What Happens if PTSD is Left Untreated in a Child? Understanding the Long-Term Effects and How Therapy Can Help
As a parent, you want to see your child flourish and be happy. However, you may notice them frequently feeling angry, sad, or worried. They may lash out, feel overwhelmed by fear in harmless situations, or retreat into silence. Meanwhile, you feel powerless, not knowing how to help your child and ease their pain. This can be heartbreaking.
While these emotions can be a natural part of development, they could indicate something deeper. Children often mask and go unnoticed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), leading to lasting effects on their development and well-being. At Williamson & Associates, we understand how difficult it is to see your child in pain. If you're noticing these signs, consider reaching out for professional support because early intervention can make a significant difference.
Understanding Trauma and PTSD in Children and Teens
PTSD in children might develop after they experience an upsetting event that overwhelms their ability to cope. A traumatic event can be a frightening or dangerous experience that causes significant emotional, psychological, and physical harm or threatens a child's life, leaving them feeling overwhelmed with fear and distress. Childhood trauma can stem from emotional, physical, sexual abuse or neglect, sexual assault, bullying, external events such as vehicle accidents, violence, natural or man-made disasters, exposure to war or combat violence and internal family issues, such as abuse, experiencing or witnessing domestic or interpersonal violence, illness, or the sudden loss of a loved one. Your child might react to things differently than they did before the stressful experience.
Not Every Child Develops PTSD
Not every child who goes through a traumatic event ends up with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact, not every adult who experiences trauma develops PTSD. Let’s say two people are in a car accident. One person can perceive the event as traumatic whereas the other does not. There are many reasons for this difference. There are several factors that affect a person’s response to trauma which include:
Previous experiences
Biology
Developmental level
Perception of the event
How close they were to the event (did your child hear about a car crash versus were they in the car?)
How serious the event was
What support was available during or right after the event
How caregivers responded
There are Many Different Ways Children React to Trauma
How a child responds to trauma and what their trauma symptoms look like may vary depending on their age and development level. For example, infants and toddlers may have memory problems, scream or cry excessively, have a poor appetite, have low weight or digestive problems, withdraw from others and develop separation anxiety. School-aged children may have difficulties focusing or learning in school, act out in social situations, imitate the abusive/traumatic event, be verbally abusive, be unable to trust others or make friends, believe they are to blame for the traumatic event, lack self-confidence and experience stomach aches or headaches. Adolescents may have difficulties in school, skip school, run away, be involved in violent or abusive dating relationships, think about or complete suicide, do something that could hurt themselves, abuse substances, have sex, withdraw from others, and experience anxiety or depression.
Trauma Symptoms are Normal Right After a Trauma
These are a few potential affects of trauma. The truth is that every child responds differently to a stressful situation. Often, these trauma symptoms will decrease or disappear as time goes on.
For instance, a child who saw their mom break a leg and go to the hospital in an ambulance may show some trauma symptoms immediately afterward. They may play “broken leg” or “doctor” with their stuffed animals or friends. Perhaps they’ll jump at the sound of an ambulance siren. Or they repeatedly ask mom if she’s ok or cry more when they separate from mom. But after awhile, things go back to normal. Their play begins to revolve around other interests and their concern about health issues becomes less frequent.
However, when symptoms last more than a month and begin to affect the person’s ability to function, the person may be suffering from PTSD.
Trauma Has a Physical Impact on Children
Childhood trauma impacts more than just a child’s feelings. In fact, there’s a reason your child is acting differently. Childhood trauma actually impacts the child’s brain. More specifically, trauma impacts the parts of the brain that control fear responses, emotional regulation, decision making, planning, learning and memory. In other words, your child may have trouble controlling their feelings. They may forget things. Perhaps they get upset easier. Or they just don’t seem as “rational” as they used to be. Maybe they’re always worried about things now. It’s like they’re on edge all the time. These are all normal and expected responses to trauma for a child.
Fight or Flight: A Normal Response To a Scary Situation
When something scary happens, it activates a person’s “fight or flight” response. Even after things are safe again, the child’s brain may still be feeling like they are in danger. Their bodies and minds are constantly on high alert. They are on the look out for potential threats. This may make it difficult for children to pay attention at school, go to new places or interact with people they do not know. Children who have been through trauma often have difficulties in developing language skills. They have trouble solving problems, paying attention, remembering, responding to social cues and regulating their emotions.
Possible Signs of PTSD in Children
While not every child who has experienced trauma will develop PTSD. However, here are some key signs to watch for:
Nightmares and Sleep Disturbances
Children with PTSD may experience trouble sleeping. For example, your child may have nightmares or difficulty falling and staying asleep throughout the night.
Regression and Reenactment
Children with untreated PTSD often regress to earlier behaviors they have already outgrown. They may also reenact aspects of the traumatic event in their play, so paying attention to the patterns of your child’s play might help.
Avoidance of Triggers
The child might avoid certain places, conversations, or activities that remind them of the trauma.
Changes in Mood and Behavior
Look for sudden mood swings. Your child may become irritable, overly quiet, or display excessive anger.
Difficulty Concentrating
Children may struggle with focusing or experience other distraction problems that resemble ADHD.
Physical Symptoms
They might frequently complain of unexplained headaches, stomach pains, or other physical discomforts.
Fear and Anxiety
Constant feelings of being on edge or increased fear can also signal unaddressed PTSD in children.
Changes in Attachment Patterns
A child may have trouble forming relationships or connecting with others. They might also experience intense separation anxiety, even if they have already outgrown this stage, showing difficulty being away from caregivers or becoming overly clingy.
The Lasting Effects of Untreated PTSD in Children
Untreated PTSD in children can have far-reaching impacts on their mental, emotional, social, and physical health.
Academic Challenges
Children with untreated PTSD often struggle academically due to difficulties concentrating, sleep problems, anxiety, and hypervigilance. This can result in lower grades, frequent absences, and a higher risk of dropping out.
Social and Relationship Difficulties
PTSD can lead to intense separation anxiety, trust issues, withdrawal, aggression, or excessive emotional outbursts, which might hinder a child’s ability to form healthy relationships.
Physical Health Complications
PTSD often manifests physically, with symptoms like chronic headaches, stomachaches, and sleep disruptions. The ongoing stress can weaken the immune system and, over time, lead to more severe health issues, further impacting their overall well-being.
What Happens When PTSD Goes Untreated in Children?
Untreated childhood PTSD can have long-term consequences that persist into adulthood.
Persistent Emotional Distress
Children with untreated PTSD may face chronic anxiety, depression, and intense mood swings, potentially leading to more severe mental health issues like eating disorders or substance abuse.
Interference with Future Relationships
Coping mechanisms developed during childhood PTSD can interfere with building healthy relationships later in life, leading to difficulties with trust, intimacy, secure attachment, and emotional expression.
Impact on Parenting
Adults with untreated childhood PTSD may struggle with parenting, finding it difficult to provide a nurturing environment due to unresolved emotional regulation and attachment issues. This can potentially continue the cycle of trauma.
Child and teen therapy at Williamson & Associates in Olds and online across Alberta provides a supportive space for processing these painful experiences and beginning recovery.
The Good News: Trauma Therapy Can Help Your Child and Family Begin To Heal
One of my favourite things about doing therapy is watching people make progress. Children and their families have walked into my office experiencing a wide range of emotions. Often, they feel more than one feeling at the same time and this can be confusing. I’ve seen children come to me who are sad and show signs of depression. They may also start to injure themselves or even attempt to commit suicide. Watching these kids find healing and move forward is my favourite part of my job. It’s amazing to watch children process their experiences and start to cope with their emotions!
Trauma Therapy Approaches That Can Help Your Child Heal PTSD
Trauma therapy and PTSD treatment can prevent long-term emotional and physical effects of PTSD, helping children heal before the trauma deeply affects their development. At Williamson & Associates, our counsellors use a variety of trauma-focused approaches to help children with PTSD process and recover from their experiences in a safe and supportive environment.
Expressive Arts Therapy
Expressive arts therapy allows children and adolescents to express emotions they may struggle to put into words. Through creative activities like drawing, painting, or music, children can explore and process their trauma in a non-threatening way, helping them build resilience and emotional regulation.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
ART is a brief, evidence-based therapy that helps children rapidly process and reframe traumatic memories. Using visualization techniques, ART allows children to replace distressing images with positive ones, reducing the intensity of PTSD symptoms and helping them feel more empowered.
EFFT for Children with PTSD and Families
Emotionally focused family therapy (EFFT) helps children with PTSD and their families strengthen their emotional connections. By addressing the underlying emotional needs that trauma disrupts, EFT helps children process their feelings in a safe space while fostering trust and security within the family unit.
Sand Tray Therapy
When words aren't enough, sand tray therapy offers children a safe, nonverbal way to express their emotions and process trauma. By building scenes in a tray using sand and figurines, children reflect on their inner world and express their feelings, struggles, and strengths.
Parents Have Reactions To Their Child’s Trauma Too
You love your child more than anything on earth. Therefore, it’s only natural that you experience strong feelings about what happened too. Maybe you feel guilty. You feel like you should have somehow protected your child. Or maybe you’re angry toward the person who hurt your child, the situation, how an agency responded or even yourself. You’re sad, heartbroken or feel like your child was robbed of something. You worry about how this will impact your child’s future. In fact, you find yourself worrying about them a lot. Maybe you’ve reacted by becoming protective. But then, you worry you’re overprotective now.
The truth is that you’re in a stressful situation yourself as their parent. And you deserve support too. Whether that’s counselling for yourself or just help from a professional who’s treating your child to understand what they’re going through.
Trauma Therapy Can Help Your Child and Family
While the trauma still happened, your child (and family) can learn skills to cope with the trauma. You can process your trauma in a safe, supportive setting. Your child can better cope with their feelings. They can move on from the trauma. Their trauma is no longer a dark cloud hanging over them. Their symptoms of PTSD have disappeared and they can move on. You can feel like you have your child back.
Begin PTSD Trauma Therapy in Olds, Alberta
At Williamson & Associates, we understand the impact untreated trauma can have on a child's well-being. For children, the focus is on understanding how trauma affects their emotions and behaviours and providing them with the tools to feel safe and connected as they develop healthy coping strategies and heal emotionally.
With our specialized trauma therapies, we work closely with both children and families to guide the healing process. If you believe your child is struggling with PTSD, don't wait—schedule a consultation today to learn how we can help your child find peace and recovery.