All parents want their kids to be happy, healthy, and safe. Unfortunately, children can suffer from trauma just like anyone else. Trauma in childhood is more common than you may realize. It is critical that parents recognize the signs of trauma in children. There are several ways to treat childhood trauma. For more serious cases, inpatient mental health treatment may be necessary. The following are some things you should know about inpatient mental health care for kids:
What Is Considered Childhood Trauma?
Trauma in general is a term that describes fearful and stressful experiences a person goes through. Childhood trauma can be long-lasting and can impact a child for decades. Certain instances that may not seem traumatic to an adult can certainly be traumatic for a child. This can be their parent's divorce, a car accident, an incident with a bully, and the like. The traumatic impact is different for every child. This is why individualized treatment is so important.
Childhood trauma can follow children into adulthood. It can impact them in all aspects of their lives as they age. Kids who experience trauma can have learning difficulties, act out, defy authority, and have seemingly irrational fears, anxiety, or feelings of hopelessness.
Should Children Receive Inpatient Mental Health Treatment?
There are many forms of treatment for childhood trauma. Above all, children need a good support system. This can be from family members or trusted adults in their lives. A child also needs good mental healthcare. Some children can greatly benefit from inpatient mental health treatment at a clinic. Therapy is an essential part of inpatient treatment for childhood trauma. Kids get an opportunity to talk about their trauma and learn coping mechanisms that will help them as they heal. Inpatient treatment is full-time support from mental health experts to help children heal when they are dealing with the lasting effects of trauma. Inpatient treatment is held in a controlled and safe environment. Your child will receive around-the-clock care for their mental health which can include somatic therapy, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, and medication therapy.
If your child has gone through trauma and you think they need more help than what is provided on an outpatient basis, ask your child's pediatrician about inpatient treatment. Parents should not feel any sort of stigma or sadness about their child's mental healthcare needs. Inpatient mental health treatment could essentially save a child's life and help them develop into a happy, prosperous adult.
For more information, contact a local mental health therapist.
For a long time, I wasn't sure if my counseling was really working or not. It felt like no matter what I did, I just couldn't stay on top of my personal frustrations, so I started addressing those concerns with my counselor. I was able to find a counselor who really understood what I was up against, and it was really neat to talk with her about everything that I was having a hard time with. We chatted about everything in my life ranging from the initial issues I started having to my daily struggles at work, and I felt like those early talks were helping a lot. On this blog, find out more about working with counselors and making things right.