Children Continue to Suffer from Tornado Trauma
By: Jennifer Penate
Updated: June 8, 2012
JOPLIN, MO --Child therapists in Joplin see an increase in first time patients with tornado trauma.
Dr. Kimberley Fielding is a child psychologist at Freeman's Ozark Center.
She's seen more patients this spring.
45 children are currently receiving therapy to treat post traumatic stress disorder caused by the tornado.
Dr. Fielding says even a year after the May 22nd storm, many children have just started suffering from anxiety.
"If the windstarts blowing or dark clouds come in they remeber that. It's hard to get unstuck from feeling like they're in that day again," says Dr.Fielding.
Dr. Fielding encourages parents to teach their kids about the different kinds of storms.
She also says encourage your children to talk about their memories and feelings as well as to take deep breaths when they get scared.
