Animal attacks can be terrifying for children (and adults) and have long term effects

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common long-term effect of being a trauma victim, and victims of animal attacks are no exception to this rule.

It is well documented in child welfare reporting that the majority of reported animal attack cases in the U.S. are on children.  According to The Center for Disease Control and the American Veterinarian Association, the highest reported incident rates involve 5-9 year olds, and 77% of those injuries are to the face, neck, and head. This, of course, is particularly terrifying for children, especially considering that the family dog is the aggressor in nearly half of the attacks.

Medical attention is usually the very first action taken when a child is bitten or attacked by a dog or other animal. A dog attack can cause lacerations, punctures, crush injuries, nerve damage, sprain and strain of muscles, infection… and of course, emotional distress.

A 2004 study found that over half of (studied) animal attack victims had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder 2 to 9 months after sustaining a dog bite injury. (Citation: Peters, V. et. al. Post-traumatic stress disorder after dog bites in children. J. Pediatrics, 2004, 144, 121-122.)

It’s therefore important that children (and anyone) who have been attacked by animals and exhibit PTSD symptoms are given follow-up psychological treatment.

Peter Levine, an expert in the field of healing trauma with a technique called somatic experiencing, names the following symptoms as common ones in the wake of an animal attack:

• excessive fear
• feeling that the world is a dangerous place
• anxiety
• sensitivity to sounds or light
• difficulty sleeping
• difficulty in defending oneself
• stuck in a pattern of compulsive attack or rage
• stuck in a pattern of running away (difficulty with commitment)
• helplessness
• frequent re-enactments

Interestingly, Levine makes the connection that we are all in fact animals, and that “the involuntary and instinctual parts of the human brain and nervous system are virtually identical to those of other mammals.” He goes on to explain how our own reaction to trauma mimics the Fight, Flight or Freeze response that wild animals instinctually use to survive.

However, it’s important to remember that we are not just animals.

The difference between people and animals lies in the prolonged state of the reaction to an attack. When an animal is no longer in danger, it is able to easily shake off the energy of fear and self-defense. This allows animals to return to their normal state of functioning pretty quickly. On the other hand, people who experience PTSD will suffer the negative effects of an attack long after the attack is over.

Animal attack victims suffering from PTSD may handle threats by reacting inappropriately aggressively (the “fight” response). They may, on the other hand, be in a constant hypervigilant state that prompts them to flee even the most minutely anxiety-provoking circumstances (such as hearing a dog bark in the distance). And in particular, animal attack PTSD sufferers tend to cleave to the “freeze” mentality, opting to numb out or check out when presented with stressful situations, rather than deal with them directly.

Studies show that traumatic events can actually result in neurological damage in children.

Reduced hippocampal activity in children with PTSD can affect their memory permanently.  In one study, “Children between the ages of 10 and 17 were divided into a group with a confirmed diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder (arising from a variety of traumatizing events) and compared with a group of children with no post traumatic stress disorder. Brain scans (e.g. MRI) were taken simultaneously when subjects completed a test for verbal memory. The test consisted of having subjects read a list of words from one list, then read an additional set of words from another list, and then try to remember which words were on the original list. Compared with children without posttraumatic stress disorder, those with PTSD did poorly on this test, and during testing these subjects also showed considerably less electrical activity in their hippocampus.” (Citation: Carrión, V. et. al., Reduced hippocampal activity in youth with post-traumatic stress symptoms: An MRI study, J. Pediatric Psychology, 2010, in press)

The brutality of nature comes close to home when an animal attacks occurs. Whether it’s the rare tragic incident at a zoo or an all-too-common bite by a neighbor’s dog, being attacked by an animal is a terrifying event that can have lasting effects.

Barking dogs are a very common noise and almost impossible to avoid in daily life. Therefore, victims of animal bite trauma might be constantly reminded of their experience in their everyday lives.

Emotional abuse can be overt, such as intimidation, threats, verbal abuse, berating, belittling, or constant yelling. Or it can be more subtle, such as neglectful behavior, manipulative withdrawal of affection, or repeated disapproval.

In any case, emotional abuse eventually corrodes a child’s self-confidence and self-trust, leaving them in judgment of their perceptions and at the mercy of the abuser. Emotional abuse can cut to the very core of a child’s psyche, leaving them confused, scared, and damaged in ways that can ultimately be even more traumatizing than those of physical abuse.

National Child Protection Clearinghouse refers to emotional abuse as “the hidden form of maltreatment.” With child victims of emotional abuse, parents or caregivers are obviously the most common abusers.

It’s important to note that emotional abuse goes beyond verbal abuse. Emotional abuse can impact a child’s self-worth and is a basic threat to their healthy human development. And, because it can be one of the most difficult types of abuse to detect, its malignant effects are insidious.

Ways that emotional abuse can manifest
(source: www.findcounseling.com)

• Belittling
• Coldness
• Corrupting or exploiting
• Cruelty
• Extreme Inconsistency
• Harassment
• Ignoring
• Inappropriate Control – lack of control, over control, and inconsistent control
• Isolating
• Rejecting
• Terrorizing

How does emotional abuse impact a child?

Emotional abuse has an impact on a child’s cognitive, emotional, psychological and social development.

Typical behavioral changes may include:

• Withdrawal
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Aggressive behavior

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has this to say about how the effects of emotional abuse can have a powerful hold on victims: “… the effects are damaging and long lasting. They can lead to serious behavioral, learning, emotional or mental disorders. All of which affect the child’s chances of developing into a healthy, well-adjusted adult.”

AmericanHumane.org says, “Although the visible signs of emotional abuse in children can be difficult to detect, the hidden scars of this type of abuse manifest in numerous behavioral ways, including insecurity, poor self-esteem, destructive behavior, angry acts (such as fire setting and animal cruelty), withdrawal, poor development of basic skills, alcohol or drug abuse, suicide, difficulty forming relationships and unstable job histories.”

Not all bad days constitute emotional abuse

All parents have their bad days. The occasional negative attitude or action does not make for an abusive caregiver. Emotional abuse is based on a pattern of behavior that takes place over at least a one-year period of time, and often in conjunction with other types of abuse.  However, it’s when emotional abuse is found in isolation that it can be truly dangerous, because it is inherently hard to identify… and to handle legally. Because issues surrounding emotional abuse can seem open to interpretation, they can be hard to pinpoint and remedy.

Just like with sexual abuse, most parents who abuse their children emotionally were themselves emotionally abused as children. This is why it’s important that adults who believe they were emotionally abused as children seek counseling in order to thwart the pattern before they unwillingly repeat it with their own children and loved ones.

Trauma has occurred when symptoms have developed and have become visible. One type of trauma results from natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornados or hurricanes, forest fires, floods, volcanic eruptions, landslides, or tsunamis. These types of experiences are particularly insidious because they tend to traumatize large populations of people at once, and can result in epidemics of Survivor Guilt along with other PTSD symptoms.

Like many causes of trauma, natural disasters can be sudden and overwhelming. The most immediate and typical reaction to a calamity is shock, which at first manifests as numbness or denial. Quickly—or eventually—shock can give way to an overemotional state that often includes high levels of anxiety, guilt or depression.

If victims have lost their loved ones or their homes, they may feel helpless. This can be exacerbated if they have to live in shelters without support from relatives or friends for extended time periods. However, living with other survivors can be a time to reconnect, talk about the event with others, and help to reframe the event. Being able to help another survivor can reduce helplessness, and may start the healing process.

Natural disasters in particular can bring victims a feeling of being betrayed by “their god,” which can result in a loss of faith.  Making peace with “the divine” might be one step toward healing and gaining faith back.

It’s hard to predict when PTSD will set in with a survivor of a traumatic natural disaster. Some victims seem at first perfectly (or even abnormally) fine, only to be beset with symptoms later on.  Survivors are recommended to seek professional guidance if they find themselves unable to regain control of their lives or if they continue to suffer from PTSD symptoms for more than a month.

Victims do not need to have experienced a disaster firsthand in order to suffer from PTSD. As an example, an emigrant from Haiti living abroad at the time of the recent earthquake could be profoundly affected by the countless hours of television coverage of the disaster, especially if they still had family living in Haiti at the time of the event who they were unable to contact or gain information about.

It’s very important with natural disaster trauma that the victim give himself time to heal and pass through an appropriate mourning process. Only by processing the experience over a realistic period of time is healing possible.

Over the next few months, I’ll touch upon the most common types of trauma and the ones I see most frequently in my practice. You can also read a longer version of this article on Examiner, Psychology Today, and Womens Radio (published 3/3/10).

trust

“We’re never so vulnerable than when we trust someone—but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy.” — Walter Anderson

Merriam Webster dictionary defines trust as the “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something” and “one in which confidence is placed.”

But unfortunately, trust can be broken in many ways. We may have been betrayed, mistreated, lied to or hurt by someone such as a partner, family, friend or colleague.

Instead of developing mistrust only for the person who hurt us, we often begin to be suspicious of every person from that point on. Out of protection to avoid getting hurt again, we carry our unpleasant memories of that original person with us and displace the distrust onto other relationships. Sometimes it only takes one person to determine that nobody is in fact trustworthy due to past trauma. In the process, we often lose trust in ourselves—simply because our judgment of the person or circumstance was incorrect—and we then wonder how we can believe our own judgment. As a result, we might close our hearts, repress our emotions, and walk around numb or suspicious in relationships.

The problem is, we need to be able to trust in order allow ourselves to fall in love and to feel loved. Yes, we can live our life by carrying our hurt everywhere we go… but not without consequences. The consequences of not trusting (and therefore not feeling) may hurt others who were not responsible for our pain and may deprive us of feeling loved, and emotional wellness. This eventually leads to loneliness, depression, and relationship difficulties.

The first step to recovering our sense of trust is to learn to trust our own judgment and feelings again. The following is a somatic exercise to learn increase trust in yourself:

• Sit or lie down so that you are comfortable and are in a safe place.
• Now, how can you make it even more comfortable? Get a blanket, a pillow, whatever will make you feel relaxed and content.
• Once you are settled, ask yourself: “How do I know this is comfortable?” This might appear to be a silly question, and perhaps even confusing. However, it is an important one in increasing your skills of building trust.
• Continue to explore what sensation you feel that you recognize as comfort. For example, you might think, “I do not feel any pain,” “I breath easily,” or “I feel relaxed.”

You might be anticipating that this feeling won’t last, which is true. We can’t control or grasp to this pleasurable feeling. It’s only important that you are in the present moment right now, not drifting into thoughts of the future or the past. Thinking of the future can create anxiety; thinking of the past can create depression.

This is an awareness exercise so that you learn to trust what you are feeling right now. Remain aware of any sounds, the temperature, the light, and your physical sensations. Can you let yourself simply enjoy the moment?

You can practice this exercise for as long as you prefer and as time allows you. Just keep checking in with your level of comfort. What feelings indicate that you are comfortable? With time, you may start to trust your feelings again.

When you start to say to yourself; “I trust myself,” you begin to restore faith in your judgment of others and situations, and as a result, you open your heart to love, joy and feeling safe again.

By observing my clients, I have found that most health problems are related to psychological stress and may not go away until the right solution has been found. As I explained in the article “Physiology of Trauma”, during a traumatic event the body excretes hormones to help the body not only to prepare a person to fight, fight, or flee a situation but also to block out pain. Often, even though ones traumatic experience happened a long time ago, their nervous system still produces stress hormones and acts as if they are in the same situation. As a result, one might not only experience psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety but also might experience physical symptoms such depleted adrenal glands, constipation, numbness, headaches, and memory loss. In my practice, I help people to restore a balanced nervous system by addressing their psychological issues. What nutritional advice could you give people to boost their body after a long stretch of stress on their body?

Barbara Clark:

I have seen good results with what I call the” Low Stress Diet”. The objectives are to minimize metabolic stress, support detoxification, and enhance overall health.

General Rules:

·  Eat whole foods as provided by nature; vegetables are especially beneficial, organic whenever available.

·  Eat raw foods with every meal. The best raw foods are salads. (The enzymes in raw foods help digest your food)

·  Eat small meals, but eat as often as you are hungry.( To keep your blood sugar balanced) Many people overeat at one   particular  meal and overload their digestion! The same amount of food eaten in smaller quantities, several times per day, would not impose a burden.

·  Best between-meal-snack- vegetables. Best dessert-fruit.

·  To improve a poor appetite, normalize excessive appetite or lose weight, eliminate sugar and starches.

·   Drink lots of pure water (free of chlorine and fluorides)-1/2 your body weight in oz. every day, example: 150 lbs:2=75 oz of water, which is about 2 quarts or roughly 9 glasses.

·  The less sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed foods you eat, the healthier you will become.

Important! Eliminate foods that contain:

· Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats

· Preservatives

· Artificial sweeteners

· High fructose corn syrup

I suggest this diet as a first step to regenerate physical health. Lifestyle, appropriate exercise and a healthy sleeping patterns are just as important. I may suggest testing for food intolerances or biochemical imbalances such as neurotransmitters or hormones. I also may suggest certain high quality nutritional supplements which will be tailored to the individual needs. However, a good basic plan will include a multivitamin, B vitamins and fish oil. Digestive enzymes and herbs for adrenal support are often also part of the protocol.

Dr. Babbel:

Could you explain why it is called a low stress diet and why does this diet might help someone who is depressed?

Barbara Clark:

We live in a junk food epidemic, and most everybody is undernourished on a cellular level as never before. We often can’t limit our consumption of stressful sweets, high fructose sodas, caffeine and other fast foods, and often we don’t eat at all. But the more stress we are under the better we have to eat to keep our strength. Most fast food is low in nutrients and high in system shocking sugar, rancid fats and chemicals, so it actually adds to our stress load instead of subtracting from it.

Keeping your blood sugar steady is very important for optimal functioning of serotonin and Beta Endorphins.
-Eating whole, unrefined foods is important for our physical body and brain to get the benefit of all necessary protein, vitamins and minerals for optimal function.
-Proteins are building blocks to amino acids which are necessary for proper neurotransmitter functioning.
-Fruits and vegetables supply the necessary vitamin and minerals.
-Good fats (such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, coconut oil, limited amount of organic butter, fish oil, avocados, nuts and seeds) are also necessary to feed our brain properly which consists of approx. 70% fat. Sugar and simple carbohydrates are mostly devoid of any kind of good and necessary nutrients.

I hope that the above suggestions will be helpful to your readers. For more information I offer your readers to visit my website www.marinnutrition.com where they can find my contact information.

Emotional Reactions:

_    You feel shame and not worthy
_    You overreact or are overemotional
_    You feel great sadness or anxiety on a regular basis
_    You have a very strong inner critic
_    You are afraid to be abandoned and feel lonely
_    You avoid certain situations
_    You can not feel emotions and are often numb
_    You lack confidence and self esteem
_    You have mood swings

Physical Symptoms:

_    Your body may stay in alert and stress mode until it knows it is safe (Hyperarousal)
_    You have a hard time relaxing and do not know how to settle down (Constriction)
_    You have difficulty sleeping and have nightmares
_    You have body image and weight problems
_    Your memory is not fully functioning
_    You feel numb and cannot feel your body (dissociation)
_    You are suffering from chronic pain
_    Skin disorders
_    Constipation

Relationship Patterns:

_    You may have developed specific patterns that you keep repeating
_    You try to control your partner, friends and family
_    You have a hard time saying no, setting limits or boundaries
_    Relationships can be difficult for you
_    You feel disconnected and detached

If you recognize yourself in these examples, you might have an unresolved traumatic experience.

Trauma symptoms can be expressed days, months, or even years after the traumatic event. Symptoms may suddenly arrive through a trigger in the environment and might appear as emotional, cognitive, or physical reactions. Sometimes the mind is not able to make sense of the internal signals, especially when the person has experienced an overwhelming event or stressful situation. The mind might continue to communicate to the nervous system the necessity to prepare to flee, fight, or freeze. Adrenaline is disbursed and the cycle might perpetually continue until the body-mind perceives that it is safe and recognizes it can rest.

If not addressed these can turn into long-term symptoms such as:

•    Panic attack
•    Avoidance behavior
•    Addictions
•    Risk taking behavior
•    Constant dissociation
•    Memory loss
•    Midlife crisis and fear of dying
•    Self-harming behavior
•    Obsessive or lack of sexual feelings
•    Feeling disconnected

Other physiological reactions include an adrenaline rush which can raise heart rate, cause heart palpitations, produce pupil dilation (increasing visual changes), and stop digestive physiology. Due to a disbursement of glucocorticoids, the body may react with constipation, diarrhea, headaches, and sleep disturbances. Epinephrine and norepinephrine slow down the blood flow to the digestive system and extremities. These hormones can even inhibit learning skills and cause attention deficit or confusion.

Studies have found that sexually abused women and veterans show a decrease in the size of the hippocampus, causing learning and memory loss.

PTSD affects parts of the brain that are associated with language, visual, and motor responses. During flashbacks, the Broca areas of the brain (responsible for verbal functions) slow down which may cause an inhibition of verbal expression of feelings while sensorimotor memories including visual images, tastes, sounds, smells, anxieties, fears, and pressures can still be recalled.

All non-verbal messages (such as those perceived by our senses) are collected in the implicit memory (subconsciously) whereas verbal messages are processed by the linear language centers of the brain and are stored in explicit memory (consciously) for easy access. Rothschild explains, “When PTSD splits mind and body, implicitly remembered images, emotions, somatic sensations, and behaviors become disengaged from explicitly stored facts and meanings about the traumatic event(s), whether they are consciously remembered or not.” van der Kolk emphasizes that contemporary research on the biology of PTSD affirms that stress hormones and memory processing are altered by traumatic events. It is now thought that people hold an implicit memory of trauma in their brains and bodies.

Candace Pert, author of Molecules of Emotions: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine, suggests that not only does the brain carry memories but that cells and proteins (referred to as neuropeptides) hold and transport them throughout the entire body. Levine points out that memories are not literal recordings of events but rather a complex of images that are influenced by arousal, emotional context, and prior experience. Memories may even transform over time as new experiences add layers of meaning to the images.

Levine asserts that psychological wounds are reversible and that healing comes when physical and mental releases occur.

Trauma symptoms can be expressed days, months, or even years after the traumatic event. Symptoms may suddenly arrive through a trigger in the environment and might appear as emotional, cognitive, or physical symptoms. Sometimes the mind is not able to make sense of the internal signals, especially when the person has experienced an overwhelming event or stressful situation. The mind might continue to communicate to the nervous system the necessity to prepare to flee, fight, or freeze. Adrenaline is disbursed and the cycle might perpetually continue until the body-mind perceives that it is safe and resourced again and recognizes it can rest. We do not choose the emotions we feel, but we have choices about what we do with them. Bessel van der Kolk  explains that one important aspect of trauma treatment is to stay in the present without feeling or behaving according to irrelevant demands belonging to the past. Psychologically, this means that traumatic experiences need to be located in time and place and distinguished from current reality.

One tool that somatic psychotherapists employ is the tool of body awareness. This enhances our ability to stay in the here and now. There are many more tools and each theory has its own techniques. More than three out of four Americans can expect to be exposed to a traumatic event at least once in their lives. One third of those exposed to trauma develop chronic or at least transient symptoms of PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder]. Sapolsky explains that PTSD is a physiological reaction to overwhelming and ongoing stress and is a fight or flight response. As a result, specific hormones are released that alter such things as skin sensitivity, alertness, heart rate, digestion, and learning skills. Additionally, hormones such as cortisol are excreted to expand pain tolerance. Cortisol can also cause hypervigilance, preparing the traumatized person to act at a moment’s notice. Other physiological reactions include an adrenaline rush which can raise heart rate, cause heart palpitations, produce pupil dilation (increasing visual changes), and stop digestive physiology. Due to a disbursement of glucocorticoids, the body may react with constipation, diarrhea, headaches, and sleep disturbances. Epinephrine and norepinephrine slow down the blood flow to the digestive system and extremities. These hormones can even inhibit learning skills and cause attention deficit or confusion.

Studies have found that sexually abused women and veterans show a decrease in the size of the hippocampus, causing learning and memory loss. PTSD affects parts of the brain that are associated with language, visual, and motor responses. During flashbacks, the Broca areas of the brain (responsible for verbal functions) slow down which may cause an inhibition of verbal expression of feelings while sensorimotor memories including visual images, tastes, sounds, smells, anxieties, fears, and pressures can still be recalled.

Trauma leaves memories not only in the mind but also in the body. All non-verbal messages (such as those perceived by our senses) are collected in the implicit memory (subconsciously)whereas verbal messages are processed by the linear language centers of the brain and are stored in explicit memory (consciously) for easy access. Rothschild explains, “When PTSD splits mind and body, implicitly remembered images, emotions, somatic sensations, and behaviors become disengaged from explicitly stored facts and meanings about the traumatic event(s), whether they are consciously remembered or not”. Van der Kolk emphasizes that contemporary research on the biology of PTSD affirms that stress hormones and memory processing are altered by traumatic events. It is now thought that people hold an implicit memory of trauma in their brains and bodies.

Candace Pert, author of Molecules of Emotions: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine, suggests that not only does the brain carry memories but that cells and proteins (referred to as neuropeptides) hold and transport them throughout the entire body. Levine points out that memories are not literal recordings of events but rather a complex of images that are influenced by arousal, emotional context, and prior experience. Memories may even transform over time as new experiences add layers of meaning to the images. Levine asserts that psychological wounds are reversible and that healing comes when physical and mental releases occur. According to Levine somatic psychology offers tools to effect these releases by raising body awareness and first locating feelings in the body.