2 Trauma Treatment Options For Young Adults: How To Help Your Teen Cope
Trauma can be extremely difficult for young adults to process and work through, especially if they do not have a support system in place. As a parent, you may wonder what trauma treatment options are available to help your teen cope. Here are two trauma treatments that can be incredibly beneficial for young adults.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
TF-CBT is a type of therapy that helps kids and teens process their trauma and learn healthy coping mechanisms. This treatment option focuses on changing negative thoughts and behaviors that may have developed as a result of trauma.
For instance, say your teen was in a car accident. They may develop negative thoughts about driving and constantly worry about getting into another accident. TF-CBT can help your teen work through these thoughts by changing the way they think about driving. They could learn how to reframe their thoughts to be more positive and less anxious.
In addition, your teen may have developed unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as drinking alcohol, as a way to numb their trauma. TF-CBT can help them learn healthier coping mechanisms, such as journaling or talking to a therapist, to deal with their trauma.
Finally, TF-CBT can help your teen build a support system of people they trust and who they can rely on when feeling triggered. Your teen will learn how to communicate effectively with you and other people in their life about their trauma and how it's affecting them. This can help build a stronger relationship between you and your teen and help them develop other supportive relationships.
Through TF-CBT, your teen will learn how to manage their trauma in a healthy way and develop skills that will last a lifetime. They can start to heal and live a more fulfilling life.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a trauma treatment that effectively helps people process their trauma. This treatment option focuses on eye movements that help desensitize people to their trauma.
For instance, if your teen was in a car accident, they may be triggered by the sound of a car horn. EMDR can help by having your teen focus on a back-and-forth movement, such as following your finger with their eyes. As they do this, they can create a new, more positive memory to replace the trauma-related memory.
The goal is to eventually get to a point where your teen no longer feels triggered by their trauma. This can help them live a more normal life without constant reminders of their trauma.
Since your teen may need several EMDR sessions to work through their trauma, it's important to be patient and understand that this is a process. With each session, your teen will get one step closer to healing.
Contact a local trauma treatment program, such as LifeLine For Youth, to learn more.