A trauma is such a strong and shocking experience that the brain can have serious problems processing it. The emotional damage is so important that many people end up developing various disorders or behaviors. In the case of children, the symptoms caused by trauma are different from those suffered by adults.
That is why parents must be attentive at all times to the behaviors that their children may develop. because of a certain trauma. In the following article we are going to talk about the most habitual and common behaviors in children who have lived through some traumatic experience.
trauma in children
Various studies indicate that a high percentage of children will suffer a traumatic event before reaching 18 years of age. The experiences that can give rise to trauma are related to death, sexual violence or some type of serious injury.
Common behaviors in children who have suffered a trauma
There are a series of behaviors that children who have lived some traumatic experience:
repetitive game
This type of game will be reproduced according to the experience lived. An example would be the relationship between having suffered a fire and playing with fire trucks, coming to capture the trauma in such a game. The game is going to repeat it in a constant way since his mind needs to process such trauma.
Nightmares
The trauma experienced can also manifest in the form of truly terrifying nightmares. As they are nightmares, the child is able to remember their elements, causing quite a state of distress. This is something that will differentiate it from night terrors, since in these the child does not remember anything of the dream.
Problems with attention and concentration
It is normal for certain traumas to cause problems related to attention and concentration. The trauma makes the child more confused than necessary and have serious problems concentrating.
Avoidance
Avoidance behavior is another of the consequences of having experienced a trauma. Avoidance can occur in various ways. What is it like not wanting to talk about the trauma? or avoiding coming into contact with anything that reminds you of the traumatic experience.
anxious attachment
The trauma may cause the child to develop strong attachment to adults With this, he seeks to find some shelter and support in the face of the possibility of reliving the experience he had when suffering the trauma.
hyperactivity and restlessness
A child who has suffered a trauma can develop two symptoms such as hyperactivity and restlessness. If this happens, the child will have serious problems at bedtime and it can be exalted more than necessary. You feel continually threatened, which causes you to be more restless than necessary and have some hyperactivity in your day to day.
aggressiveness and irascibility
Experienced trauma can also cause certain behavioral disorders in children. In this way they can be more aggressive and violent and be more irascible before unimportant things. They tend to get angry at the minimum and suffer certain tantrums.
These are the most common or normal symptoms in children who have experienced some trauma. Apart from this, another series of quite clear symptoms may appear, such as such as headaches or stomach aches and feelings such as apathy, sadness or anxiety. In the case of identifying some of these behaviors, it is important to ask for help from a professional who is capable of treating such problems that affect the emotional health of children.
In short, experiencing a certain trauma during childhood usually causes certain behaviors in children such as having nightmares, having greater aggressiveness or feelings such as anxiety or apathy. If this happens, the little one must be treated as soon as possible to avoid future problems.