Grief Support for Children Can Prevent PTSD
June is PTSD Awareness Month. Throughout the month, Different Dream is raising awareness with a variety of posts about PTSD in children and parents of children with special needs. Today’s post looks at one way to prevent PTSD in children experiencing traumatic grief due to the loss of a loved one.
Grief Support for Children Can Prevent PTSD
The loss of a loved one can be very traumatic for children. Children need support from adults to process the traumatic grief they feel or the unresolved trauma can develop into PTSD. Unfortunately, the people closest to the child are also grieving, fragile, and unequipped for the task. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that organizations exist around the country to help children process their grief and support parents as they support their children. National Public Radio’s This American Life ran a story on May 15, 2015 about one such organization called The Sharing Place. The Sharing Place is located in Salt Lake City, but their website offers a wealth of links to other grief support for children resources.
The radio story about grief support for children is the third act of This American Life Episode 557. It’s about 20 minutes long and worth your time to listen, though not necessarily an easy listen. You will learn so much!
What Do You Know about Grief Support for Children?
Are you the parent of a child who has sought grief support for children after a traumatic loss? What was your experience? What resources do you recommend? What warnings can you offer? Share your hard-earned wisdom in the comment box if you wish…and I am so sorry for the loss that qualifies you to answer these questions.
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By Jolene
Jolene Philo is the author of the Different Dream series for parents of kids with special needs. She speaks at parenting and special needs conferences around the country. She’s also the creator and host of the Different Dream website. Sharing Love Abundantly With Special Needs Families: The 5 Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities, which she co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman, was released in August of 2019 and is available at local bookstores, their bookstore website, and at Amazon.
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Thanks for sharing these resources with us, Jolene!