PTSD in teenage girls is a severe mental illness that may develop when a teenager is exposed to a traumatic event. The early identification of PTSD is essential to treat this disorder, as it can impair a teenager’s emotional health and social and academic functioning.
In this blog, you will understand the symptoms parents and caregivers should notice to help their children recover.
What Does PTSD Look Like in Teenage Girls?
PTSD is always triggered by any traumatic events experienced by an adolescent girl. Additionally, teenage girls are more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD as compared to boys. PTSD can occur in the form of flashbacks for such teen girls as they repeatedly re-experience the event.
The most common signs of PTSD in teenage girls are as follows:
A teenage girl can also undergo an extreme physical response triggered by the continuous re-experiencing of traumatic events. Some physiological signs likely to be displayed include an increased rate of heartbeat, sweating, headache, stomach ache, nausea, and vomiting.
Some examples of emotional reactions are difficulty showing affection, jitter, nervousness, and irritable behaviors. Other emotional symptoms are being aggressive, angry, or depressed, having issues at school, feeling shameful, or worrying too much.
Learn More: Symptoms and Causes of Depression – How to Treat Them?
What Are The Common Causes Of PTSD In Teenage Girls?
Just like in adults, PTSD in teenage girls can also be caused by traumatic events or experiences. Some of these traumas may be well known to the parents as well, for example, when a teen is a victim of violence or is involved in a natural calamity. However, other forms of trauma may not be as defined. They can occur in cases that the parent may not even be aware of, such as when a teen is sexually abused or when in an emotionally abusive relationship.
Some of the most commonly known causes of PTSD in teenage girls are:
- Witnessing a violent event or crime
- Exposure to domestic violence or community violence
- Experiencing sexual abuse
- Witnessing school shootings
- Exposure to environmental disasters
- Accidents
- Losing a close family member
- Watching a close one battle a severe disease
- Childhood traumas
Side effects of PTSD in teenage girls include the extent to which the teen was exposed to the traumatic event, the number of traumatic events the individual has experienced in their lifetime, the presence of any other mental health disorder, and the availability of support during the processing of the traumatic event.
What Is The Prevalence Of PTSD In Teenage Girls?
Rates of PTSD in teenage girls differ, and about 8 to 10 percent of adolescent girls might be diagnosed with PTSD when they encounter a traumatic event. Females in their adolescent years are more prone to develop PTSD than males. This is seen especially after exposure to violent events like rape, molestation, or actualization of violence. The risk increases with the severity of the trauma or its frequency.
What Are The Risk Factors Of PTSD In Teenage Girls?
There can be several risk factors that can be a significant cause of PTSD in teenage girls. Some of the common risk factors include:
Lack of social support:
Teens lacking solid social support from family and friends have a higher risk of developing signs of PTSD.
Family history of mental illness:
A strong family history of PTSD or any other mental health illness can increase the risk of onset of signs of PTSD in teenage girls.
Developmental stage:
Adolescence is a crucial period of emotional and psychological development. As a result, teens are more vulnerable to developing PTSD.
Pre-existing Mental Health Conditions:
if a teen is suffering from different mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, or any other common mental health disorder, then the risk of developing PTSD signs increases.
Learn More: Anxiety Symptoms in Women
How Can PTSD Impact The Life Of A Teenage Girl With PTSD?
PTSD can negatively affect significant areas of the life of a teenage girl. The most common ones are:
Emotional Well-being:
Signs of PTSD can sometimes become so severe that they can lead to severe anxiety, depression, and mood swings. The common experiences of a teenage girl can include intense fear, helplessness, or guilt, which ultimately leads to emotional numbness and detachment.
Social Life:
PTSD can lead to severe withdrawal from friends, family, and social activities. A teenage girl can avoid situations and people linked with the traumatic event to prevent negative memories leading to isolation and difficulty maintaining relationships.
Academic Performance:
PTSD can have severe cognitive effects on the functionality of a teenage girl, such as issues in concentrating, intrusive thoughts, and memory problems. As a result, these impairments can lead to poor performance at school and bad grades.
Behavioral Changes:
Among the psychopathological changes PTSD brings in a teenage girl, risk-taking behaviors include substance abuse as well as self-harm. They occur because of dealing with overwhelming feelings or emotions. It also results in aggression and other reckless actions and causes irritability.
What Are The Treatments For Treating Signs Of PTSD In Teenage Girls?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is treatable when it comes to teenagers. Correct mental treatments can help diminish the PTSD signs that cause trauma in teenage girls. Additionally, you can learn to cope with it and emerge from the experience as a better person.
However, it is essential to know what to do if you, as a parent, have concerns that your teen has PTSD. This may be done by approaching your child’s pediatrician, who may refer you to a therapist or psychiatrist. In case the situation is quite clear that your teen has PTSD, then therapy will be recommended.
Therapies that can successfully treat PTSD in teenagers include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:
It involves assisting your teen in recognizing their cognition patterns, emotions, and physical response to the trauma and providing strategies for addressing these emotions or reactions.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR):
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is an effective mental health treatment technique involving specific eye movements and cognitive therapies to deal with stressful incidents.
Some teenagers may also require taking some drugs on top of the therapy as well. Currently, the identified drugs for the treatment of PTSD in teens include antidepressants in the form of Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as well as anti-anxiety medications.
Concluding Remarks!
PTSD in teenage girls is a severe psychological disorder that develops as a result of violent events like physical or sexual assault or natural calamities. It is most important to identify the disorder in its early stage, as PTSD affects teenagers’ emotions, interpersonal relationships, and school performance significantly. They range from Flashbacks and physical discomfort to emotional responses such as high anxiety and increased irritability. There are ways of handling PTSD, some of which are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and occasionally medication.
If you are looking for an authentic mental health fix for your child, then you are at the right mental health platform. Inland Empire Behavioral Group is a renowned mental health platform with expertise in treating several mental health issues, including signs of PTSD in teenage girls. So, what’s the wait for? Connect with us today and mentally support your child in overcoming the signs of PTSD with the help of medication management and psychotherapy.
