Does Your Adopted Teen Suffer From PTSD?
Written by Cristo Rogers, Posted on , in Section Teens & Tweens
Teenagers who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are a relatively new demographic, one that has gained a lot of attention as of late. Teenage PTSD, when combined with fluctuating hormones, can result in devastating consequences. What’s more? - Adopted teens have an unusually high proclivity to the disorder and require immediate psychological assistance.
The Dangers of Teenage PTSD
Adopted, troubled teens who suffer from post-traumatic stress, often act out in negative behaviors. An afflicted child may turn to self-sabotaging behaviors such as self-harm, experimentation with drugs and alcoholand emotional outbursts of anger. If a child, who suffers from PTSD, is not properly treated, the child could build detrimental, life-long habits which could result in inevitable, fatal consequences.
Like most disorders, the reasons as to why adopted teens suffer from PTSD, vary significantly. For instance, it is evident as to why a teen who was selected later in adolescence would suffer from post-traumatic stress. - A teenager who was adopted late will typically have a variety of trust and attachment issues - This type of teenager may have even suffered from negative experiences while in foster care that led to PTSD. However, a child’s PTSD may not be so apparent - even newborn adopted babies can ultimately suffer from post-traumatic stress.
So Why Do Adopted Teens Suffer From PTSD?
The truth of the matter is that severing the connection between a child and birth mother is a stressful event for any child. When a child’s connection to their birth mother is severed, their primitive instincts are traumatized; this occurrence often leads to a severe psychological condition that experts refer to as, “ A primal wound.” A child who suffers from a primal wound is prone to higher levels of anxiety and may lack the ability to build lasting bonds with others. Furthermore, a teen who suffers from a primal wound will often suffer from additional emotional difficulties which may be and underlying issue for negative behaviors and attitudes.
What Can A Parent Do To Help Their Adoptive Teen’s PTSD?
PTSD is a serious condition that requires serious therapy. There are a plethora of therapeutic services for PTSD teens that range from day-to-day counseling to intensive, 24-hour residential treatment. The appropriate treatment needed, exclusively depends on the severity of the teen’s stress disorder.
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Post traumatic stress disorder and adopted child syndrome similarly explain the psychological trauma that may result from exposure to a severely distressing event. Post traumatic stress disorder is an intense psychological condition that develops after a person is exposed to a traumatic event, including death and separation from family and loved ones. The diagnosis may be given when a group of symptoms continue after the traumatic incident, such as disturbing recurring flashbacks, avoidance or numbing of memories of the event, and high levels of anxiety. Abnormalities may be diagnosed as subjective, chronic, relapsing or remitting. In all cases, health care providers should be alert to the presence of a distortion of normal feelings and behavior.
