their progress report is not up to the mark?
Parental involvement in the day to day studies of the children, especially in matters related to their homework, would create a sympathetic situation for the children. Parents are the buffer zone between the children and the teachers. The teachers can immediately spot the difference between the homework independently done by the child and homework done with the assistance of the parents. Parental involvement will help teachers with the confidence that their efforts are supplemented at home by the parents. The children will also find the situation more reassuring and their mental tension and stress and fear of homework stands reduced to a great extent.
This process of parental involvement again has its limitations. The working parents can offer limited assistance to their children in studies as they themselves are busy and overworked. Similarly, if the parents are uneducated, except giving encouragements, they can do very little to assist the children.
Parental involvement in reducing the stress in children due to studies can not be exclusive. To get a good student, a role model out of your kid, you need to take care of several other aspects of their personality. You also need to take care about their personal, intellectual and behavioral needs. The participation needs to be multidimensional.
Both Ben Thompson & Ashish Jain are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
