Treatment for Stress Disorder

Our treatment for stress disorder and any other trauma-related concerns includes both individual and group therapy.

A core part of our individual therapy is creating “prediction errors.” Prediction errors happen when your brain predicts something will happen but is proven wrong. This is an important aspect of healing from trauma because it trains the brain to respond normally to stimuli that typically cause your teen a lot of distress.

Let’s say your teen had a scary experience where they nearly drowned. Now, they’re afraid to swim and dislike being near water altogether. To create prediction errors for them, we need to introduce water into their life carefully. We might start by encouraging them to take a bath instead of a shower. This could cause a lot of anxiety for them, but if they rise to the challenge, we’ll create a prediction error, and their brain will take note of it. It will then adapt its response to water. The more time they spend around water and remain safe, the more prediction errors their brain will experience until eventually they understand that water is rarely dangerous.

In our unique group therapy, your teen will work alongside their peers and practice skills they can carry with them into their lives outside of Bricolage. They’ll learn ways to correct unproductive thoughts, healthy communication techniques, relaxation methods, and much more. Unlike traditional group therapy, teens at Bricolage are always engaged in an activity – they don’t just sit around in a circle waiting for their turn to speak. This ensures we make the best of our time with your child and that they’re equipped with everything they need to heal and succeed.

Patience is also vital, both from parents and teens themselves. It takes time to recover from trauma. Some days will feel okay, and some will feel like your teen hasn’t made any progress in healing. This is normal and all part of the process. It can be frustrating, especially for your teen, more so than for you. Continue to encourage them and offer your support.

It’s also important not to put the responsibility of managing your teen’s stress disorder squarely on yourself. It’s ideal to get a mental health professional involved anytime a teen goes through a traumatic event.

Therapy can be helpful for anyone, for anything, but teens are often skeptical. It might help them to know that therapy doesn’t need to be a permanent solution. The goal of all therapy is to help patients lead healthier lives and develop healthier habits, not to keep them in therapy indefinitely. At Bricolage, we love to see the kids we work with develop the skills they need to thrive in their lives outside of treatment.

Remember that acute stress disorder can only be diagnosed by a mental health professional – but even more importantly, any of these symptoms are worth addressing regardless of diagnosis. If your child recently experienced a traumatic event, it’s always a good idea to get them extra help.