Helping people find healing from multiple tragedies

PTSD IN THE INNER-CITY

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something terrible and scary that you see, hear about, or

that happens to you, like:

Combat exposure

Child sexual or physical abuse

Terrorist attack

Sexual or physical assault

Serious accidents, like a car wreck

Natural disasters, like a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or earthquake

WHAT IS PTSD?

1. Military Vets – 1 in 4 Homeless men over 40 are Vets.

2. Homeless People in General (exposure to the elements, violence, lack of food, and unsafe sexual activity.

3. People that work/live in high crime areas

4. Law Enforcement personnel and First Responders

5. People in Nursing Homes and Mental Health facilities.

PEOPLE THAT CAN SUFFER FROM PTSD

Most people who go through a trauma have some symptoms at the beginning. Only some will develop PTSD over time. It isn't clear why some people develop PTSD and others don't.

Whether or not you get PTSD depends on many things:

How intense the trauma was or how long it lasted

If you were injured or lost someone important to you

How close you were to the event

How strong your reaction was

How much you felt in control of events

How much help and support you got after the event

HOW DOES PTSD DEVELOP?

Community violence includes many events. It might be a stranger using physical threat or direct violence to take

something or hurt someone. It can also be violence between family members, close partners, or peers. These events may

include cruel acts such as being shot, raped, stabbed, or beaten.

Most of the attention from media and research is on community violence that involves adults. However, many

children and teens face violence in their neighborhoods and schools. Such violence can have effects on children.

THE EFFECT ON THE YOUTH

Many people think that community violence only happens in gangs and inner cities. It is true that people who are poor, non-White, and living in crowded inner-city areas deal with a lot of violence. Community violence also occurs, though, in White, middle-class areas, both suburban and rural. All

kinds of youth are at risk for community violence.

Over one-third of girls and boys across the country ages 10 to 16 years are victims of direct violence. Direct violence

includes attempted kidnapping, physical and sexual assault. Even more children have faced indirect community

violence. That is, they have seen violence or they know a victim of community violence.

WHAT CHILDREN HAVE TO FACE

Children can have PTSD too. They may have symptoms described above or other symptoms depending on how old they are. As

children get older, their symptoms are more like those of adults. Here are some examples of PTSD symptoms in children:

Children age birth to 5 may get upset if their parents are not close by, have trouble sleeping, or suddenly have trouble with

toilet training or going to the bathroom.

Children age 6 to 11 may act out the trauma through play, drawings, or stories. Some have nightmares or become more irritable or aggressive. They may also want to avoid school or

have trouble with schoolwork or friends.

Children age 12 to 18 have symptoms more similar to adults: depression, anxiety, withdrawal, or reckless behavior like

substance abuse or running away.

MORE ON CHILDREN

Sadly, there is no way to make sure your child does not face community violence. However, we do know some of the factors that add to a child's risk for coming into contact

with community violence:

Living in poor, inner-city areas.

Being non-White.

Being in a gang or using alcohol or drugs.

Living in a home with domestic (family) violence.

Males see more community violence than do females and are at more risk for physical attacks.

Females are at more risk for sexual assault.

WHO IS AT RISK?

If hurt by violence, a child may have to cope with physical or medical problems. A child may also have mental health problems, including PTSD. Some people think that young children are not harmed by community violence because they are too young to understand or remember. However,

studies have found signs of PTSD in babies and young children.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS?

A child's exposure to community violence affects the whole family. Parents are often very worried about their child's health and well-being. If resources and help are limited, parents can become angry. As a parent, you might blame

yourself for not being able to keep your child safe. You may even become too protective. Parents sometimes use harsh discipline when the child acts out, even though the child's

behavior is related to a trauma. Relations among family members can become strained. Parents are trying to

comfort their child while at the same time trying to handle their own fears. This is hard, even more so if they live in an

area where violence is common.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS? CONT.

Reliving the event (also called re-experiencing symptoms)

You may have bad memories or nightmares. You even may feel like you're going through the event again. This is called a flashback.

Avoiding situations that remind you of the event

You may try to avoid situations or people that trigger memories of the traumatic event. You may even avoid talking or thinking about the

event.

Feeling numb

You may find it hard to express your feelings. Or, you may not be interested in activities you used to enjoy. This is another way to avoid

memories.

Feeling keyed up (also called hyper arousal)

You may be jittery, or always alert and on the lookout for danger. This is known as hyper arousal.

SYMPTOMS OF PTSD

Psychotherapy, or counseling, involves meeting with a therapist. There are different types of psychotherapy:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective treatment for PTSD. There are different types of CBT. such as

cognitive therapy and exposure therapy.

One type is Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) where you learn skills to understand how trauma changed your thoughts and feelings.

Another type is Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy where you talk about your trauma repeatedly until memories are no longer upsetting. You also go to places that are safe, but that you have been staying away from because they

are related to the trauma.

A similar kind of therapy is called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). This therapy involves focusing on sounds or hand movements while you talk about the trauma.

HOW DO WE TREAT PTSD?

Medications for PTSD

Medications can be effective too. A type of drug known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), which is also

used for depression, is effective for PTSD. Another medication called Prazosin has been found to be helpful in

decreasing nightmares related to the trauma.

IMPORTANT: Benzodiazepines and atypical antipsychotics should generally be avoided for PTSD treatment because

they do not treat the core PTSD symptoms.

MEDICATIONS

Meditation is a form of stress management that will allow our mind to experience an oasis of peace and love within

our heart and mind. Meditation gave me back control over my life so that no matter what was happening externally whether it was positive or negative I could still develop

control over my thoughts and thus control the emotions and feeling in my mind. NO one can control eradicate adversity in life but you can master the way you respond in regards to your thinking processes. Take control now master your mind through one of many meditation techniques and you will forever be able to be the peaceful beacon in the eye of

the storm of any adversity.

PRAYER AND MEDITATION

Listening to music does wonders to alleviate stress. Please note that everyone has different tastes in music. Listen to

the music that you feel comfortable. Sitting down and forcing yourself to listen to relaxation music that you don't

like may create stress, not alleviate it.

Music has always been a great healer. In the Bible, we learn about how David played the harp to help ease his severe

depression of King Saul . 

Music is a significant mood-changer and reliever of stress, working on many levels at once.

MUSIC THERAPY