PTSD & the Adverse Effects of Medical & Surgical Procedures
If your child endured invasive medical procedures or prolonged hospitalization at a young age, she’s at risk to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But the Intensive Trauma Therapy Institute in Morgantown, WV has made great strides in treating children with PTSD quickly and effectively.
Treating Traumatic Stress & Dissociative Disorders 17th Conference
This year’s conference is focusing on the assessment, identification, prevention and treatment of early medical trauma. Social workers, counselors, art therapists and nurses can receive CEUs for attending. The conference will be held April 8 & 9, 2010 in Morgantown. Registration information and a downloadable brochure is available at the Intensive Trauma Therapy Clinic’s website.
Intensive Trauma Therapy is Amazing
For years, my son suffered from PTSD induced by numerous hospital stays and seven surgeries before he was five. We didn’t know what was wrong until he was a young adult and his behavior became erratic and disturbing. In December of 2008, the therapists at ITT changed my son’s life in one short week. If you think your child is suffering from PTSD, this conference could be life changing for your family. I encourage you to check it out. But hurry! You need to register by March 26 to avoid a $15 late fee.
Jolene
Jolene,
Could a child who lost his vision over a period of 13 years, from the age of 8 to 21, who also developed seizures and was diagnosed with Epilepsy at age 12, have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? This is what has happened to my son, although no one has ever mentioned PTSD, I see some of the symptoms. He developed a speech impairment at age 15 that has gotten worse over time, although he has no medical or physical reason for the speech impairment. He started talking to himself, developed short-term memory loss, learning disabilities, and constantly worries about his future, afraid of things he once wasn’t, all things that I have tried to tell teachers and professionals that I feel is somehow due to the trauma of losing his vision, being ostracized by his friends, and ignored by family and friends. They all think he is mentally impaired due to the effects of the seizures, although his psychologist says his IQ is “borderline”, and he only agreed with the MR diagnosis, due to his loss of vision which magnifies his other cognitive issues. I’d really like your opinion. Thanks!–Debbie
Hi Debbie,
I’m not a trained clinician, so this isn’t a diagnosis. But yes, some of your son’s symptoms sound PTSD related – especially the worry about the future and being afraid of things that didn’t bother him before. Someone I knew had a noticeable stutter before PTSD treatment, but now it is greatly reduced. I would highly recommend that you go to the Intensive Trauma Therapy’s website and look around. If you like what you see, you can contact them and explore options.
In a few weeks, I’m running a short series about PTSD in children which may be of interest to you also. But the people at the clinic are the experts. Come back and tell me how it goes.
Jolene