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From: maggielouisem on 31 Mar 2007 10:46
Is there anyone here with a child under 3 that has been diagnosed with
PTSD. My son, 29 months was just diagnosed with severe PTSD and
depression. I've known something was wrong since he was 11 months and
he had his first surgery. I'd been fighting for help for him since
then, and I finally found a doctor that understood his behaviors. I
am so relieved to have help, but my heart is breaking over and over
for what has happened to my baby.

Thanks,
Maggie
mom to Aiden

From: Turtle on 31 Mar 2007 22:07
I remember seeing this article and it may be of use to you. The link
has the full article but here is some of the information that the
article talks about.
To fill the gap, the group is proposing a diagnosis called
"developmental trauma disorder" or DTD, to capture what members see as
central realities of life for these children: exposure to multiple,
chronic traumas, usually of an interpersonal nature; a unique set of
symptoms that differs from those of post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) and a variety of other labels often applied to such children
(see "Current trauma diagnoses"); and the fact that these traumas
affect children differently depending on their stage of development.

"While PTSD is a good definition for acute trauma in adults, it
doesn't apply well to children, who are often traumatized in the
context of relationships," says Boston University Medical Center
psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, MD, one of the group's co-leaders.
"Because children's brains are still developing, trauma has a much
more pervasive and long-range influence on their self-concept, on
their sense of the world and on their ability to regulate
themselves."

http://www.apa.org/monitor/mar07/diagnosis.html

I hope this can help you.

Turtle

From: maggielouisem on 1 Apr 2007 10:05
This is a fascinating article. I might bring it to his psych. the
next visit. He told us that Aiden meets the full criteria for adult
PTSD unfortunately, and that it is so severe, he is finding us a
different psych. to work with him. He said at his age, it usually is
more difficult to diagnosis, but not in this case. I am so worried
about what this means for him in life. He is petrified of everything
and all adults. He has been through numerous medical procedures and
four surgeries, and my husband and myself are huge triggers for him
because we were there through everything, so it is quite difficult for
us to ever bring him comfort. I'm glad we are getting help because we
have been so worried about him, and he might need more surgery. We
just don't know what to do anymore.......


From: Turtle on 1 Apr 2007 14:58
Have you tried art or play therapy? There is also a therapy called
EMDR that helps to forget the event. I haven't tried it because I
don't want to forget but with your child it might be something to look
into.

As an adult who has PTSD I can't imagine having it as a child nor the
parents. Know that it isn't your fault for what has happened to him.
Understand that PTSD will take a lot of ups and downs but it is
treatable. Have they put him on any anxiety medicine? Medicine is
often believed to be just like another thing to the public, but those
suffering from constant triggers and flashbacks can see a huge
difference with some anti- depression or anxiety medicine. Of course
some medicines don't work and find one that allows your son to be
himself and not "drugged feeling". Also, I know that in Canada and
the UK they allow parents to take the child into an "prep room" that
has a more child like atmosphere so the child is given a sediative
with the parents and not handed off to the nurses before the
operation. I don't know if you could talk to the doctors and see if
there is a space that allows him to be asleep before they take him
into the operating room?

Play therapy is a structured, theoretically based approach to therapy
that builds on the normal communicative and learning processes of
children (Carmichael, 2006; Landreth, 2002; O'Connor & Schaefer,
1983). The curative powers inherent in play are used in many ways.
Therapists strategically utilize play therapy to help children express
what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to
express their thoughts and feelings (Gil, 1991). In play therapy, toys
are like the child's words and play is the child's language (Landreth,
2002). Through play, therapists may help children learn more adaptive
behaviors when there are emotional or social skills deficits (Pedro-
Carroll & Reddy, 2005). The positive relationship that develops
between therapist and child during play therapy sessions provides a
corrective emotional experience necessary for healing (Moustakas,
1997). Play therapy may also be used to promote cognitive development
and provide insight about and resolution of inner conflicts or
dysfunctional thinking in the child (O'Connor & Schaefer, 1983; Reddy,
Files-Hall & Schaefer, 2005).
http://www.a4pt.org/ps.playtherapy.cfm?ID=1158

Art therapy is an established mental health profession that uses the
creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical,
mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is
based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic
self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems,
develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase
self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight.

Art therapy integrates the fields of human development, visual art
(drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art forms), and the creative
process with models of counseling and psychotherapy. Art therapy is
used with children, adolescents, adults, older adults, groups, and
families to assess and treat the following: anxiety, depression, and
other mental and emotional problems and disorders; mental illness;
substance abuse and other addictions; family and relationship issues;
abuse and domestic violence; social and emotional difficulties related
to disability and illness; trauma and loss; physical, cognitive, and
neurological problems; and psychosocial difficulties related to
medical illness. Art therapy programs are found in a number of
settings including hospitals, clinics, public and community agencies,
wellness centers, educational institutions, businesses, and private
practices.
http://www.arttherapy.org/about.html

EMDR
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a recently
developed psychotherapy method for working through traumatic memories
and related psychological problems. Recent literature reviews find
strong support for EMDR's superiority to traditional approaches to
trauma therapy. The first studies using EMDR with children and
adolescents yield similar findings. EMDR appears to be a promising new
resource for helping children and adolescents recover from trauma and
loss.
http://www.childtrauma.com/emdrch.html
The amount of time the complete treatment will take depends upon the
history of the client. Complete treatment of the targets involves a
three pronged protocol (1-past memories, 2-present disturbance, 3-
future actions), and are needed to alleviate the symptoms and address
the complete clinical picture. The goal of EMDR therapy is to process
completely the experiences that are causing problems, and to include
new ones that are needed for full health. "Processing" does not mean
talking about it. "Processing" means setting up a learning state that
will allow experiences that are causing problems to be "digested" and
stored appropriately in your brain. That means that what is useful to
you from an experience will be learned, and stored with appropriate
emotions in your brain, and be able to guide you in positive ways in
the future. The inappropriate emotions, beliefs, and body sensations
will be discarded. Negative emotions, feelings and behaviors are
generally caused by unresolved earlier experiences that are pushing
you in the wrong directions. The goal of EMDR therapy is to leave you
with the emotions, understanding, and perspectives that will lead to
healthy and useful behaviors and interactions.
http://www.emdrnetwork.org/description.html
http://www.emdr.com/index.htm


Also, remember to take care of yourself and you are not alone You are
his mother and his most important ally during this difficult stage in
his life. I hope these articles can help you bring some light.

Turtle

From: maggielouisem on 1 Apr 2007 16:16
Turtle,

wow! Thank you for all this information......it is wonderful.


His psych. said we will get a play therapist (which seems like a good
idea, especially after reading the article) and then a psych. who
specializes in PTSD in children. His concern is the best person he
knows, specializes in children 5-12. There is someone else he knows,
but she is 2 hours away from us. I'm not sure what she will be
suggesting, but EMDR seems very interesting. I wonder if he is still
too young.

They did let us with Aiden for his procedures, which is a double edged
sword. I think it's part of the reason I trigger him so much, because
I was always one of the people there holding him down. What they
didn't do, and we asked for and they should have, was give him gas to
put him to sleep before blood draws, IV's, etc. Instead, they would
spend up to 8 hours some days holding him down for blood draws. It is
unbelievable. They would never listen to my requests, and obviously,
if I had known it would take 8 hours, I would never have allowed it,
but with each person, they said they would get it and I could take him
home. It was all necessary work, so I couldn't just whisk him away
and say no more. I try not to feel guilty. I always stayed as calm
as possible because if you become upset or hysterical in the hospital
(as a mother), they won't let you in on procedures at all. So, I
never felt like I could express anything if I wanted to stay near him
and ultimately, I was determined I would never leave him.

His psych. was concerned about sleep loss and his amount of
nightmares, especially because they only escalate if we try to calm
him down because we are triggers. However, he said he is too young
for any medication at this time. He does have extreme anxiety. He is
very hyperviglent. We can' t go anywhere without him checking every
room and closing all doors. If one really needs to be open, I have to
kneel down and talk to him about it until he's OK with leaving it
open. Then he does the rounds again of opening them all, checking,
and re-closing them. It is so sad.

I've been told one day he'll be OK, but it is very hard for me to
see. He is so afraid of adults and life. I spend as much time as
possible trying to make everything happy for him, loving....loving,
loving, loving. He is non-verbal, which he said was normal
considering his trauma, but I get so scared he'll never talk to me,
never say "mommy."

I really appreciate your insight,
Maggie

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