By Dr. Eric Scalise
• A history of physical or sexual abuse
• Excessive exposure to violence
• Problems with alcohol or drugs
• Persistent bullying (in person or online)
• Wrestling with gender identity issues and/or same sex attraction
• Facing an unwanted pregnancy or having a sexually transmitted disease
• Ongoing conflict with family members and/or peers
• A lack of or refusal to utilize available support systems
• Appetite disturbances–usually a loss of appetite (this is not the same thing as eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia)
• Sleeping disturbances–this can manifest as the inability to fall/stay asleep (hyposomnia) or difficulty waking/getting up (hypersomnia)
• The inability to cry or grieve
• Blunted (restricted/constricted) emotions or a flat affect (nearly no emotional expression, speaking in a monotonous voice, and/or diminished facial expressions)
• A depressed mood and/or expressing an inability to cope any longer–not to be confused with normal adolescent hormonal moodiness
• Apathy, withdrawal, and isolation–no longer wanting to spend time with friends and family members or communicate via texting and other social media outlets
• A noticeable drop in school performance, grades, or interest in extracurricular activities
• Sudden outbursts of fury and rage–often seen without any obvious or apparent reason for the strong display of emotion
• Giving away meaningful, sentimental, or “treasured possessions,” especially to family members and close friends – this can be a way of trying to create a sense of closure in life or of saying, “Good-bye”
• Preoccupation with the notion of death in movies, art, music, literature, clothing, social media, etc.–this can sometimes be confused with the Gothic subculture and its dark and morbid orientation
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Organization
American Association of Christian Counselors AACC
Eric Scalise, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT, is the President of LIV Enterprises & Consulting, LLC. He is the former Vice President of the 50,000-member American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), as well as the former Department Chair for Counseling Programs at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA. He is an adjunct professor and the Senior Editor for both AACC and the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation. Dr. Scalise is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with 36 years of clinical and professional experience in the mental health field. Specialty areas include professional and pastoral stress and burnout, compassion fatigue, mood disorders, marriage and family issues, combat trauma and PTSD, addictions and recovery, crisis response, grief and loss, leadership development, life coaching, and lay counselor training. He is a published author with Zondervan, Baker Books, and Harvest House, is a national and international conference speaker, and frequently works with organizations, clinicians, ministry leaders, and churches on a variety of issues. Dr. Scalise and his wife, Donna, have been married for 36 years, have twin sons who are combat veterans serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, and three grandchildren.
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