WHY ARE YOU SO SCARED?

A direct explanation for today’s post-traumatic stress disorders affecting parents and children is offered as a supplement to therapy in this interactive workbook.

An empathetic and honest text introduces scenarios that might trigger PTSD, such as assault, car or plane accident, military service, police or fire service, natural disasters and war-related or terrorist bombings. Explanations as to how someone with PTSD might react follow, with examples including panic attacks, nervous or jumpy behavior, sleep issues or nightmares. The text acknowledges children's feelings of helplessness as well as the false sense that their behavior might be responsible, providing strong reassurance that that is not the case, and it also emphasizes that feelings of sadness, anger and despair do not cancel the love of a parent. Acknowledgement that many families experience the effects of PTSD confirms that children and parents are not alone in seeking and receiving help. Loose, child-friendly watercolors offer a window into a series of emotions and depict a wide variety of family configurations, ages, cultures and races, encompassing the spectrum of American society. Suggested activities with framed blank pages (some with starter drawings of blank faces) encourage children to draw their families, experiences and feelings as they try to work through their particular situations.