As I look at teenagers from my adult perspective I have often find myself wondering, “What are they thinking?”. Teenagers seem to have a reputation for being impulsive and not the best decision makers and it now looks like there may be some science that can explain such behaviors. Both the article written by Sarah Spinks and the text book Invitation to the Lifespan offer insight into what may be really going on inside a teenagers’ head. It turns out it may just be all in the brain.
According to Frontline producer Sarah Spinks (n.d.) it is not only hormones or attitude that may be to blame for teens’ behaviors but now that adolecents’ brains are being studied through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) there is evidence that …show more content…
This means that teens are left vulnerable to making impulsive and risky decisions since most of their thought process is occurring in the amygdala which results in more emotional and intuitive decisions rather than more critical and analytical thinking. The combination of the early onset of puberty and the regular sequence of brain maturation result in most teenagers being ruled by emotions for almost a decade (Berger, 2016). Teenagers may look like adults but cognitively they are simply not there yet (Powell, …show more content…
Understanding that as a teen I was mostly being guided from an emotional place I can see why I was left so vulnerable to suffering from depression and anxiety. I began having horrible panic attacks around 14 years old. Berger (2016) explains that the limbic system the site of fear and anxiety develops before the region of planning and emotional regulation. Now as an adult I feel I have a much better handle of my anxiety and depression. I often used to wonder what changed or what happened that all of the sudden I felt much more capable of controlling my attacks and my fears. I went through several therapist and medication and nothing really seemed to help except time. Perhaps what really helped me the most was the maturation of my brain and my ability to start regulating emotions better. I definitely wish I would have known what I was working with back then and perhaps I would have been easier on
According to Frontline producer Sarah Spinks (n.d.) it is not only hormones or attitude that may be to blame for teens’ behaviors but now that adolecents’ brains are being studied through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) there is evidence that …show more content…
This means that teens are left vulnerable to making impulsive and risky decisions since most of their thought process is occurring in the amygdala which results in more emotional and intuitive decisions rather than more critical and analytical thinking. The combination of the early onset of puberty and the regular sequence of brain maturation result in most teenagers being ruled by emotions for almost a decade (Berger, 2016). Teenagers may look like adults but cognitively they are simply not there yet (Powell, …show more content…
Understanding that as a teen I was mostly being guided from an emotional place I can see why I was left so vulnerable to suffering from depression and anxiety. I began having horrible panic attacks around 14 years old. Berger (2016) explains that the limbic system the site of fear and anxiety develops before the region of planning and emotional regulation. Now as an adult I feel I have a much better handle of my anxiety and depression. I often used to wonder what changed or what happened that all of the sudden I felt much more capable of controlling my attacks and my fears. I went through several therapist and medication and nothing really seemed to help except time. Perhaps what really helped me the most was the maturation of my brain and my ability to start regulating emotions better. I definitely wish I would have known what I was working with back then and perhaps I would have been easier on