Tackling Trauma
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Hello I'm STAR
To guide you in your journey, we would like to introduce you to Star who will be with you every step of the way. We have chosen the name Star as it is considered a symbol of truth, spirit, and hope. Stars are also symbolic of divine guidance and protection which is our aim, accompanying you on a journey within this website, towards your recovery.
Truth is about acknowledging what happened to you.
Spirit is about you having the courage on your journey towards healing.
Hope is about you living a life in present and not in the past.
Tackling Trauma for Children
Aged 3yrs - 10yrs
As a child you can experience difficult and sometimes frightening events which are called Trauma’s, which can make you feel sad. These can sometimes be something that happened once, or something that happened time and time again.
Here are some examples:
Death of someone special to you
Covid-19
An accident that you have been in or witnessed
Long-term illness
Parents fighting
Bullying
Someone harming you
Bitten by a dog
A health condition
What is Trauma? Psycho-education for Kids! University of Kentucky Centre on Trauma and Children
When something bad happens, it can feel like a terrible thing happened, please hear this story to help you understand
This can feel very scary and your whole body can be affected.
You can have many different feelings:
(You can hover over each cloud to reveal a picture)
How Are You Feeling Today?
It is normal to feel many of these feelings for a long time after the event, point with your parent/carer to help them understand how you are feeling right now. Use this time to share how you are both feeling.
HAPPYSADANGRYHUNGRYEMBARRASSEDSICKPROUDJEALOUSSURPRISEDUNSUREANNOYEDSHYSCAREDBOREDEXCITEDNERVOUSGUILTYSILLYLONELYSLEEPY
As well as different feelings, your body will also seem different to you which can be scary and feel really tough for you to deal with.
This list gives you an idea of the different ways you can be affected by terrible things that may have happened to you:
Scared to go to sleep
Bad dreams
Memories of the terrible thing
Jumpy and nervous
Feel sick
Have headaches or stomach aches
Feeling worried that it will happen again
Feeling different from your friends
Worried that people will find out
Thinking that people will not believe you
Talk with your parent about which ones you are feeling, this will help you understand what you are going through, they will then be able to help you.
Ways to Feel Happier and to Heal
Knowing you feel loved and safe helps you start to feel better. Here are stories of the importance of feeling loved and a story of how you can feel safe even when you are away from the people who you feel safest with.
'Guess How Much I Love You'
by Sam McBratney
'The Invisible String'
by Patrice Karst
Understanding Bad Dreams and Nightmares
When a terrible thing has happened, when we sleep, our dreaming part of our brain can go through all of the things that we have experienced when the terrible thing happened. Our dreams help us understand what has happened to us, sometimes this can be a mixed up and strange but helps us learn how to keep safe, even overcome our thoughts and feelings about the terrible things.
'How to Deal with Nightmares'
by Cosmic Kids
'Why do we get Nightmares?'
by Peekaboo Kidz
'Why do we dream?'
by Peekaboo Kidz
Relaxation
Looking after ourselves and keeping healthy is important. Sleep and relaxation helps us to feel happy and safe. Being scared all the time is not good for our minds or our bodies, learning to relax will help you forget about the terrible thing that happened.
'Can’t You Sleep Little Bear?'
by Martin Waddell
'Calming Stories To Help Children Sleep'
by Sleepy Paws
'Sleep Mediation for Kids. Harey Hoppins'
by The Dream Machine
'Bedtime Stories'
by Cosmic Yoga Kids
Understanding Feelings
Understanding why you are feeling, thinking, and behaving differently can be scary and confusing. Sometimes our emotions become all mixed up, this story helps understand our feelings.
'The Colour Monster'
by Ann Llenas
'The Feelings Book'
by Todd Parr
'When I Am Worried'
by Michael Gordon
Feeling Angry and Grumpy
Having difficult days sometimes is tough and can make us feel sad. Our special people who love and keep us safe understand that on these days we need some extra love and support. We can have difficult feelings which means we can have difficult behaviours; this is not your fault.
'Sometimes I’m Bombalo'
by Rachel Vail
'Grumpy Monkey'
by Suzanne Lang
'My No No No Day'
by Rebecca Patterson
'My Big Shouting Day'
by Rebecca Patterson
Taking Back Control
Now you can understand that because a terrible thing happened that your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours have changed. Life can feel difficult, this is not your fault. It is time for you to begin to get control back, to enjoy your life, to feel happy, to trust people, to feel safe and to feel loved and to love others.
'Have You Filled a Bucket Today?'
by Carol McCloud
'The I’m Not Scared Book'
by Todd Parr
'I like Myself'
by Karen Beaumont
Bad Days
Sometimes Star has feelings as if going back to when it all happened. Something may have triggered Star to feel like this, just like it might for you. This maybe something in the present that reminds you of the past, special dates such as Birthdays, a car journey or school holidays may remind you of the terrible thing. This is not you going backwards, it is a small moment in time when you are feeling as if you are back in the place where the terrible thing happened, we have named this as having a ‘wobble’ just like jelly.
I would like you to think of life similar to playing snakes and ladders. Sometimes you may have good days and it feels like you are moving up the ladder and you are a winner, which makes you happy and excited about life. Sometimes, little things in life can upset you and then you may feel like you are sliding down the snakes towards the bottom, bump, bump, bump and that can make you feel sad and scared.
Moving towards the top of the game and winning does not seem possible and you feel like giving up.
This is when you might have a little wobble, just like Star. Look, Star is having a little wobble, but look, Star does not fall down. The wobble will slow down until it stops.
After a terrible thing has happened, you may have a little wobble, but just like Star after a short time, it will stop, and you can move back up the ladder and be happy again. This is normal following a terrible thing that has happened to you. When it happens to you, think of Star who healed, you have healed, and this feeling will go away. Remember, you are strong and courageous, you are a superhero.
A Final Task
Draw your superhero self, think about what you are wearing and write what superhero skills you have
Draw your superhero shield. On a piece of paper, think about what shape it is, what it could be made of, is there anything written on it?
What colour is it?
Once you have drawn it, I would like you to close your eyes and imagine holding this shield.
Now you can use this superstar shield to keep scary thoughts or feelings away
and send them into outer space!
'The Stay Home Superheroes'
by Sophie Marsh
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