Reactions
What is a trigger?
Anything that sets off your emotions/memories of the trauma; The trigger could be something you see, hear, feel, taste, smell or by a place, certain people or activities.
What are the different forms of abuse?
Physical, Emotional, Neglect and Sexual abuse
When kids and teens experience a trauma, they often experience which emotions?
confusion, sadness, anger, numbness, relief, fear, anxiety, guilt, shame, etc
In order to protect themselves, kids/teens who experience trauma do many things; what are some common reactions they might have in the moment when faced with sexual abuse?
sometimes, kids/teens do whatever the abuser asks/wants in order to protect themselves from further hurt, sometimes kids/teens try to fight off the perpetrator, sometimes the kids/teens freeze and don't know what to do, sometimes kids/teens try to imagine that they are somewhere else, etc
What is a flashback?
A flashback happens when a trauma trigger occurs and you feel as though you are back in that past scary moment; your body and mind cannot tell the difference between present and past, and you feel like it is happening all over again.
What is physical abuse?
a parent or caregiver commits an act that results in physical injury to a child or adolescent, such as red marks, cuts, welts, bruises, muscle sprains, or broken bones, even if the injury was unintentional. Physical abuse can occur when physical punishment goes too far or a parent lashes out in anger.
What is avoidance and how does it impact kids/teens?
avoidance is when you try not to think/feel/talk about something that happened to you. While this can help in managing feelings for the moment, in the long-run, this makes those feelings get bigger, which often turns into anxiety, anger outbursts, etc
Free POINTS!
How can trauma impact how your BODY feels?
Often, kids/teens can feel many things; tense, jittery, feeling like they cannot stop moving, feeling like they cannot move at all, feeling like their heart is racing, etc
What is verbal or emotional abuse?
Verbal abuse often involves hostility, psychological control (meaning, thoughts), intimidation, vulgarity, and humiliation. It is important to note that verbal abuse does not have to include shouting. Adults can threaten and intimidate children and young adults without raising their voices. Emotional abuse can include the silent treatment and witnessing others being abused.
How is trauma connected to anxiety?
Trauma, or chronic stress, can sometimes lead us to believe that we are not safe, and that something scary/bad could happen to us at any moment; this leads to anxiety about safety in the future.
True or false: kids/teens should be able to manage their emotions about the traumatic/stressful event on their own
False; all kids/teens/adults need others to support them in processing and managing the experiences/emotions that they have. Social support is the key ingredient in thriving after a trauma.
what are the fight/flight/freeze responses?
Fight: anger, inability to concentrate, aggressive behavior, seeing only the negative, increase impulsivity, lashing out
Flight: anxious, wanting to hide/run away, racing thoughts, avoidance, withdrawing from others
Freeze: dissociation, depression, suicidality, anxious, shutting down/freezing, problems with memory
What age is at the greatest risk of being physically abused?
Children ages 4–7 and 12–15 are at the greatest risk of being physically abused. Very young children are most susceptible to receiving serious injuries.
Sometimes kids/teens don't feel relief when they disclose a trauma; why is this?
Often, kids/teens who have been sexually abused, or who have been exposed to other forms of trauma, feel connected to the person who harmed them; because of this, they worry for the well-being of the other people involved.
Often, kids/teens who's trauma is caused directly by other people have trouble in their current relationships; what kind of troubles might they have?
Kids/teens can experience trouble communicating, trouble asking for help, trouble trusting others, trouble connecting with others, etc
What is the amygdala and how is it impacted by trauma? (Clue: Lizard Brain)
the amygdala is the alarm system of the brain; it is designed to detect and react to people, places, and things in the environment that could be dangerous. After trauma, the amygdala can become even more sensitive to potential threats in the environment, leading someone to closely monitor their surroundings to make sure they are safe and have strong emotional reactions to people, places, or things that might be threatening or that remind them of the trauma.
What are some long-term affects of abuse or negative consequences that can affect someone who has been abused?
Delinquent behavior (a young person who commits crimes), depression, aggression, conduct disorders, substance use, they also will abuse others, negative effects to your physical health
Sometimes kids/teens feel scared to talk about what happened to them; why is this?
they worry that people won't believe them, that they will get in trouble, that they will get someone else in trouble, that they will be made fun of, etc
Often, kids and teens can feel unsafe in situations where there isn't actually a current threat; why is this?
This is due to the amygdala; something in their environment reminded them of the past trauma, which triggered the alarm system in their brain to go off, making them feel unsafe so that they can be on guard to protect themselves