Health Tip: Handle a Child’s Traumatic Stress

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Childhood traumatic stress occurs when a violent or dangerous event overwhelms a child’s or teen’s ability to cope.

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration suggests how to help your child deal with traumatic stress:

• Assure the child that he or she is safe. Talk about measures you are taking to get the child help and keep him or her safe at home and school.
• Explain to the child that he or she is not responsible for what happened. Children have a tendency to blame themselves for bad things, even when those events are completely out of their control.
• Be patient and give your child plenty of time to recover. While some children will recover quickly, others recover more slowly.
• Be supportive and reassure the child that he or she does not need to feel guilty about any feelings.

Source: HealthDay

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