What happens if PTSD is left untreated in a child?
Asked by: Daren Swaniawski | Last update: February 13, 2026Score: 4.8/5 (44 votes)
If PTSD is left untreated in a child, it can severely disrupt brain development, leading to chronic anxiety, depression, learning/focus issues, social withdrawal, and difficulty forming relationships, significantly impacting their ability to function at home, school, and work, often carrying into adulthood and increasing risks for substance abuse, self-harm, and other serious physical and mental health problems.
What is the best medication for PTSD?
The best medications for PTSD are often SSRIs (Sertraline/Zoloft, Paroxetine/Paxil) and SNRIs (Venlafaxine/Effexor), with Zoloft and Paxil being FDA-approved for PTSD, though others like Prozac are also used; these help balance brain chemicals to reduce symptoms, but psychotherapy is generally more effective long-term, and it's crucial to work with a doctor to manage side effects and find what works for you, avoiding benzodiazepines due to dependency risks.
What are the symptoms of unhealed childhood trauma?
Signs of unhealed childhood trauma in adults often appear as ongoing struggles with emotional regulation, forming healthy relationships, maintaining self-worth, and managing stress, manifesting as anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms (flashbacks, hypervigilance), chronic health issues, substance abuse, and self-destructive behaviors. These effects stem from the brain's response to early adversity, impacting core functions like trust, emotional processing, and coping.
What happens if PTSD is left untreated in children?
Untreated PTSD in children can cause immediate problems like sleep disturbances, behavioral issues, and learning difficulties, and lead to long-term consequences such as depression, anxiety, poor emotional and social development, physical health risks, and strained family relationships.
Does PTSD ever go away?
PTSD symptoms can decrease over time, and with effective treatment like trauma-focused therapy (CBT, EMDR) and support, many people recover or see significant improvement, but for some, symptoms can last years or a lifetime, though often with fluctuating intensity, making professional help crucial for managing the condition. Recovery is possible, but it's a variable journey influenced by trauma severity, support systems, and timely intervention.
Warning Signs of PTSD
How long does it take the brain to heal from PTSD?
There's no set timeline for healing from C-PTSD; it's unique for each individual. The symptoms of C-PTSD span emotional dysregulation and physical manifestations. The complexity of C-PTSD ensures it's a long-term healing journey and not an easy trek.
Is PTSD a permanent mental illness?
While PTSD itself may not always be considered a permanent disability by the VA, it can contribute to the development of other conditions that may be deemed permanent disabilities. For example, individuals with PTSD may develop chronic pain or substance abuse issues as a result of their condition.
What does PTSD do to a child's brain?
Furthermore, cross-sectional studies suggest that youth with PTSD have abnormal frontolimbic development compared to typically developing youth. Examples include declining hippocampal volume, increasing amygdala reactivity, and declining amygdala-prefrontal coupling with age.
What is the 3 3 3 rule for children?
The 3-3-3 rule for kids is a simple grounding technique to calm anxiety by engaging the senses: name 3 things you see, then 3 sounds you hear, and finally, move 3 parts of your body, helping to shift focus from anxious thoughts to the present moment and regain a sense of control. It's a quick, accessible tool for emotional regulation, great for test anxiety, big feelings, or stressful situations.
What does untreated PTSD turn into?
While most people can resolve their symptoms by seeking treatment, there are lasting impacts from experiencing PTSD, especially when experienced in childhood. It is not uncommon for untreated PTSD to result in the use of or dependence on drugs and alcohol to cope with intense feelings of anxiety and depression.
What are the red flags that a child has experienced trauma?
Traumatic reactions can include a variety of responses, such as intense and ongoing emotional upset, depressive symptoms or anxiety, behavioral changes, difficulties with self-regulation, problems relating to others or forming attachments, regression or loss of previously acquired skills, attention and academic ...
What are the five personalities of childhood trauma?
While not official clinical diagnoses, "childhood trauma personalities" refer to coping styles developed from adversity, often described as The Doer (Hyper-Responsible), The Are We Good? (People-Pleaser), The Ghost (Avoidant/Withdrawn), The Hostile (Aggressive/Defensive), and The Dark Soul (Hopeless/Depressed), all serving as protective masks for the authentic self, according to various sources and psychology resources. These patterns—like perfectionism, high need for control, people-pleasing, or emotional numbness—arise from trauma like abuse or neglect, affecting adult relationships, self-worth, and emotional regulation.
What are the 10 ACEs of childhood trauma?
The 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are categories of childhood trauma studied by the CDC, including Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Physical Neglect, Emotional Neglect, Household Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, Incarcerated Relative, Parental Separation/Divorce, and Domestic Violence (witnessing violence against a mother). These experiences, categorized as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction, significantly increase risks for health and well-being issues in adulthood.
How do you treat PTSD in children?
The treatment with the best empirical evidence is Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT). TF-CBT generally includes the child directly discussing the traumatic event (exposure), anxiety management techniques such as relaxation and assertiveness training, and correction of inaccurate or distorted trauma related thoughts.
What is the fastest way to calm PTSD?
10 ways to relax when you have PTSD
- Have a cup of Green Tea.
- Count Backwards. ...
- Drip Cold Water On Your Wrists. ...
- Meditate. ...
- Eat some Chocolate. ...
- Try Aromatherapy. ...
- Progressive Relaxation. ...
- Write It Down.
What are the long term effects of PTSD?
An increasing body of evidence demonstrates how the increased allostatic load associated with PTSD is associated with a significant body of physical morbidity in the form of chronic musculoskeletal pain, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
What drink calms anxiety?
For calming drinks, focus on herbal teas like chamomile, lavender, and peppermint (often containing apigenin or L-theanine for relaxation), green tea for L-theanine's calm alertness, and warm milk with tryptophan; also consider water for hydration and nutrient-rich smoothies with ingredients like turmeric or ginger. These beverages, especially those with antioxidants and amino acids, support mood regulation and stress reduction, but shouldn't replace professional anxiety treatment.
What is the #1 worst habit for anxiety?
There isn't one single "#1 worst" habit, but procrastination/avoidance, lack of sleep, negative self-talk, and excessive caffeine/poor diet are consistently cited as major drivers that intensify anxiety by creating a cycle of stress, worry, and poor coping. These habits often feed into each other, making it harder to manage anxious feelings, with procrastination often stemming from anxiety and then worsening it further.
What to do when your child is struggling with mental health?
Parents can do a lot to help kids be mentally healthy and well:
- Check in with your child or teen. ...
- Listen more than you talk, and truly hear what your child is saying. ...
- Encourage your child to keep talking. ...
- Encourage your child to learn about and label their emotions, and to accept all emotions.
How do kids with PTSD act?
PTSD symptoms in children this age are similar to those in adults. They may relive the event. This is also called re-experiencing. They may avoid things that remind them of the trauma, be keyed up, and have more negative thoughts and feelings than before the trauma.
Is PTSD a form of brain damage?
While Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) involves changes in brain function, it is not typically classified as a brain injury. Brain injuries usually involve physical damage to the brain, such as bruising, bleeding, or tearing of brain tissue.
At what age is 90% of the brain developed?
About 90% of a child's brain development is completed by age five, a critical period when rapid neural connections form, establishing the foundation for lifelong learning, health, and behavior, with significant growth (around 80%) occurring by age three. This early growth involves forming over a million new neural connections every second, highlighting the crucial impact of early experiences, stimulation, and nutrition.
What happens if PTSD goes untreated?
Left unaddressed, PTSD can worsen over time, damaging relationships, affecting job or school performance, and significantly increasing the risk of substance use and suicide.
Does PTSD qualify for SSI?
Social Security Has Specific Qualifications for PTSD
This means that your symptoms are well-documented in your medical records and equally serious to Social Security's defined requirements of its PTSD listing. The Social Security listing 12.15 for Trauma-and stressor-related disorders can be found here.
What triggers PTSD episodes?
These triggers can be external, such as sights, sounds, smells, or locations that are associated with the trauma. They can also be internal, such as certain thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations that are similar to those experienced during the traumatic event.