metro
The Dark Secret from page 8
Where Brain Scienc i Innovation
and Jewish nspiratio
Come
available options. "The idea is not to
change the personality, but medica-
tion can remove the disorder block-
ing the real personality; it helps kids
realize their potential"
Like Szabo, many teens try cop-
ing with underlying mental health
problems by turning to self-destructive
behaviors, such as excessive drinking or
drug abuse.
"A teen who starts abusing drugs and
alcohol before the age of 15 is more
likely to develop a long-term substance
abuse problem" said Ray Dalton, out-
patient program coordinator for Dawn
Farm Addiction Services in Ann Arbor.
He added that some teens start drink-
ing or using drugs after a traumatic
experience.
Because it can be dangerous to stop
drinking or taking certain drugs "cold
turkey" Dalton said it is important to
determine what level of care, such as
inpatient detox, is needed.
An eating disorder is another mal-
adaptive coping skill used by some teens,
usually girls, as a way of managing other
stress factors.
"Anorexia is a heartbreaking and fatal
disorder ... with a lot of deadly miscon-
ceptions," said Ann Moye, a Bloomfield
Hills therapist who specializes in the
treatment of eating disorders.
While acknowledging these conditions
are extremely difficult to treat, Moye
said there is a wealth of research and
resources that were not available several
years ago, and that successful treatment
usually involves a team composed of
specialists in nutrition, medicine, psy-
chiatry and psychotherapy.
For those still struggling after trying
several treatment options, residential
placements provided through Kadima or
elsewhere may be the answer.
"We consider this a last resort for peo-
ple who have already used most of the
available resources" said panelist Connie
Wood, a clinical psychologist affiliated
with A Circle of Hope, a service that
helps families find appropriate place-
ments for those with mental illness.
Advancing public health
and fighting child
obesity in the Galilee
are part of the fundamental mission of Prof
Mary Rudolf head of Public Health at the
Bar-Ilan University Medical School in Safed.
A world-renowned expert in ways to combat
child-obesity, Prof. Rudolf is cultivating a new
generation of caring physicians who will serve
economically disadvantaged and underserved
patients for decades to come.
Galilee residents are benefitting from her
community outreach activities, which include
educating parents about proper nutrition for
their children. She says, "It's Zionism in the
oldest use of the term. It's going to build up an
underprivileged part of the country not well
served by health services... just like Ben-Gurion
talked about the desert blooming, this will make
the Galil bloom."
School Support
Steffanie Samuels learned how to navi-
gate the special education system the
hard way, when her son, now 20, had to
leave high school because of his bipolar
disorder.
Samuels said her request for services
when her son was younger was denied
because he did not have a specific diag-
nosis. Samuels did her best to help her
son as he struggled through school, but
she was unaware of the services and
accommodations that could have eased
his path.
"When I finally learned there was
such a thing as an Intermediate School
District and that there were programs
and services we could have benefitted
To learn more about Prof. Rudolf's community
healthcare work, go to www.afbiu.org or
contact Ari Steinberg
at 847-423-2270 or at ari.steinberg@afbiu.org
Jewish and Zionist values are central to Bar-Ilan's initiatives
in the sciences, law, nanotechnology, engineering, business,
the humanities and its Medical School in Safed.
Ns
i
American Friends of
Bar Ilan University
1962650
10 March 12 • 2015
While many teens are adept
at hiding their symptoms and
their inner pain, there are cer-
tain warning signs that indicate
something is amiss:
• Severe mood swings
• Drug or alcohol use
• Personality changes
• Changes in sleeping habits,
insomnia or sleeping too many
hours
• Frequent bouts of anger or
irritability
• Feeling sad or withdrawn for
an extended time period
• Poor school performance
• Spending time alone and
avoiding friends and social
events
• Persistent physical ailments
such as headaches or stomach-
aches that do not have a physi-
cal cause
• Extreme changes in eating
habits or sudden obsession with
appearance or weight gain
• Comments about suicide or
wanting to die
• Self-harming behavior such
as cutting
from, I sat down and cried" she said.
Today, Samuels' son is living on his
own and attending community college,
but she feels his journey was unneces-
sarily difficult because she was not
informed about the special services
available to students with mental illness.
"I didn't know the laws, and I didn't
know my rights" she said.
Samuels' experience motivated her
to start Samuels Education Advocacy,
a professional advocacy service for stu-
dents with mental illness, where parents
navigating the special education system
can find guidance and assistance.
"Kids who are incredibly depressed
are not functioning in school, and par-
ents don't know what services are avail-
able or what to ask for" she said.
Therapist and social worker Sara
Tischler, one of the panelists, said train-
ing teachers and other school support
staff about mental health issues is crucial
to helping these students succeed.
What can parents do? The experts
agree recognizing a problem is the first
The Dark Secret on page 12