How Parents or Caregivers Can Help Teens with Traumatic Grief

Posted on: Nov 7, 2022 | | Written by:

How Parents or Caregivers Can Help Teens with Traumatic Grief

Published on November 07, 2022. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

The sudden death of a loved one or friend can traumatise a teen and make it difficult for them to cope with the situation. While some may feel sad and numb, others may exhibit anger, irritability, revengeful attitude and harmful behaviours. They may also find it difficult to sleep, study or enjoy any activity, making things quite challenging for parents or caregivers. However, instead of feeling anxious seeing the teen’s changed behaviour, it is important to understand the child and encourage them to follow their routines and engage in fun activities with family and friends.

Traumatic grief can affect the overall wellbeing of a person and make them more vulnerable to developing mental health issues. If this continues for more than 1-2 months, parents or caregivers must seek help from a mental health professional. Most medical insurance or health insurance plans in India cover both physical and mental health issues, so policyholders can opt for the finest treatment without fretting about the bills.

Tips to Help Teens with Traumatic Grief

If your teen is coping with traumatic grief, the following tips can help you understand their experience better. Once you understand how they are feeling, you can help them come out of the distressing situation.

1. Understand the child:

First and foremost, parents or caregivers need to understand that the child is hurting inside. Although they are feeling sad, numb and empty inside, they are not sharing their thoughts and feelings with anyone. Hence, as a parent or caregiver, spend more time with the teen and encourage them to share their thoughts with you. You can ask them if they prefer talking to someone outside the family and arrange for a counsellor accordingly.

2. Have patience:

A teen coping with traumatic grief may exhibit different behavioural problems, such as angry outbursts, irritability, self-injury, excessive consumption of alcohol and drug abuse. Instead of getting angry or panicking, stay calm and encourage the child to do their routine activities. You can call their friends home or plan a family outing to divert the child’s mind. However, if the child continues with risky behaviours, seek professional help without delay. Also, take medical insurance for the child and keep them covered against physical and mental health emergencies.

3. Be encouraging:

If the child is having scary thoughts and experiencing sleep and concentration problems, help them cope with the issues. Some may suddenly find it difficult to sleep alone. You can encourage them to do activities that will divert their mind, such as listening to music, watching a movie, playing games and talking to friends. Also, ask them to limit the use of mobile phones and other gadgets at night to help them sleep better.

4. Help calm their physical reactions:

A child coping with traumatic grief may exhibit certain physical reactions, such as headaches, body aches and jumpiness, especially when something reminds them of the disturbing experience. If you notice these in your child, encouragethem to practice some tension-releasing activities, like deep breathing, yoga, meditation and stretching. These simple activities can help calm their mind and check the physical reactions they are experiencing.

5. Help ease their emotional outbursts:

After losing a loved one, the grieving teen may fear losing other important people in their life. They might even end up thinking of all possible bad things that can happen to them. These thoughts can make them too worried and anxious about their future and prevent them from attending school and doing other routine activities. In such situations, you must talk to the child and encourage them to share their fears with you. If the child is worried about their health and safety, you can tell them to eat well, exercise regularly, drive safely, stay away from addictions and so on. Telling about ways to take control of their future and safety can help ease their anxiety.

6. Talk to them carefully:

You may notice that the teen looks uncomfortable or deeply saddened whenever someone talks about the person who died. The child may also try to change the topic or reject it altogether. Hence, be careful while talking to the child and do not feel bad or humiliated if they change the topic. Continue talking to them about other things as your presence can help them heal sooner.

7. Do not ignore signs of traumatic grief:

A grieving teen may not want to visit places that remind them of the loved one they lost. Although they may appear strong on the outside, they may be finding it difficult to cope with the loss. If the child’s unusual behaviour continues for over a month or two, make sure you seek professional help. Different health insurance plans in India cover mental healthcare expenses, so make sure you take an individual health insurance for your teen. It can come in quite handy during medical emergencies.

Conclusion

Children, especially teens, can find it difficult to cope with traumatic grief. As a parent or caregiver, you need to practice patience when around the child and spend more time with them than before. Encourage them to do their routine activities and other things that can divert their mind and help them feel better with each passing day. However, if a child is showing extreme and unsafe behaviours, opt for professional help without delay. Also, take medical insurance for the child and keep them covered against emergencies. Most health insurance plans in India cover hospitalisation expenses related to mental illnesses as well, so keeping one handy can help.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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