While the symptoms of physical trauma are usually easy to see, the symptoms of an experience that a person perceives to be emotionally or psychologically traumatic are often less clear. The after effects can include a broad range of new, or changed, beliefs, thoughts or behaviors that usually relate to how a person sees the world, or interacts with it, in a new or different way. Where new symptoms do not immediately appear, they may develop over an extended period of time and be evident months or even years after the emotionally traumatic experience.
It is helpful to be able to recognize the signs of emotional trauma in order to understand when professional help would be appropriate. There are no absolute signs or symptoms that are unique to trauma, and experiencing the signs of emotional trauma does not make a person weak or somehow less able to cope.
Types of Emotional Trauma
There are many psychological effects of emotional trauma. Some of these effects may include persistent feelings of anxiety, sadness, anger, or other feelings that seem unrelated to the trauma. Other effects may include feelings of dissociation, or emotional numbness. People may experience memories or feelings that seem traumatic as intrusive and/or repetitive. Some may begin to see the world as a scary and threatening place. Others may begin to feel emotionally numb.
People may begin to alter their daily activities and habits in order to avoid people, places or things that may serve as a reminder of the traumatic event. Some of these changes may include avoidance of certain people, places, or activities. Others may begin to feel the need to be, and remain, constantly alert to the situation around them, and may become easily irritated by normal activities.
Trauma and Behavioral Health
Trauma impacts people in a number of ways. Personality changes may include social withdrawal, increased aggressiveness, and an inability to communicate effectively. Other changes may include impulsiveness and a lack of motivation.
In response to and as a result of trauma, a person may engage in a number of maladaptive behaviors in an effort to cope. The use of alcohol and drugs, withdrawal from social situations, oversleeping and overeating are only a few examples. Engaging in these behaviors may provide a temporary reprieve from symptoms of trauma; however, the behaviors, themselves, may become maladaptive and may negatively impact a person’s health and well-being.
When a person exhibits changes in behavior and psychology as a result of trauma, a number of negative outcomes may occur, and symptoms of an emotional disorder may manifest.
PTSD and Ramifications of Trauma on Sleep
The inability to attain or maintain the sleep necessary to restore the body may persist following an experience with a traumatic event. People may have a heightened anxiety about going to sleep because they fear they will have nightmares or experience intrusive memories. People may also experience an inability to control their dreams, during which they may experience the traumatic event, or may have other terrifying and distressing images.
Individuals with PTSD and other psychological disorders associated with trauma may experience a myriad of symptoms including negative changes in mood and cognition, and hypervigilance.
Difficulty Sleeping and Emotional Dysregulation
The inability to attain emotional stability may persist following the experience of a traumatic event. Small, mild stressors may provoke rage or other maladaptive emotional responses. Alternatively, a person may be unresponsive to emotional stimuli and experiences.
The nervous system becomes hyper-reactive after trauma. This makes it harder to control your emotions and anxiety. This hyper-reactivity can be triggered by any number of things: places, sounds, smells, people, or situations.
It is very important to be able to figure out what triggers you and why, so that you are able to better control your emotional responses. This is where counseling and mental health treatment comes into play.
The goal of mental health treatment and counseling is to better control your emotional health, teach you ways to cope with your feelings and trauma and emotional regulation in a healthy way, and provide you with the emotional tools to lead a happy, healthy life.
How and what mental health treatment and counseling focuses on is solely based on the personal preferences and goals of the individual seeking treatment. The concentration of treatment is typically on the traumatic experience that brought about the mental health issues and the feelings associated with that experience. This includes any and all emotional issues associated with the trauma. There are many avenues of treatment to be explored, including the use of medication, if that is determined to be in the best interest of the individual.
Mental health treatment is designed to be individualized to the needs of the patient. This means that you do not have to be severely traumatized to seek treatment, rather mental health treatment is for you if your trauma is impacting your day-to-day life.
Mental Health Services Regardless of Insurance
Cost and insurance usually determine an individual’s access to mental health services. This, however, is not the case for other levels of mental health services. Depending on your specific situation, there could be mental health services near you.
To identify the mental health services that are most appropriate for you, you have to determine the types of payment and insurance (if any) that a mental health service accepts, whether they accept your insurance, the types of trauma services offered, whether they have same day or next day availability, and the types of trauma-related services that they offer. Often times, the easiest way to find the name of a mental health practitioner is to search for “behavioral health therapist near me.”
The effects of trauma are far reaching. These include but are not limited to interpersonal relationship problems, behavioral problems, problems with self-regulation and self-control, and problems with sleep and other activities of daily living.
You do not have to continue living with the problems caused by trauma. You can contact Advanced Health Preference Group to help you locate mental health services that are appropriate for you and to help you with other trauma related mental health problems that you may be experiencing.
Growth stages like childhood and adolescence are when symptoms of emotional and behavioral disorders first begin to show. With these disorders come a myriad of challenges, both for the individual and for those around them. Children who appear withdrawn or moody, and/or have issues with focus and/or anxiety may need professional help. Support at these formative stages can be the basis of a child’s mental wellness for life.
The term Child and Adolescent Psychiatry encompasses the full range of mental disorders and disorders of mental development that occur in the child and adolescent age groups. Assessment and diagnosis of mental health disorders in children and adolescents is the primary responsibility of child and adolescent psychiatrists.
Importance of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Children and teenagers manifest emotions in a variety of ways. Some children and teens become emotionally quiet and withdrawn. Others may become emotionally and behaviorally dysregulated. There are even times when parents and caregivers may believe that a child or teen is exhibiting “normal” or “expected” emotional, behavioral and/or social dysregulation when in actuality there may be an undiagnosed mental health concern.
Disorders of emotional and behavioral dysregulation in children and teens are best evaluated by a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Mental health professionals should conduct a thorough evaluation of children and teens to determine the potential mental and behavioral health concerns and develop appropriate treatment interventions.
It is common for parents and caregivers to become concerned and/or confused about emotional, behavioral, social and/or academic challenges that children and teens are experiencing. Mental health and behavioral health professionals are best positioned and trained to assess and address the concerns and alleviate the challenges.
Helping Kids With Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most frequent mental health struggles for children. For some kids, worries are frequent, intense, and overwhelming and often present as physical symptoms (e.g. stomach aches, trouble falling asleep, avoidance of social situations, etc.)
Kids with anxiety may have a hard time articulating their feelings. Often times, their anxiety is manifested as avoidance, whether it be avoidance of social situations or school. Mental Health issues often go undiagnosed and untreated. Because of the stigma surrounding mental illness and lack of awareness, many parents are unaware of the signs. Educating yourself on the signs your child may need mental health support can help your child receive the support they need.
A child and adolescent psychiatrist helps to uncover the root causes of a child’s anxiety. Support is provided based on the needs of the child and may include behavioral changes, coping skills, and family support. Overall, the support is aimed at improving a child’s ability to manage anxiety and other emotions.
Supporting Children with ADHD
Children with ADHD have challenges with hyperactivity, impulsivity, and/or inattention. These children may have trouble with organization and may be mislabeled as lazy or disruptive.
ADHD is a brain condition that is misconceived by the general public. A child psychiatrist can help the family and child understand ADHD by ruling in/out inattention and behavioral challenges. Often, children also have emotional challenges that play a role in ADHD.
Children, especially with ADHD, may experience emotional outbursts and/or have trouble managing and regulating their emotions. ADHD Support may include behavioral changes and coping skills to assist children with self-management and regulating their emotions.
Through evidence-based mental health treatments, children and adolescents can learn the skills they need to gain success in academic, home, and social settings. This goal may be achieved with the assistance of behavioral treatments, professional guidance and training to parents, various psychotherapies, and when necessary, counseling and/or medication.
Depression During Childhood and Adolescence
Depression in children and teenagers is manifested in numerous ways and varies from the signs and symptoms of an adult with depression. Teenagers can appear sad, withdrawn, and uninterested in social activities. In some cases, teenagers can become irritable, and under achieve at school. If these signs and symptoms persist for a long period of time, mental health issues may be present.
Family members and caregivers of children and adolescents may be unable to identify the mental health concerns. Teenagers may stop talking to family members or may “lose” their motivation to do schoolwork. Loss of motivation is not typical behavior of a “teenage phase.”
Behavioral health treatment is designed to assist teenagers in identifying and managing their emotions. Mental health care professionals assist teenagers in improving their behavioral and emotional health.
When teenagers are assessed and treated early for behavioral health concerns, teenagers may regain their enthusiasm and improvement in their overall health and wellness.
Early Mental Health Treatment
Although parents may not recognize the mental health concerns of their child, parents may benefit by seeking the assistance of a mental health care professional to assess and treat the concerns. Rarely are the mental health concerns of a child or adolescent serious; however, untreated concerns may increase and become more serious.
Certain signs signal the need to seek mental health counseling for a child, including changes in mood or personality, persistent sadness, difficulty controlling emotions, problems with paying attention or concentration, withdrawal from friends and family, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, poor school performance, and changes in daily activities. It is important to recognize these signs to help children and provide the professional mental health services their situation may require.
Child and adolescent psychiatry helps children and their families recognize and understand emotional problems and helps health care professionals to develop strategies to address these problems. Children and young people need mental health services that recognize their problems and helps them in a way that supports their individual needs.
The Orange Coast Psychiatry provides services that address anxiety, depression, and other emotional challenges that young people experience. The group is dedicated to serving families and young people by providing mental health evaluations and treatments. The group is committed to helping children, adolescents and their families improve their mental wellness and quality of life. Contact the group to learn more services they offer.