MARIN THERAPY PARTNERS

Childhood Trauma – understanding the basis of change and recovery

Although anyone – regardless of strength, capability, or experience – can be traumatized by a threatening event, those at greatest risk are infants and young children.

Any unusual behavior that begins shortly after a severely frightening episode may indicate that your child is traumatized. Compulsive, repetitive mannerisms – such as repeatedly zooming a toy car into a doll – are an almost sure sign of an unresolved reaction to a traumatic event. (The activity may or may not be a literal replay of the trauma.) Other signs of traumatic stress include persistent controlling behaviors, tantrums, uncontrollable rage attacks, hyperactivity, an exaggerated startle reflex, recurring night terrors or nightmares, thrashing while asleep, bedwetting, inability to concentrate in school, forgetfulness, excessive belligerence or shyness, withdrawal or fearfulness, extreme clinginess, and stomachaches or other ailments of unknown origin.

To find out whether an uncustomary behavior is indeed a traumatic reaction, try mentioning the frightening episode and see how your child responds. A traumatized child will not want to be reminded of the predisposing event – or conversely, once reminded, will become excited, or fearful and unable to stop talking about it. A traumatized child may also respond with silence.