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

by Sheela Raja, Jaya Ashrafi

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.

Genres: Mental Health, Nonfiction, Self Help

160 pages, Paperback

Published February 2, 2018

About the author

Sheela Raja, PhD is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the author of Overcoming Trauma and PTSD, the PTSD Survival Guide for Teens, the Resilient Teen, and the Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she teaches Health Communication and Behavioral Medicine and the Director of the UIC College of Dentistry Resilience Center. She received her PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed internship and post-doctoral training at the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Boston, MA.

Dr. Raja has a passion for making evidence-based psychology accessible. Her current research interests include examining the components of effective trauma-informed healthcare. She is a regular contributor to various print and national television media outlets, including the Huffington Post, CNN, HLN and the CBS Chicago morning news.

Reviews

[Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 2018 publication is a compact easy-to-read book about PTSD that's a good choice for adults also who have teens and need an introduction to the topic. It includes useful information on coping with anger, anxiety, nightmares, and depression. My own experience of being bullied in the workplace at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center for nearly three years, and dealing with PTSD as a result is primarily responsible for my intetest in this topic. The only problem with this book, published by Instant Help Books, is that on some pages, the print for no obvious reason, was much lighter than on adjacent pages. But all the information was there. This title is part of the New Harbinger Instant Help Books series for teens.

[Julie Bihn]

None of us can change the past. Give yourself the gift of patience and support as you create a brighter future for yourself.

I'm not a teen and I don't have PTSD, but I was looking for something to help me write young adult characters who have suffered trauma. Aside from reading brief stories about truly horrible things that real teens have endured, it was an easy, quick read that taught me some basics.

[Layla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely a resource book for teens, I knew that going in and I was affirmed throughout the book. Although the strategies within the book can be utilized by people of all ages, I feel the writing is simple enough for even those who struggle to follow complex concepts. I was able to gain a better understanding for myself how to process extreme emotions that I have felt due to my trauma. I encourage those who did pick this up to follow up with a more mature novel.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m excited to go through this book with the teenagers in my life. I will also be sharing it in future courses and communities that I am a part of. It was exactly what I was looking for.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Approachable, usable information without being overwhelming

[MegCabotSuperfanNumber1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so helpful. It broke things down into understandable information for me (age 17) I felt very understood. I would recommend if anyone is struggling with these issues.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by a mother & daughter team with tips at the end of every chapter from the teen with real world examples.