As clinicians we have a difficult task ahead of us. It is unclear how this story will play out in the media and the courtroom. How vocal and articulate will Sandusky’s supporters be? How much “blaming the victim” will be woven into the story? Will his attorneys attempt to distort the truth, downplaying the seriousness of his offenses or the long-term adverse effects on his victims? Will Sandusky take any responsibility for his actions or be held sufficiently accountable in a court of law? And what will be the short and long-term effects on our clients?

As is often the case, I find myself confronted with the reality that there are many things that happen in this world that are not within our control. And there are some things that are- including the meaning we choose to attach to events, the extent to which we learn and grow from them, and what we do with them once they have occurred.

I encourage my colleagues to use this very difficult event as an opportunity to continue educating both clients and the community at large about the dynamics of abuse and victimization. Focus on the innocence of children and the need to proactively protect them from predators. Let it be known that “looking the other way” makes you an accessory, and is an unacceptable and unconscionable response. Challenge the media when they use the word “relationship” to describe “rape.” Empower survivors of sexual abuse to find the courage to share their experiences, ending generational cycles of secrecy and denial. Educate anyone who downplays the severity of what was done to these children. Keep the discussion alive- it not only validates experiences, it gives survivors a voice and communicates to them that we care, deeply, about their pain and believe, deeply, in their capacity to transcend it and heal.

–Maryann Cox, MSW

–Joan Kristall, LCSW-C

–Vivian Morgan, LCPC

–Laura Greer, LCSW-C

–Angela Fowler Hurtado, LICSW

– Maryann Cox, MSW

His understanding jives with my experience of things, not only as someone for whom the onset of winter brings the challenge of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but also as a trainer of clinicians and a promoter of best practices in treatment approaches for it. It is the frame of our seeing SAD as a ‘normal reaction to an abnormal situation, a natural reaction to an unnatural environment’.

The bottom line is that the mammalian part of us humans are not really built for the current lifestyle we Westerners enjoy; one in which we are cut off from the natural environment and cycles of nature, in what we eat, how much we sleep, what we touch, our limited body movements and amount of sunlight exposure. So many of us are much too sedentary, in temperature controlled, windowless or tinted or even sealed window spaces, staring at computer and other media screens for too many hours. We spend much of our daily life in constantly lighted environments regardless of the time of day or night. Our demands ask for us to keep the same daily and sleep schedule year round, as if our bodies were oblivious to the shifts of daylight hours and seasons through the year. Additionally, our brains are being shouted at more and more from attention seeking sensory stimulating electronic sources than by the more passive and subtle features of the natural environment they were first wired for. These factors, along with the 24/7 media barrage of news and traumatic events and images from the four corners of the globe–as if these events were going down in our front yard–keeps our brains bathed in adrenaline and cortisol, the stimulants that readies the nervous system for dangers, real or imagined, in freeze, flight or fight mode.

The positive side of this holistic perspective is that it informs us, in constructive ways, as to what is needed to maintain our well-being. And for those of us who treat these conditions, it helps us develop an affirming, helpful, multi-dimensional framework for the treatment of our clients coming to us for help with these issues.

Howard Reznick, LCSW-C is currently one of the producer-editors of ifIknew.org, a youth oriented prevention education video and blog site addressing contemporary health issues. A therapist and trainer the past 30 some years, Howard will be leading an upcoming workshop titled; “Ain’t No Cure for the Wintertime Blues?“

Teens who are at higher risk often don’t have healthy ways of coping so they self-medicate and numb with drugs and alcohol.  They typically have undiagnosed and untreated depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses.  Many high risk teens are not adequately supervised, don’t feel supported by their families, are bereft of resources, and feel isolated as they try to navigate through the intense challenges of adolescence.  And then there is exposure to violence either at home or on the Internet, or relentless personal or cyber-bullying.  Suicidal teens may have untreated histories of sexual, physical or emotional abuse, neglect or trauma, struggle with sexual identity, or may have family histories of addiction, attempted or completed suicide- all of those things up the ante in terms of risk.

Start with those potential issues and then add the confluence of what we now understand about the developing adolescent brain.  It is still rooted in all/nothing, black/white dichotomous thinking, and it experiences time-limited pain as never-ending.  The pre-frontal cortex is still evolving, so their capacity to assign analytical reasoning to things is compromised as well as their ability to understand “cause and effect.”   This is why when parents ask impulsive teens, “what were you thinking?” the answer is “they weren’t thinking.” Their brains are fundamentally impulsive, aggressive, and pleasure seeking.  Taking all of this into consideration, we start to understand why so many kids struggle and why they attach a permanent solution- committing suicide- to a temporary problem.

When they don’t get the help they need it may be because their pain is not being taken seriously enough.  I want to stress that although teens can definitely be moody, (if you live with one you know that’s true!) being “depressed” is NOT a normal part of adolescence, so it should never be minimized when an adolescent presents with symptoms of hopelessness, helplessness, excessive guilt, sleep or eating disturbances or feelings of worthlessness.  When a teenager suddenly falls apart academically, has serious changes in his or her personality, begins to talk openly about a pre-occupation with death, is spending a lot of time getting drunk or high, begins posting distressing and depressing things on their Facebook page, we need to see these as serious red flags and ask, directly, if they are having suicidal thoughts.  Do they have a plan? Do they have the means? Have they ever rehearsed it?  What would prevent them from following through with their plan? 

Asking does not give someone the idea to do it- it may, in fact, be the key to intervening in time and helping to prevent an attempt.  So above all else, TALKING to teens about the red flags that we see, expressing genuine, non-judgmental concern for their behaviors AND for their pain, and offering them resources for comfort and connection are the essential first steps in tackling this issue in our society.

Click here for an audio recording of Lisa Ferentz’ presentation on Teens and Self-Harm.

Putting aside the feelings of terror, the surreal nature of it all, the overwhelming anger and grief- New York is my home, and home to my family- I remember the extraordinary “coming together” that we all experienced for weeks, even months afterwards. When the second tower fell, I think there was a universal sense of vulnerability.  And with that vulnerability came our hard-wired, reflexive drive to reach out, protect, and comfort one another as best we could.  For an extended period of time after 9-11, we were kinder to one another.  We were more patient, more compassionate.  It was implicitly understood that every one of us had been shaken to our core and we had become untethered.  Reaching out, assisting each other in ways we hadn’t before, even making eye contact and smiling at strangers, helped us to feel moored again.  We re-connected with our humanity and were reminded of the importance of “being there” for each other.  

My wish, as we acknowledge the 10th anniversary of this tragic time in our history, is for each of us to again remember the importance of reaching out, connecting, supporting, and comforting one another.  Trauma is insurmountable when we cannot find any meaning in it.  May we continue to find meaning beyond the senselessness of 9-11 and the wisdom to act on the lessons we can learn.  Remember the healing power of reaching out to others in gratitude and love.  May you find comfort and peace this 9-11.