Healthy Ways of Addressing Childhood Trauma

Reports show that nearly 70% of Americans have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lives. Often, this means addressing childhood trauma is an essential part of finding peace in adulthood. Trauma can touch anyone, regardless of background, financial status, or age. When people are healing from trauma alone, they can often feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness that can contribute to mental health disorders later on. 

If an adolescent in your life is showing signs of struggling to cope with the trauma they have experienced, don’t hesitate to contact us online today or call 888.384.3143 to learn how the trauma therapy program at Imagine Spokane can help.

Common Traumatic Experiences

People suffer a variety of trauma brought on by different experiences at different stages of their life. Some of the common experiences that require healing from trauma include:

• Sexual, emotional, or physical abuse or assault
• Neglect
• Serious accident or illness
• Witnessing domestic or school violence
• Natural disasters and forced displacement
• Grief or separation
• System-induced trauma
• The impact of the pandemic

As varied as the types of childhood traumatic experiences are, the same goes for the physical and mental symptoms that accompany healing from trauma. These symptoms could include:

• Mood swings
• Irritability
• Relationship issues
• Communication problems
• Headaches and dizziness
• Nausea
• Increased heart rate

Healthy Ways of Addressing Childhood Trauma

If your teen is struggling to cope with and heal from childhood trauma, know that they are not powerless nor are they alone. Healing from trauma is possible, and there are things you can do in and out of trauma therapy to help ease their pain. Here are key things to remember while addressing childhood trauma.

Recovery Is a Process

Healing from trauma will look different for every teen. During the process, healing could take the shape of the lessening of symptoms or coming to understand that your teen is now safe. Trauma therapy will help your teenager learn how to handle challenging memories and difficult moments and process complicated feelings as a result of their trauma. Processing trauma is a journey, not a destination, so be patient as they heal.

Avoid Re-Exposure to the Traumatic Event or Location

Re-exposure isn’t limited to physically going back to the place where the childhood trauma occurred. It also includes replaying the experiences in the mind. This can trigger a person’s nervous system and activate the fight or flight instinct. It is possible that, depending on your teen’s traumatic experience, some images shared on social media could take them back to that dark place. 

Feel Your Feelings

It is important not to push away or bury difficult emotions when healing from trauma. While it is tempting to want to not feel, when addressing childhood trauma, your teen must be allowed to feel their feelings, to feel whatever they need to feel while healing from trauma. It’s okay and even necessary to allow the space to process these emotions.

Ask for Help and Support

Building a network of patient, understanding, and supportive people is one of the healthiest ways to heal from trauma. When your teen needs help and support, these people will have their back, so do not hesitate to call us to inquire about how we can help address childhood trauma.  

Make Time for Yourself

One of the healthy ways for healing trauma is to find ways to relax and distract. Allowing your teen to take time for themselves, to unwind, destress and turn off their mind can be essential for healing from trauma. Relaxation and healthy distractions are not running away from feelings, but rather, expressing positive aspects of your teen’s personality and helping them remember all the things they love, including:

• Exercising
• Doing puzzles
• Yoga
• Playing or listening to music
• Watching movies
• Baking
• Reading

Finding Community

When your child comes to learn that they are not alone, the healing from trauma can really begin in earnest. Finding a community of people who get what they are feeling and understand what they have experienced will help them address, cope with, and move on from childhood trauma.

Learn More About Trauma Treatment Imagine Spokane

Our trauma therapy program can help your teen in healing from trauma. Reach out to us online or call us at 888.384.3143 today to get them the help they need.