Most adopted children who have been traumatized develop some sort of dissociative disorder. The most common is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but many abused adopted children, particularly those who suffered ongoing trauma for a long period of time, develop even more severe disorders. The younger a child is when the trauma begins, the more severe the dissociative disorder is likely to be.

So, what is a dissociative disorder? Let's start by explaining dissociation in general. The best description I have found is from Martha Stout's book, The... more

Several readers have asked me to write about my experiences with growing up as an abused child and share ways that they, as adoptive parents, can help their abused adopted children heal from their pasts. This series on dissociative disorders should be enlightening to anyone who is parenting a child who has suffered trauma. I will share what a dissociative disorder is and what it feels like from the adopted child's perspective. I will also provide guidance for helping the child heal.

I know many adoptive parents who are raising traumatized children. One thing that... more