What to Know About PTSD in Teenagers

The teen years is definitely an intense and tumultuous time. While it's common for teens to be moody and irritable, sometimes they are able to develop mental health challenges that are serious and need to be addressed.

If your teen witnessed a traumatic event or had a traumatic experience, you might be wondering if they might are suffering from PTSD. They might even be showing signs of PTSD, such as for instance flashbacks to the function, nightmares, increased agitation, emotional numbness, or trouble concentrating in school.

Managing PTSD in an adolescent can be extremely hard for all involved, but just the fact that you will be concerned is a positive and hopeful first step. Let's have a look at PTSD in teenagers—its signs and symptoms, what can cause it, and what treatment choices are available.

How Common Is PTSD in Teenagers?
PTSD treatment is experienced by whoever has been confronted with trauma, including witnessing violence, natural disasters, accidents, shootings, or being a victim of sexual or physical abuse. Traumas such as for example losing household members, divorce, and abandonment, also can cause PTSD.

Unfortunately, children and teenagers aren't immune from traumas and can experience PTSD consequently of a traumatic experience. It's estimated that as much as 5% of teens aged 13 to 18 experience PTSD. Girls are more prone to experience it than boys. The prevalence of PTSD is about 8% for women and 2.3% for boys.2 Some researchers estimate that PTSD is obviously slightly higher in the teen population than in adults.

How Do Apparent symptoms of PTSD in Teens Differ From Adults?
Outward indications of PTSD in teens more closely resemble PTSD symptoms in adults than in younger children.

At once, teenagers with PTSD may take part in “traumatic reenactment” a lot more than adults. Teens may also show more aggressive behaviors and act on impulse more frequently.

Dangers of PTSD in Teens
PTSD is a mental health condition that can cause reckless, dangerous, or suicidal behaviors. A teen who's in the midst of a flashback might end up in physical danger; for instance, they might lose control of these car or fall away from something they're standing on. Much more likely, however, is that untreated PTSD can result in additional mental health issues.