Teenage Evacuees

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  Teenage
Evacuees		 Kristen DiPaolo | CWK Network
 
 
“Today
in school we were watching the flood and all that, and I just
broke down and cried. That’s all I could do. The counselors
were trying to help me. I ate lunch today and I saw so many people
throwing away food and I just started crying right there because
I know what it’s like to starve for two weeks.”
– Chatell Williams, 17
  Related Information What Parents Need To Know Resources

17-year-old
Chatell and her baby escaped from New Orleans a few days after
Hurricane Katrina. She says, “Today in school we were watching
the flood and all that, and I just broke down and cried. That’s
all I could do. The counselors were trying to help me. I ate lunch
today and I saw so many people throwing away food and I just started
crying right there because I know what it’s like to starve
for two weeks.”

Chatell is now safe at a Red Cross Shelter…and starting
over in a new high school. She says, “I gotta find somebody
to go to homecoming with…I gotta find somebody to go to
the prom with.”

“This is a really critical age because they were really
entrenched with their peer group,” says Dr. Kathleen Hall,
a stress expert in metro-Atlanta. “This was their identity
more than their parents.”

And experts say now these teens—-ripped away from their friends—-may
feel alone or depressed. “Do they start going into their
room? Do they withdrawal? Do they act strange? Do they act depressed?” asks
Dr. Hall. “How are they eating? Have they started losing
weight? Are they eating all the time? Are they having headaches?”

Dr. Jennifer Kelly, an Atlanta psychologist says, “Often
times in adolescence, depression is manifested through agitation,
irritability, acting out.”

Experts say—even though parents, too, may feel overwhelmed—-
it’s important to be reassuring.” Dr. Hall says, “You
need to touch your child as much as possible during the day and
keep them close to you. I also suggest, don’t underestimate
eye contact. Touch your child, look into their eyes, and say, ‘We
are safe, we are fine, we are a family.’”

Dr. Hall says even if families don’t have a permanent home—kids
need to get involved in sports, clubs, activities they enjoy. Dr.
Hall says, “The biggest safety net we have right now is schools.
It establishes a routine for children which is critical. We need
to get children back into a routine as soon as possible, and it
helps with the peer group relationships. They need peers. They
need to fit in somewhere.”

Chatell says, “I mean I thought my first day of school
would be like, ‘Oh, you poor’ and this and that. Actually
a lot of people are like, ‘You want my shoes? Here girl!
You want this?’”

Experts say if parents notice any signs of depression—seek
help immediately. Counseling may be available through school or
the American Red Cross.
By Larry Eldridge
CWK Network, Inc.

Tens of thousands of individuals are struggling with loss after
the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, and many people are at a loss for how
to help. According to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Research,
children may experience many different emotions when faced with the loss
and upheaval caused by these kinds of situations. These emotions and the
way the child deals with them can have a number of short- and long-term effects
on the child including:

Long-term effects

  • Increased likelihood of medical illness
  • Fear of their own death
  • Increased likelihood of psychiatric illness
  • Increased risk of suicide as adults

Short-term Effects

  • Shock
  • Numbness
  • Anger
  • Sadness
  • Insomnia
  • Loneliness
  • Fright
  • Survivor guilt
  • Nightmares
  • Drug abuse
  • School problems
  • Suicide ideation
 
By Larry Eldridge
CWK Network, Inc.

Simple grief over the loss is not only normal,
it is a critical component of the various stages through which adults and
children come to terms with their loss. However, according to the American
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), there are a number of
warning signs that indicate a grieving child is in trouble, including the
following:

  • An extended period of depression in which the child loses interest
    in daily activities and events
  • Inability to sleep, loss of appetite, prolonged fear of being
    alone
  • Acting much younger for an extended period
  • Excessively reliving or replaying the event
  • Withdrawal from friends
  • A sharp drop in school performance or refusal to attend school

Parents may notice that some of the warning signs listed above
parallel or mimic signs of depression and/or suicidal thoughts. If
you observe any of these warning signs, professional guidance may
be needed to help your child deal with this difficult process. A
qualified mental health professional can often help a parent objectively
determine the severity of the child’s difficulty in dealing
with a loss, as well as help the child navigate the recovery process
more successfully.

In addition, parents can take the following actions to help their
children deal with loss and anxiety:

  • Let your child grieve – It is natural for a parent to
    want help their child avoid the pain associated with the loss or
    their possessions and friends through being uprooted from their
    home. However, children’s reactions to the losses will likely
    run the same gamut of emotions as those of adults, i.e. grief,
    anger or fear. It is important that children are allowed to acknowledge
    their grief and experience their own grieving processes.
  • Talk to your child – As with so many emotional situations
    and problems, communication is essential in helping a child deal
    with loss, particularly when it is as sudden and unexpected as
    Hurricane Katrina. In talking with your child, be sure to:
  • Acknowledge their feelings – For example, you might ask
    felt when they first heard the news about the destruction. You
    might also discuss how other people have reacted to the loss as
    a way to reinforce the idea that your child is not alone in how
    he or she feels about the loss.
  • Share your experiences – Talk to the child about your
    feelings. Children need to know that their parents are struggling
    with the loss, too. It may help your child to hear that you have
    been or are angry, shocked and worried. Negative shared experiences
    can sometimes have positive results when children see their parents
    as subject to the same range of emotions they may be feeling.
  • Share your beliefs – Situations of loss may cause children
    to explore who they are and what they believe. Share your beliefs
    with your child about what is important in life. The subject may
    have a great deal of relevance for them, particularly in the context
    of the loss process.

Encourage remembrance of what they have lost – Allow your
child to remember their home, friends, school, etc. Suggest creative
ways to facilitate that remembrance. For example, help the child
create a photo album or collage with the pictures that mean the
most to them. Suggest that they write a poem or paint a picture
if it will help them recover.
 

Journal
of Adolescent Research
American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry