Health Tip: Handle a Child’s Traumatic Stress

Childhood traumatic stress occurs when a violent or dangerous event overwhelms a child’s or teen’s ability to cope.

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration suggests how to help your child deal with traumatic stress:

Assure the child that he or she is safe. Talk about measures you are taking to get the child help and keep him or her safe at home and school.
Explain to the child that he or she is not responsible for what happened. Children have a tendency to blame themselves for bad things, even when those events are completely out of their control.
Be patient and give your child plenty of time to recover. While some children will recover quickly, others recover more slowly.
Be supportive and reassure the child that he or she does not need to feel guilty about any feelings.

Source: HealthDay