Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Teens

Most people associate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with adults or older individuals. However, PTSD and PTSD symptoms can occur for just about anyone, including children, adolescents, teens, and young adults — anybody who goes through a traumatic experience.

If not treated early, PTSD in adolescence can magnify, leading to more significant problems and issues in the future. Untreated PTSD often leads to newfound difficulties and secondary mental health issues such as:

If you are worried that your son or daughter is experiencing PTSD, contact Nexus Teen Academy today and learn about your options at our PTSD treatment center in Arizona.

Table of Contents

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health disorder that occurs when someone experiences a dangerous or shocking event. After experiencing a traumatic event many people will have adverse reactions but will recover over time. However, some individuals will experience continued problems over weeks, months, or even years — this is considered PTSD.

While most people think of PTSD as an issue that veterans and older adults deal with, PTSD can develop at any age. This means that if your son or daughter has already experienced a scary or tragic event during their lifetimes, they may be at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder. In fact, almost 10% of youths who experience a traumatic event meet the criteria for PTSD, with the number as high as 40% for cases such as sexual abuse.

Events that Cause PTSD in Adolescents

Post-traumatic stress disorder in teens can be caused by numerous scary or tragic events early on in life. Some of the more common events that can lead to PTSD include:

Abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual)
Death of a loved one
Witnessing violence or crime
Exposure to natural disasters
School shootings
Car accidents

While not everyone who has gone through a traumatic event will struggle with PTSD, it is still something to be cognizant of when thinking about experiences your child has gone through.

Signs and Symptoms of PTSD in Teens

For parents or loved ones concerned about the potential of PTSD in their teens, there are some noticeable signs that you can look out for to help you determine if a problem may be brewing but may not be completely developed.

Early Signs of Teen PTSD

Since the events that cause post-traumatic stress disorder in young adults can happen at any time, it is important to be able to recognize early signs that your child may be dealing with a PTSD-related problem.

In younger children under age 6, early signs of PTSD can include:

Wetting the bed
Being unable to talk
Acting out the traumatic event
Being unusually clingy

For older children and other young people, some other early signs of PTSD can include:

Avoiding places or people associated with the trauma
Denying that the event ever happened
Constantly looking around for possible threats
Being easily scared or startled

Recognizing these signs of PTSD in children early is helpful, it allows you to seek professional help before the issue balloons into a more serious problem.

Common Symptoms of Teen PTSD

Identifying signs of PTSD in teens can help pinpoint a problem before it intensifies. However, recognizing PTSD symptoms in teens can help you determine if your loved one may already be struggling with this mental disorder.

Some of the common signs of PTSD in teens include:

Nightmares and sleep problems associated with the event
Becoming upset when remembering the event
Lack of positive feelings or emotions
Numbness or apathy
Angry outbursts
Reliving the event over and over

While it can be difficult to get your teen to open up, if they bring any of these symptoms up after you know that they experienced a previous tragedy, it may be a good idea to seek out a professional and check for a PTSD diagnosis.

Whether your child or teen is showing signs of early PTSD or has all the markings of someone with the disorder, the best thing you can do to support them is seek out professional help.

Goals of Teen PTSD Treatment

Some of the goals associated with PTSD treatment for teens include:

Alleviate Painful Emotions

Many of the therapies and treatments for PTSD will deal with helping the individual restructure their thoughts and feelings surrounding their past trauma, eventually working to reprocess the memories of trauma.

Lower Anxiety & Depression

With PTSD comes other mental health issues like anxiety, one goal of treatment is to address these side effects associated with the initial trauma.

Establish Healthy Coping Skills

Learning things like breathing techniques and mindfulness exercises can help individuals cope with their trauma.

Treat Substance Abuse

Some teens with PTSD will turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with their trauma. It is vital to seek the help of a dual diagnosis treatment program to help treat both problems simultaneously.

Treatment for PTSD in Teens in Arizona

Unchecked post-traumatic stress disorder can lead to several dangerous problems and outcomes, such as extreme depression, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. If you notice that your child or loved one may be showing signs of PTSD, it is vital to seek out a healthcare professional, get a diagnosis, and find treatment.

At Nexus, we have inpatient treatment options available for teens struggling with PTSD in Arizona.

Our Residential Treatment Program

At Nexus Teen Academy, clients at our Arizona mental health treatment program will have access to 24/7 care as they go through our 30-day program and address the underlying issues associated with PTSD. We use evidence-based treatment modalities such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) and other methods to help ease the effects of trauma and help clients overcome PTSD. We will also screen for and treat various other health disorders including:

Anxiety
Depression
Substance Abuse
Suicidal Ideation and more

At our Arizona residential adolescent PTSD treatment program, Nexus wants to ensure that your family still feels like they are part of the treatment and healing process. To help with this, we have family time scheduled every Saturday for parents and other family members to see and spend time with their teens.

Therapies for PTSD

There are several talk therapies, or psychotherapies, that are known to help people overcome PTSD and past trauma. At Nexus Teen Academy, we specialize in trauma-focused treatment aimed at getting to the root of the issue at hand. Some common forms of talk therapies offered at Nexus include prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR specifically is known to have profound results on PTSD, with up to 90% of single-trauma victims showing PTSD remission in just 3 sessions.

PTSD Treatment for Teens in Arizona at Nexus Teen Academy

If you or a loved one is looking for treatment for adolescents with PTSD in Arizona, Nexus Teen Academy is available to help. At Nexus, we utilize evidence- and outcome-based treatment programming to ensure your son or daughter receives the best help possible. Our 9000 sq-foot teen residential treatment facility is nestled in the desert mountains of Cave Creek, Arizona. It is a secluded and serene location that is perfect if your child is struggling with PTSD or another mental health disorder.

If you are interested in learning more about our Arizona PTSD treatment center for teens, contact our admissions team and learn about how we can help.

Private Insurance Plans Accepted

We work with most major insurance providers. You can confidentially check to see if your treatment is covered by insurance. Our admissions experts are here to guide you through the process.

Teen PTSD FAQs

How many teens have PTSD?

According to data from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 15% to 43% of girls and 14% to 43% of boys experience at least one traumatic event. Of those children and teens who have had a trauma, 3% to 15% of girls and 1% to 6% of boys develop PTSD.

Can teens experience PTSD?

Yes, teens can experience PTSD. In fact, people of any age can experience PTSD.