The PTSD Survival Guide for Teens: Strategies to Overcome Trauma, Build Resilience, and Take Back Your Life

by Sheela Raja PhD, Jaya Raja Ashrafi

Overview

Your trauma doesn’t need to define you. In The PTSD Survival Guide for Teens, trauma specialist Sheela Raja—along with her teen daughter Jaya Ashrafi—offers evidence-based skills to help you find strength, confidence, and resilience in the aftermath of trauma.

If you’ve experienced trauma or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the world can seem like a very frightening place. You may even question your own deeply held beliefs, as well as the motives of others. It’s important for you to know that you aren’t alone, and there isn’t anything wrong with you. Many teens have suffered traumatic events, and there are solid skills you can learn that will help you recover. So, how can you begin healing and start building the life you were always meant to lead?

In this compassionate guide, you’ll find skills based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help you tackle anxiety and harmful avoidance behaviors; manage negative emotions; cope with flashbacks and nightmares; and develop trusting, healthy relationships—even if your trust in others has been shaken to the core. You’ll also learn more about the diagnosis and symptoms of PTSD and understand what kind of help is available to you.

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with PTSD or are simply living with the aftereffects of a traumatic event, you shouldn’t have to suffer alone. This book will help you to find strength within so you can move forward.

This book has been selected as an Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Book Recommendation—an honor bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626259904
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	02/02/2018
Series:	Instant Help Solutions Series
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	458,470
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sheela Raja, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She completed postdoctoral training at the National Center for PTSD, and is a nationally recognized expert on the health effects of trauma and trauma-informed health care approaches. Her other books include Overcoming Trauma and PTSD, The PTSD Survival Guide for Teens, and The Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls.


Jaya Raja Ashrafi, is a high school student who is passionate about social justice and treating children and teens with dignity and respect. She is an honors student and was the recipient of a civic action scholarship, where she learned about how tweens and teens can become involved in the fight against poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, and discrimination.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1
1. Trauma and Negative Coping 13
2. Why Can’t I Forget? 29
3. Why Me? 41
4. Unwanted Thoughts, Nightmares, and Flashbacks 51
5. Is My Fear Healthy? 65
6. How Do I Deal with My Feelings? 79
7. Anger 93
8. Depression and Social Support 103
9. Anxiety 115
10. Hope, Resilience, and Growth 127
Acknowledgments 137
Resources 139
References 141

Interviews

Raja resides in Oak Park, IL.

Editorial Reviews

Based on the finest scientific evidence available, this survival guide for teens with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an outstanding resource for those who are exposed to violence and traumatic events. It’s an exceptional book for its clarity and for its readability. Therapists, parents, and teens themselves will benefit from including this guide in their efforts to overcome trauma and PTSD. This belongs in every therapist’s resource library. It is a rich toolbox for successful care for teens with PTSD.”
—Terence M. Keane, PhD,director of the behavioral science division of the National Center for PTSD, and professor and assistant dean of research at the Boston University School of Medicine

Terence M. Keane

Sheela Raja and Jaya Ashrafi have crafted an exceptionally well done and timely book that will no doubt be an invaluable resource and comfort to teen survivors of trauma. For far too long, the trauma self-help literature has been geared toward an exclusively adult audience and we have neglected the needs of teenagers who are similarly afflicted, and we have failed to support their efforts to engage in adaptive self-care. The authors distill state-of-the-science treatment principles in an approachable, nontechnical format that teens will find accessible and engaging. Sheela Raja’s extensive research and clinical expertise with traumatic stress ensures that the advice offered is sound, and supported by the best available research. Jaya Ashrafi—a teen author—offers a perspective that is especially insightful, and ensures that the content is approachable and relevant for teen readers. Their combined efforts have yielded a critically important resource for teens impacted by trauma. I highly recommend it.”
—Matt J. Gray, PhD, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Wyoming; vice-chair of the Wyoming State Board of Psychology and the Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Matt J. Gray

This book by a psychologist/mother and daughter team speaks clearly and wisely to teens (and their parents) about the expectable but often otherwise misunderstood aftermath of experiencing traumatic stressors. By blending state-of-the-art research and therapeutic insights with the voices of teens, this book provides a refreshing and very useful guide to resilience in the wake of trauma.”
—Julian D. Ford, PhD, ABPP, professor of psychiatry and law, director of the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice, director of the Center for the Treatment of Developmental Trauma Disorders, and associate editor of the Journal of Trauma & Dissociation and the European Journal of Psychotraumatology

Julian D. Ford

This is a necessary and ever so timely body of work. Now more than ever, our teens are exposed to trauma, whether in their personal lives, their communities, or through world events. Understanding PTSD in this context empowers teenagers, their parents, and professionals. The mother-daughter duo of Sheela Raja and Jaya Ashrafi together create a workbook that is informative, accessible, and practical. Jaya’s succinct perspectives provide a unique window into the mind of today’s teens. In total, this book engages the reader while promoting self-reflection, skill building, and resilience. A must-read for any adolescent who has experienced trauma.”
—Shairi R. Turner, MD, MPH, chief medical officer at Crisis Text Line

Shairi R. Turner

02/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—The journey through life entails stress of various kinds; which is not necessarily a bad thing, according to this mental health resource. However, when a teen becomes traumatized, helping that individual requires special intervention and individual actions. The authors of this refreshing text provide sound advice and strategies that are practical and highly relatable. Raja is a clinical psychologist who provides the technical and scientific information on subjects, while coauthor Ashrafi is her daughter who provides a teen's perspective on various issues. Together, this mother and daughter team delve into topics such as coping skills, anger management, fears, depression, and social supports. Common components in each chapter are sections with subheadings like "Try This!" (simple activities that individuals can do), "Jaya Says" (gray text boxes in which Ashrafi describes how she has reacted to certain issues), "Putting It All Together" (brief summary of chapter contents), and "Our Final Thoughts" (key points to remember). For those individuals undergoing post-traumatic growth, this book offers a manageable way of transforming a negative situation into something meaningful. VERDICT For collections serving teens, this self-help resource is engaging and provides inspiration for teens to realize their uniqueness and worthiness.—Jeanette Lambert, formerly at Nashville-Davidson County Schools

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