To the editor: Thank you to The Times for the excellent article about child and adolescent responses to trauma, more specifically children exposed to the terror of the Eaton and Palisades fires (“Meltdowns, nightmares and regressions: The L.A. fires are taking a traumatic toll on kids,” March 6). The counsel of these mental health professionals is just what children need now.
I’d like to reference something that one of the people in the article mentioned. The impact of the fires on both parents and children can lead to a circular feedback loop such that both parents and children can experience the feelings of the other.
Anger (rage), fear and sadness can commonly be transmitted within children and their parents. In the midst of the tragic losses, parents are trying to be available and nurturing of their children, all while trying to adjust and attempt to find stable housing, find new schools, deal with the multiple processes to obtain myriad permits for rebuilding, FEMA money, insurance reimbursement and a host of other complicated tasks.
If at all possible, parents might process all of these losses within a group of other parents as frequently as possible so some of their feelings are less transferable to their children. Easy for me to say, but said in care and support for those who have lost so much.
Ellen Faulk, Los Angeles
The writer, who holds a doctorate in psychology, works as a therapist.
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To the editor: Following the devastating L.A. wildfires, it’s an understatement to say that the victims are grieving and in survival mode. As we are seeing, long-term trauma and grief can fester, potentially impacting one’s physical and mental well-being.
Thank you, staff writer Jenny Gold, for reporting on this issue, bringing to light the much-needed grief support for L.A. youth.
As the founder of a bereavement camp, I’ve seen that children grieve differently from adults. One moment they are sad, the next they want to play. Loss — whether it’s a loved one, home, pet, school or family heirloom — can spark an emotional reaction.
Now more than ever, children in L.A. need reassurance and grief support to help break their isolation. I encourage the community to continue sharing their stories and to find comfort with one another, especially young people. The L.A. community is in the hearts of everyone, even here on the East Coast.
Lynne Hughes, Richmond, Va.
The writer is CEO and founder of Comfort Zone Camp.
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