Trauma 101
What is trauma?
Trauma is an emotional response to a scary or stressful event.
True or false: Avoiding thoughts, feelings, and reminders about the traumatic event helps me in the long run.
False! This is a symptom of PTSD and teaches your brain to feel scared for longer.
How does trauma affect your body?
Physical responses (headaches, stomach aches, heart racing, sweating) and illness later in life
What are examples of things that cause trauma?
Natural disasters, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, serious injuries, seeing someone be hurt, bullying, when a loved one dies, scary medical procedures, being around war, being separated from someone we love
What does PTSD stand for?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
How does trauma affect your brain?
Difficulty concentrating, thinking, learning, and remembering
Which of these would not cause trauma? A. Being abused B. Being separated from a loved one C. A scary natural disaster D. A fun day at the park
D. A fun day at the park
Which of these is not a type of PTSD symptoms?
A. Reexperiencing the trauma
B. Avoidance
C. Sports and Hobbies
D. Negative mood and beliefs
E. Hypervigilance
C. Sports and Hobbies
How does trauma affect emotions?
Low self-esteem, feeling unsafe, difficulty regulating emotions, feeling distant from people, difficulty trusting, depression, anger, anxiety
What kinds of feelings might kids have after trauma?
Scared, angry, embarrassed, depressed, abandoned, hurt, confused, ashamed, lonely
Name three symptoms of PTSD.
Upsetting memories, intrusive thoughts, nightmares, flashbacks, feeling upset when reminded of what happened, strong feelings in your body when reminded, trying not to think about, talk about, or have feelings about trauma, staying away from triggers, memory loss, negative thoughts, guilt/blame, negative feelings, less interest in activities, not feeling close to people, less positive feelings, anger outbursts, unsafe behaviors, overly on-guard, jumpiness, problems paying attention, trouble falling or staying asleep
How does trauma affect behavior?
Impulsivity, fighting, aggression, running away, isolation, easily frightened
What are trauma triggers?
Places, people, memories, situations, sounds, smells, or other things that remind someone of the traumatic experience
True or false? Kids who have PTSD might have thoughts like "I won’t have a good life," "no one can be trusted," or "the whole world is unsafe."
TRUE!
Lots of times after trauma, kids develop unhelpful thoughts about themselves and the world around them. These thoughts usually aren't helpful or true and can be helped during trauma treatment.
True of false? The symptoms of trauma can never be healed.
False! TF-CBT helps children heal their bodies, brains, feelings, and behaviors.