The Tak Team Blog

Sarah is a 28 y/o accountant who had a traumatic past that she
kept to herself. At age 15, she was grabbed by a masked man
while she was jogging in a park. The man threatened to kill her
with a knife and brutally raped her. She screamed but nobody
seemed to have heard her.

Since that time, Sarah has developed nightmares about being
raped or killed. In most days, she has suffered from flashbacks
of her being attacked. Each time she watches TV shows that
remind her of the incident, she gets scared, overwhelmed, and
becomes agitated. At times, she develops anxiety attacks,
palpitations, sweating, and restlessness.

Since the attack, Sarah can hardly trust people. As a result,
her relationships have profoundly suffered. More recently, she’s
been depressed and feeling hopeless. She hasn’t been sleeping
and eating well. Her inattention has negatively impacted her
work.

Based on the above symptoms, Sarah is most likely suffering from
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). What exactly is PTSD?

PTSD is a psychiatric disorder characterized by avoidance,
hypervigilance, emotional difficulties, and recall behavior such
as flashbacks and nightmares after a traumatic event such as
rape, war, vehicular accident, or natural disasters. Recent
researches have shown that after a trauma, biochemical changes
develop in the brain that can result in psychological signs as
shown above.

If untreated, some individuals develop emotional difficulties
such as depression associated with inability to concentrate,
sleep, and eat. Occasionally, they also become hopeless to the
point that they want to die.

What is the treatment for PTSD?

The combination of individual psychotherapy and medications is
known to help. Antidepressants especially SSRIs have been tried
with some success. Other medications have been helpful to
address the associated symptoms. Anxiety and agitation can be
treated with benzodiazepines. The latter should be restricted to
short-term use because of their addiction potential. Insomnia
can be treated by a small dose of Trazodone.

Psychotherapy or “talk therapy” is an important part of
treatment and recovery. The individual should be able to express
the fear, the frustration, the guilt, and the blame in a secure
and safe setting. Moreover, the therapist should provide ample
support and empathy.

“Thus it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14 NAS).

During World War II Dr. Leslie D. Weatherhead gave five talks on the will of God to his City Temple congregation in England. Fortunately for the rest of the world, they were published. Every time I hear “It’s God’s will,” I think of this remarkable little book and how it clarified God’s will for me.

Dr. Weatherhead separated God’s will into three parts: 1) Intentional; 2) Circumstantial, and 3) Ultimate (ICU).

1. God’s INTENTIONAL WILL is for our good. This is Adam and Eve in the Garden. When God created Adam and Eve, it was His intention that they live forever and be happy. But they sinned and were expelled from Paradise.

2. His CIRCUMSTANTIAL WILL is because of the circumstances in our lives. It is within this will that we find God’s permissive will. This is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is Job 42:2: “I know (faith) that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.”; It is the all of Romans 8:28, that glorious rod and staff of the grieving: “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” I know (wisdom) I can (possibility) do (accomplishment) all things whatsoever He asks!

3. His ULTIMATE WILL is for His glory and our good. This is Christ’s resurrection and our resurrection. It is us all in the New Earth.

The wonderful revelation as I read this book is that God’s intentional will finally becomes His ultimate will, even as we go through the circumstances of our life. Dr. Weatherhead gives the example of the young man in London whose intention was to be an architect but, because the war changed his circumstances, he joined the Army. At the time this was the honorable course. The young man could not control the evil circumstances of Hitler and his desire to conquer the world, but he could control his reaction to them.

As I read the book I was comforted in the fact that nothing falls outside the circle of Divine Providence:

1) the knowledge of God embraces it;
2) His power is sovereign over it;
3) His mercy holds it creatively.

The key here is God’s goodness. The parent does not will evil for his or her child; neither would a perfect God will evil for His children. At the time Dr. Weatherhead gave his talks, the people in England needed desperately to know that there was a living and loving God in spite of the horror going on.

We need to understand God’s will and its components before we tell the person prostrate with grief that “It’s God’s will.” As I read this incredible treatise, I viewed us as being in God’s ICU unit and God taking care of us as only He can do, no matter what our circumstances.

Thank You, Father, for being our Physician in Your ICU unit!

Some forms may include:

Some adolescents and teens may self-mutilate to rebel, reject their parents’ values, take risks, state their individuality or merely to be accepted by their peers. Others, however, may injure themselves out of anger or desperation to seek attention, to show their hopelessness, loss of self-esteem and worthlessness, or because they have suicidal thoughts. These children may suffer from serious psychiatric problems such as Bipolar Disorder, depression, mood disorders, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), and psychosis. Additionally, some adolescents and teens who engage in self-injury may develop Borderline Personality Disorder as adults when not treated for this as youth. Some young children may resort to self-injurious acts from time to time, however, they often grow out of it.

Children with autism or mental retardation may also show these behaviors which may persist into adulthood when not treated at a younger age. Children who have been abandoned (adopted) or abused (emotinally, physically, sexually) may self-mutilate.

Why do adolescents and teens self-injure?

Adolescents and teens that have difficulty talking about and openly sharing their feelings may show their emotional tension, low self-esteem, physical discomfort, and pain with self-injurious behaviors. Although they may feel like the “steam” in the “pressure cooker” has been released following the act of cutting and hurting themselves, adolescents and teens may instead feel intense anger, fear, hate and hurt. The effects of peer pressure can also influence adolescents and teens to injure themselves. Even though fads come and go, a lot of the wounds on the child’s’ skin will be permanent. A lot of times adolescents and teens hide their burns, bruises, cuts and scars, due to feeling criticized, embarrassed, or rejected.

What can parents do to help their child?

Parents are encouraged to talk with their children about respecting and valuing their bodies. Parents also need to serve as role models for their adolescents and teens by not engaging in acts of self-harm themselves.

Some helpful ways for parents to address their child’s self-injury acts include teaching them to:

Evaluation by a mental health professional may assist in identifying and treating the underlying causes of cutting and self-injury. Feelings of wanting to die or kill themselves are reasons for the parents of adolescents and teens to seek professional care immediately.

A psychiatrist may also diagnose and treat the serious psychiatric disorders that may accompany self-injurious and cutting behaviors.

Dore E. Frances, Child Right’s Advocate & Educational Consultant

http://www.guidingteens.com

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