Reactions of children in coping with trauma.
Children's reactions:
Although adults may seem exaggerated, the fear and anxiety of children are very real. Children are afraid of the unknown. They're afraid to stay alone. After a disaster, it's may begin to act as if they had less age than they have. May reappear behaviors that used to be common like wetting the bed, sucking your finger, sticking to the parents or to be afraid of people they don't know. It is possible that older children who were independent now they want to spend more time with the family. There may be problems when you go to sleep:
They may have nightmares, not wanting to sleep alone, being afraid of the dark or falling asleep or stay a sleep. Some children express their fear through physical symptoms such as stomach aches or headaches or feeling "sick". All children may have trouble thinking. They can be distracted with ease, feel confused and disoriented and have difficulty concentrating. These can be reactions to smells, objects, or activities associated with trauma. The child may not be aware of the the causes of these reactions or behavioral changes. Children's anxiety and fear are real They're not shown on purpose.
Children of different ages react in a different way to a traumatic situation.
From birth to age 2. Not being able to speak, children cannot describe what happened or their feelings. They can remember certain images, sounds or smells. When they grow up, these memories can arise when they are playing. Babies may become more easily irritated, cry more often, and need to be lifted and hugged more often. They will respond to the care that an adult offers them.
Preschool and Kindergarten. In the face of an overwhelming event, very young children may feel helpless, powerless, and unable to protect themselves. When the security of the world in which they live is threatened, they feel insecure and fearful. Children this age cannot understand the concept of permanent loss. They think the consequences can be reversed. When they play, they recreate parts of the mess over and over again. All these reactions are normal. Abandonment is the greatest fear of childhood, so it is necessary to ensure that children are cared for and will not be abandoned.
Activities to do at home or school games in which they can act, activities with physical contact, puppets, arts and crafts, tales, movement of large muscles (such as those used when playing ball).
School age (7 to 11 years). Children of this age are able to understand the permanent effect of a loss due to a traumatic event. They can worry about the details of the disaster and may want to talk about it continually. You may not be able to concentrate on your studies and have your grades go down. Since they are more mature in their thinking, their understanding of the disaster is more full. This can result in a wide range of reactions: guilt, feelings of failure and anger.
Pre-Adolescence and adolescence (12 to 18 years). Within these ages, children have a great need to demonstrate to everyone, and particularly to their family and friends, who have knowledge and experience. When they go through a traumatic experience, they need to feel that their peers
They share their anxieties and fears and that these feelings are appropriate. Since they have survived the disaster they may feel immortal. This can lead to the practice of behaviors
Reckless and do dangerous things. The reactions of this group are a mixture of reactions from the older age group and adult reactions. Adolescence is a period in which children they turn to the outside to enter the world. However, a traumatic experience can give the feeling that the world is not safe. Adolescents can also return to behavioral an earlier age. They may feel overwhelmed by intense reactions and be unable to speak about them with the family.
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