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A New Look at Childhood Trauma
This week trauma comes to the forefront of our national awareness again as we watch the Colorado fires rage.
Most people think of childhood trauma in terms of tragedies that are covered in the national like the Sandy Hook shooting, the Oklahoma tornadoes, or three Ohio girls who were abducted and held in captivity for more than a decade.
But the truth is that countless children experience trauma every day, and we hear little about it.
Every day, children across the nation experience sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, community violence, mental illness, and neglect.
Every year, 3 million cases of child abuse and neglect are reported in the U.S. Many, many more go unreported.
All too often these children grow up with the symptoms of PTSD and struggle with lifetime of symptoms: self-abusive behaviors, addictions, obsessive-compulsive disorders, brain illnesses, physical illnesses, and other issues.
The needs of these children all too often go unmet.
According to national statistics, only 35% of children who have been sexually abused and show a clinical need for therapy receive any therapeutic services at all.
And too often the professionals who work with traumatized children are under-trained and have few resources to work with. As a result, the effects of childhood trauma ripple into our families for generations and into our communities.
PTSDPerspectives works to bring awareness to the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder from the perspective of those who have experienced PTSD and found hope and healing through effective therapeutic approaches. To contact us regarding seminars and presentations, contact Wanda at Wanda@PTSDPerspectives or 209-430-4688.
For more information on PTSD and symptoms, consult the Sidran Institute.
