PTSD Treatment

Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics 

PTSD Services

As many as 15% of children and teens who experience trauma develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a severe condition that can devastate their quality of life. At Orchid Pediatrics, Joy Eberhardt, MD, FAAP, has extensive experience helping children overcome trauma and feel safe again, giving them the ability to enjoy their friends and family once again. To learn more about PTSD symptoms and treatment or schedule an appointment, call the office, or request an in-person or telemedicine appointment online today. We offer safe in-person visits in OR and virtual visits throughout the US including AZ, CO, CT, ID, IL, MD, MN, NH, NJ, OR, TX, UT, WA, WI.

What is PTSD?

PTSD is a challenging mental health disorder that occurs after a child directly experiences or witnesses a dangerous, life-threatening, or severely stressful event.

The traumatic events that often cause PTSD in children include:

    • Physical or sexual abuse
    • Domestic violence
    • School shooting
    • Community violence
    • Automobile accidents
    • Natural disasters (floods, fires, earthquakes)
    • Learning they have a life-threatening illness
    • Death of a family member
    • Becoming homeless

The risk of your child developing PTSD depends on variables such as the severity of the trauma, if they were the victim, their relationship to the victim, and whether the trauma was repeated.

What Symptoms Does PTSD Cause?

After a traumatic or stressful event, children have natural and expected emotional and physical reactions. However, these symptoms are usually short-lived and gradually disappear, allowing your child to recover.

PTSD develops when their symptoms get worse instead of better. Then they have ongoing symptoms such as:

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Intense anxiety and fear

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Depression and sadness

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Flashbacks

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Nightmares

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Frequent memories (of the trauma)

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Sudden angry outbursts

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Difficulty sleeping

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Headaches and stomach aches

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Difficulty concentrating

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Guilt or shame for not stopping the trauma

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Avoidance symptoms 

Children commonly try to avoid people and places that remind them of the trauma. As a result, they may have angry outbursts or become oppositional if you unknowingly try to take them somewhere that triggers their traumatic memories.

Your child may revert to younger behaviors like thumb-sucking. Some children develop a type of emotional numbness to block out the pain.

How is PTSD treated?

Your Orchid Pediatric provider recommends the best treatment for your child’s age, developmental level, and symptoms. The overriding goal is to help them feel safe again. This may include different assessments such as a post-traumatic stress disorder test. Sometimes it may mean a referral for trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), a technique proven to help children with PTSD.
TF-CBT typically includes parents and children together. The therapy takes them through several steps to learn about expected responses to trauma, understand their symptoms, learn relaxation skills, and revisit the trauma.
Though there currently aren’t any medications for PTSD, some children may need medications to ease symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and agitation.
Your child can recover from PTSD, learn to understand the trauma, and move forward without constant anxiety. To schedule an appointment. Call Orchid Pediatrics or book online today.

Contact Orchid Pediatrics​

Use the brief form below to contact developmental pediatrician, Joy Eberhardt.

developmental pediatrician

Phone & Email

(503) 208-4007
info@orchidpediatrics.com
developmental pediatrics

Office Location

4850 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.
Suite 301
Portland, OR 97225