After The Disaster: Children’s Reactions To Stress

You may expect children to react to any forms of stress caused by a disaster.  It is natural for the child to express anxiety and stress in their behavioral patterns.  Children will go through stages following a traumatic event.  The stages that you may expect from a child will start with terror.  The child may cry, vomit, lose their temper, forget they are potty-trained, or run away.  Some children may express their terror by becoming mute.  We have seen this in children who have faced extreme terror.

Rage and anger may soon follow.  Symptoms would include rapid heartbeat, tense muscles and short breaths.  Denial follows with feelings of numbness, blocking out the pain, dreaming or nightmares, or experience no feelings or emotions at all.  Denial is often followed by unresolved grief.  This grief could turn into severe depression or other major behavioral and character changes.  The child may respond by being sad, angry, too passive, or resistant to any help offered by parents or adults.

It is important to understand that children do not understand the randomness of disastrous events or feel shame that they couldn’t do more to help during the event.  The effects of childhood trauma because of a disaster can last far into their adult years and affect their lives forever.

There are signs that are obvious after stressful events that can help you discover your child’s problem.  One of those signs may be a refusal to return to school or to their child care facility.  This may not be plain after the event, but could occur months later.  Fears may develop that are related to the disaster event.  Children may become fearful of thunder, lightning, strong winds, or loud noises they associate with the disaster.

Sleep may be disturbed for months.  The child may experience nightmares and may start wetting the bed again.  Disobedience and bad conduct may be the follow-up to nightmares and sleep disturbances.  These signs may not occur for months after the event or may appear immediately or in a few weeks.

Physical complaints are a big reaction to any stress filled disaster or event.  A child may complain about headaches, stomach pains, have a fever, or feel dizzy.  You or your doctor may not find any physical reasons for any of the symptoms.  They may also become more susceptible to infections and other physical problems.

One major sign of stress in children may be withdrawal from family and friends.  They may have no interest in fun activities they had taken joy in doing.  Children may not know how to deal with their feelings, may be confused by their feelings, or be preoccupied with reliving the event in their minds.

Children who have lived through a disaster or family misfortune often have psychological problems such as depression, phobias, and posttraumatic stress syndrome.  Children are vulnerable and it is essential the adult role models watch for signs of stress and anxiety and take steps to help their child deal with the problem.