Dealing with the feelings: How to Help Teen Boys Cope with Trauma

Has your teen suddenly become distant or more on edge? This could be a result of normal growing pains or it could be something more. This new behavior can easily be mistaken for a phase or moodiness. But if your teen has recently witnessed or experienced something traumatic, you should evaluate the situation and provide them with the help they need. Trauma in teens is a serious issue that should be addressed as early as possible. Unfortunately, experiencing trauma is not uncommon for adolescents. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more than two-thirds of children reported at least one traumatic event by the age of 16. Because experiencing trauma is so prevalent for teens today, it is important to understand how this trauma may be affecting your teen and how you can find help. 

Trauma and Its Effect on Teenagers

Most of us have heard the word “trauma” but may not realize that trauma can cover a wide range of experiences. For some teens, an experience with bullying can cause trauma. Others may experience trauma after their parents’ divorce. Trauma can be experiencing a natural disaster, violence, or becoming homeless.  Trauma affects a teen’s sense of safety and trust. They may continue to feel tense or scared long after the event is over. There is no “right” way to respond to a traumatic event. Some teens may feel sad, angry, or even guilty. They may blame themselves for what happened. They may feel a loss of self-confidence or a deep sense of grief.  Trauma also can affect a teen’s mood, behavior, or sleep. Some teen boys become depressed. They might act out in anger or, on the other side of the spectrum, withdraw completely. Some get in trouble more often or do worse in school. Others have new fears or trouble sleeping. Some have upsetting memories, called flashbacks. Often, they avoid situations or triggers that remind them of what they’ve been through. After a trauma, some teens may share how they feel. But it is also common for teens to hide their struggles because they feel embarrassed about their symptoms. These teens may try to hide how they feel, or try to push it out of their minds. They may think others expect them to “get over it.” Some just don’t have words for their feelings. For any of these reasons, a parent might not know what their teen is going through. If your teen has experienced a traumatic event, here are a few warning signs to be aware of that may indicate they are still struggling with the effects of their trauma:

• Confusion, difficulty concentrating
• Anger, irritability, mood swings
• Anxiety and fear
• Guilt, shame, self-blame
• Withdrawing from others
• Feeling sad or hopeless
• Feeling disconnected or numb
• Insomnia or nightmares
• Fatigue
• Being startled easily
• Racing heartbeat
• Edginess and agitation
• Aches and pains
• Muscle tension

Helping Your Teen at Home

Frustration, exhaustion, and confusion are all normal things to feel when dealing with a teen who is going through trauma. Lashing out is never the answer. If you find that your child is still coping with the effects of trauma four weeks after the event, seek professional help. Otherwise, consider these methods for helping your teen:

• Let your child know that they are safe and cared for on a regular basis. This will also make them feel more comfortable in communicating with you.
• Part of the healing process includes expressing emotions. Encourage your child to express their feelings. If not through words, drawing is a great way to set emotional build-up free.
• Sometimes it is hard for us to understand why someone feels the way they do. Just because it doesn’t affect us doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. Make yourself accessible and speak to your child without criticism.
• Help your teen turn to activities they enjoy doing as an emotional release. Physical activity helps promote improved mental health and of course, physical health. This can be a great distraction and way to get your child motivated.
• Encourage your teen to try a mindfulness practice. Mindfulness can be especially helpful for adolescents dealing with trauma. Mindfulness teaches you how to acknowledge thoughts without letting them overwhelm you. People who have experienced trauma may be triggered by scenarios or sensory factors. Mindfulness can help teens recognize when those intrusive thoughts are arising and begin to disengage from that thought pattern. Practicing deep breathing can also help the body relax and shift away from their fight or flight response in the moment. 
• Join a support group for trauma survivors. So often, people who experience trauma feel that they are alone. They isolate themselves from family and friends because they feel that they are damaged or that no one can understand what they are going through. Connecting with others who are facing the same problems can help reduce teens’ sense of isolation, and hearing how others cope can help inspire them in their own recovery.

Resources

It’s important to educate yourself on resources that can help you and your child through their difficult time. If you feel like your child needs professional intervention, then use these resources. In the least, you should let your teen know that they are available. Sometimes teens will decide on their own that they want outside help. Guide your teen to your family’s general practitioner for them to seek help to recover. If your GP thinks your teen is dealing with something more severe they may refer them to a counselor. The counselor will then begin more intense assessments and help your teen get a plan for overcoming trauma. If meeting with a mental health professional in person is not possible for you, there are now online options as well. Some mental health sites allow you to search for a therapist by location, focus, or treatment styles. You can also find a therapist by gender if you feel more comfortable with a same gender counselor, or even therapists who incorporate faith. With so many options available it is important to make sure that the mental health professional you are working with is legitimate and credentialed. 

Residential Treatment for Trauma in Teens

“Milieu” is another way of describing the environment or culture of an individual or program. One of the strengths of Equinox is our experiential approach which uses the residential environment to observe and help change come about in practical, everyday experiences. Milieu therapy provides “in-the-moment” intervention that is nearly impossible to replicate in traditional therapy sessions. The Equinox Adventure Therapy program is designed to provide our students with well-rounded, meaningful learning opportunities through outdoor recreation, experiential education and community service and events. Our program creates a culture that fosters the development of strong, positive identities among young men and strongly challenges old ways of being and thinking. As they develop and learn alongside one another, they form trusting, caring relationships. We believe that through recreation therapy, our students can not only find confidence in their identity, they can also gain new perspectives about interests and hobbies that they may pursue in the future. We emphasize living in the moment and focusing on the journey, not just the destination. Recreation therapy is an experientially based playground for practicing and developing skills and assets needed on that journey.  Each week our students participate in an experiential education group that brings therapeutic concepts to life. Experiential groups focus on DBT concepts, social skills, leadership, emotional regulation and relationships, and competency. Lessons are then integrated into weekly off-campus activities and community service to provide a context for students to apply these skills in real-life settings. Through this process, our students become more informed and active participants in their own health care and may achieve and maintain optimal levels of physical activity, productivity, well-being, and quality of life. Students learn how to help reduce symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety while building confidence and socialization in their community.  As advocates for healthy lifestyles, we believe that implementing recreation into the lives of these young men and into your lives as their families will provide wonderful benefits to your relationships with each other.

Equinox Residential Treatment Center Can Help

Equinox Residential Treatment Center is a program that specializes in trauma treatment for young boys ages 14-18. The program uses a relationship-based model to help students heal from the inside out. Equinox believes in experiential learning and allows students exposure to the consequences of making both bad and good choices.  At Equinox, the archetypal Hero’s Journey is incorporated into every boy’s treatment as a framework for his and his family’s therapeutic progress. Trauma in teens can be addressed in many ways. All members of the family engage in assignments as they learn, grow, and master new experiences thereby allowing them to press forward in their journey. As one of the leading residential treatment centers for troubled teens, we understand that every student and parent approach this journey from a different perspective–taking a unique path toward healing and growth. This program gives students a fresh start at a happy life. We can help your family today! For more information please contact us at (828) 414-2968.