Sometimes parents need a little extra help when their teenaged children start struggling with various issues. What you might see as a problem is often a warning sign of a bigger issue.
Dan Scholz, LCSW, is the Clinical Director at LifeLine where they help families and struggling teenagers and he helps us identify what to look for.
LifeLine is a program for youth aged 13-17. Our belief is that “where there’s smoke there’s fire”, meaning when there are behavioral problems there are underlying reasons.
We commonly deal with behavioral problems or “Warning Signs”:
Warning signs include:
Declining grades
Truancy
Family conflict
Substance abuse
Mood changes
Isolation
Change in friends
Anger or aggression
Our belief is that drugs and other behavioral problems are a symptom, not the problem. We define this as a “Core issue”.
Core issues include:
Grief and loss
Shame
Divorce
Abuse/Rape
Depression/Anxiety
Change in living
Adoption
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