Learn more about Crown Adolescent Health’s Newton PTSD IOP for teens and adolescents and how we can help your family find long-term healing and wellness together.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing a traumatic event. It affects people of all ages, but adolescents are particularly vulnerable due to their developmental stage. In Newton, MA, the Crown Adolescent Center has emerged as a notable facility dedicated to addressing adolescent PTSD with a multi-faceted approach.
Adolescents can develop PTSD following events such as physical or sexual assault, natural disasters, serious accidents, or witnessing violence. Symptoms in adolescents may include intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviors, negative changes in cognition or mood, and increased arousal symptoms like irritability or aggressive behavior. The impact on their academic performance, relationships, and overall development can be profound if left untreated.
Treatment Programs
Adolescents experiencing PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) often display a range of signs and symptoms that can affect their emotional, psychological, and physical well-being. Recognizing these symptoms early is crucial for providing appropriate care and support. Some common signs include:
Re-experiencing the Trauma: Adolescents may have intrusive thoughts, nightmares, or flashbacks, where they relive the traumatic event. This can lead to distress, anxiety, and panic in situations that remind them of the trauma.
Avoidance: A common coping mechanism in PTSD, avoidance behaviors include steering clear of people, places, or activities that trigger memories of the traumatic event. This may also include avoiding talking about the trauma altogether.
Hyperarousal: Adolescents with PTSD may show signs of being easily startled, hypervigilant, or overly alert. They might have trouble relaxing, experience irritability, and find it difficult to concentrate or sleep.
Negative Changes in Mood or Cognition: This can manifest as a persistent feeling of sadness, guilt, or fear. Adolescents might also exhibit negative thoughts about themselves or the world and may struggle to experience positive emotions. They might lose interest in activities they once enjoyed.
Emotional Numbing and Detachment: Some adolescents may become emotionally distant, feeling detached from family and friends. This can lead to isolation, difficulty connecting with others, or indifference to previously meaningful relationships.
Physical Symptoms: Adolescents may also experience unexplained physical complaints, such as headaches or stomachaches, without a clear medical cause. These are often linked to the stress of PTSD.
Behavioral Changes: Adolescents may engage in risky or destructive behaviors, such as substance abuse or reckless driving, as a way to cope with their distress. Self-harm or other dangerous behaviors can also be indicators.
Mood Swings: Sudden shifts in mood, including episodes of anger or aggression, can occur. Adolescents may struggle to control their emotions, leading to outbursts or withdrawal from social interaction.
Early intervention is essential in addressing adolescent PTSD, as untreated symptoms can lead to long-term difficulties with emotional regulation, relationships, and daily functioning.
Our most intensive level of care involves an individualized treatment plan to meet each client where they are. A wide range of therapies and services can be utilized to help the teens in our care build healthy coping skills and learn how to manage symptoms of mental health concerns even after leaving treatment.
This step down from our full day program provides continued support as clients begin to return to their everyday activities. Through daily sessions in our centers, your teen can continue to build the skills they need for long-term recovery.
If a hospital stay is part of your child’s recovery journey, we’re able to provide outpatient services that can help them build a strong foundation for further progress when they’re back home. Hospital-based services involve counseling, therapy, and support for family members.
If your teen or adolescent is struggling with mental health issues or dual-diagnosis conditions, we can help. Take our free online quiz right now to get the answers you need.
The Crown Adolescent Center specializes in providing comprehensive mental health services tailored for adolescents in Newton, MA. The center emphasizes a compassionate, evidence-based approach to treating PTSD, offering a range of therapeutic modalities tailored to the unique needs of young individuals.
An accurate assessment is crucial to formulating an effective treatment plan. The Crown Adolescent Center conducts thorough psychological evaluations to understand the depth and specifics of each adolescent’s PTSD symptoms. This process often involves clinical interviews, standardized questionnaires, and sometimes collaboration with schools or family members to gather comprehensive insights.
Recognizing that each adolescent’s experience with PTSD is unique, Crown Adolescent Center prioritizes creating individualized treatment plans. These plans are crafted based on the assessment outcomes and take into account the adolescent’s personal history, family dynamics, and any co-occurring mental health conditions.
Family plays a critical role in an adolescent’s recovery process. Crown Adolescent Center offers family therapy sessions to educate and empower family members. These sessions aim to improve family communication, provide insights into PTSD, and build a supportive home environment conducive to recovery.
In cases where medication may be beneficial, especially when dealing with severe symptoms or co-occurring disorders like depression or anxiety, the Crown Center provides psychiatric evaluations and ongoing medication management as part of the treatment process.
We have a team of dedicated specialists who can answer any questions you may have about mental health treatment in general, our program or getting started.
Beyond conventional therapies, the Crown Adolescent Center integrates wellness-oriented practices to complement psychological treatment. These include:
Crown Adolescent Center acknowledges that school and community connections are integral to an adolescent’s support network. Collaborative efforts with local schools in Newton involve regular communication with school counselors and teachers to ensure that the adolescent’s academic and social needs are being met. Workshops and educational seminars are also conducted to sensitize school staff about PTSD and effective ways to support affected students.
Many adolescents undergoing treatment at the Crown Adolescent Center exhibit significant improvement in symptom reduction, enhanced functioning in daily life, and overall life satisfaction. Success is not only measured by clinical scales but also by personal milestones such as improved grades, restored friendships, and renewed interests in hobbies or activities that were once overshadowed by trauma.
One notable success story involves a 15-year-old girl who struggled with severe anxiety and intrusive thoughts following a car accident. Through personalized TF-CBT and EMDR sessions, combined with family support and participation in a peer support group, she gradually overcame her fear of traveling in vehicles and returned to her once-favorite hobby of volunteering at the local animal shelter.
At Crown Adolescent Health, we work with most major insurance carriers to help cover many of the costs associated with treatment at our teen programs in Massachusetts.
We are here to be your partner in teen & adolescent mental health & wellness. Contact our caring team to learn more about how we can help you with our innovative treatment programming.
Treating adolescent PTSD is a delicate process that requires an understanding of the unique developmental needs of young people. At the Crown Adolescent Center in Newton, MA, a comprehensive, empathetic, and evidence-based approach has positioned the facility as a beacon of hope and recovery for many families. Through individualized care, strong family involvement, and integration with community supports, the center not only aims for symptom alleviation but also for long-term resilience and personal growth in adolescents facing the shadows of trauma.
