Karnataka - Bangalore

Love, care key to recovery of traumatised children: expert

BANGALORE: After spending two nights with the body of her parents and surviving a strangulation attempt by her mother, five-year-old Manisha lies in hospital in a traumatised condition. A trauma enough to impact her for a lifetime.

Children who undergo through intense traumatic experiences, especially where they are hurt, may take some time to recover and go through anxiety, temper tantrums and depression. But their recovery depends on the love and care they get from immediate family members and their bent of mind, say mental health experts.

According to the U.S.-based National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an international organisation involved in research and rehabilitation in this area, such children may suffer anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

PTSD is an anxiety disorder that some people develop after seeing or living through an event that caused or threatened serious harm or death. Symptoms include flashbacks or bad dreams, emotional numbness, intense guilt or worry, angry outbursts, feeling “on edge,” or avoiding thoughts and situations that remind them of the trauma.

“It is understood that children who have seen something traumatic or affected physically will take time to recover. In Manisha’s case, she has both seen and physically felt the trauma, so the impact may be more,” said Lata Jacob, counsellor and co-ordinator of the Sahai distress helpline.

“It is difficult to say how long a child who has been through such an experience may take to get back to normal. We meet adults during counselling sessions who may still be disturbed by a difficult episode in their childhood. What is most important is that children who are victims of traumatic or horrific experiences should get unconditional love from their family members, which is not just through talking and communication, but physical presence. Since Manisha has lost her parents, the other family members should ensure that she feels secure, loved and taken care of. If there are other children around her who will play with her and love her, the healing will be faster,” Ms. Lata said.

She added that the family should decide and identify a parental figure, maybe a grandmother or an aunt, who can be of constant support to the child, whom she can look towards for help if she has a problem and can be trusted. Such a person should not be too busy with other things, because physical presence will be important to the child.

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