Trauma is a response to an experience that a person finds deeply disturbing and distressing. This response can be emotional, psychological, or both. Exposure to trauma is a significant contributor to depression. However, a comprehensive depression treatment program can help.
A traumatic experience can also impact brain patterns, causing a person to suffer from increased irritation, heightened fear, and chronic anxiety. If an adolescent boy you know has been impacted by trauma and the depression that can follow, contact Foothills at Red Oak Recovery by calling 866.300.5275.
What Is Classified as Trauma?
Every person experiences trauma in a way that is unique to them. It can affect a person at any time and cause changes in behavior and thinking, which can increase in severity if symptoms following trauma are not addressed.
Some examples of traumatic situations and experiences include:
- Abuse or assault of any kind
- Psychological maltreatment
- Disasters (man-made or natural)
- A serious medical procedure or illness
- A serious accident
- Bullying or school violence
- Being a victim of or witness to domestic violence
- Traumatic separation of a parent or other loved one
These are only some examples of trauma that can lead to a teenage boy’s inability to cope in healthy ways. The effects of childhood trauma range from depressive disorders to substance use disorders, anxiety, social withdrawal, and more.
Symptoms of Trauma in Teens
It can be difficult for teen boys to accept that they are struggling after a traumatic event. It takes more than parental support to escape the symptoms that often follow trauma. Some of these symptoms can be:
- Overwhelming fear
- Crippling anxiety
- Uncontrolled anger
- Bouts of aggression
- An inability to feel emotions
In addition, many adolescent boys experience disturbances in sleep patterns, including nightmares. Some teens might try to stay awake to avoid nightmares. Others may want to sleep constantly to escape the memory of the trauma.
How Are Trauma and Depression Related?
Trauma and depression often go hand in hand, with the former leading to trauma-induced depression. In fact, traumatic life events are the most significant single cause of depression, according to a 2013 study at the University of Liverpool.
Trauma can challenge the way a person thinks about how life works. They can develop a fear that is so intense that it eventually leads to depression.
Symptoms of Depression in Adolescent Boys
Depression is defined as an intense, persistent feeling of overwhelming sadness that interferes with a person’s activities of daily living. This intense sadness is accompanied by feelings of hopelessness that impair their ability to function normally.
Many of the symptoms of trauma-induced depression overlap with those of trauma. Several of them overlap with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well. Symptoms of depression include:
- Persistent feelings of loss
- Intense sadness
- Feelings of unrelenting despair
- Difficulty sleeping
- Loss of appetite
- Disillusionment
- Loss of interest in activities the person used to enjoy
Just as is the case with trauma, depression can manifest differently from one adolescent boy to another. Symptoms of PTSD can include all of the above symptoms of depression, in addition to panic attacks, avoiding certain experiences, and reliving traumatic events through flashbacks.
Mitigating the Effects of Childhood Trauma with Foothills at Red Oak Recovery
To provide our clients with the support they need to help them get out from under the dark shadow they feel trapped by, we offer comprehensive, personalized trauma and depression treatment for teen boys ages 14-17.
Just as no two boys are exactly alike, no two treatment plans should be alike, either. Our adolescent treatment center in Ellenboro, NC offers a wide variety of services and therapies, including equine therapy, family therapy, and much more. If you are concerned for the welfare of a teenage boy you know, please reach out to us at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery at 866.300.5275.
