| Your Second Chance Inside the Mind of Teenagers |
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Up to a couple of decades ago, most psychologists believed that brain development and growth occurred up to puberty, so most information was hard-wired at that age. Another misconception that we held was that teenage turmoil was a result of hormonal changes and an effort to define who they are as individuals. Most of the recent research in neuroscience is demonstrating that the adolescent brain is far from mature. In reality it looks more like a childs brain than an adults. It is a work in progress. The problem is that the adolescent brain is developing in leaps and bounds and does not get almost completely installed until the age of 20. What does this mean? As parents we get a second chance at brain rewiring. The mistakes that we made in childhood can be corrected; troubled teenagers can still learn control, restraint, judgment and thinking. The bad news is that this time around the information can be wired-in permanently. So parents, beware of how we educate and raise our teens. This brain development process affects emotional, cognitive and physical abilities. What most parents complain about is teenagers moodiness, their shift from loving to nasty, from friendly to mean, from responsible to impulsive. The reason being is that the prefrontal cortex (the brain center responsible for judgment and reason) is practically underdeveloped, whereas the amygdala (the center responsible for raw emotions such as fear and anger) is on overdrive. That is why most teens react from the gut. To top it off, this also affects communication. Research has shown that teenagers are not adept readers of facial expressions. Finally, there is the myelination process which acts like an insulation on nerves allowing impulses to travel faster and more efficiently. Neuroscientists believe that the thrill teenagers seek and the new experiences tap their reward centers creating intense feelings of pleasure. In addition to these changes, we have the hormonal changes that take place during puberty. These sex hormones not only develop an interest in sex but change the brain structure, act on the amygdale and may account for increases in aggression and irritability in both sexes. What does all these means to parents? Teenagers who exercise their brains, learn to control their impulses, monitor their emotions, understand reasoning and abstract concepts are laying the foundation for their future. We should encourage them to discover what they are good at, model appropriate behaviors and reward the process of discovery. Understanding that many of the adolescent behaviors are wiring processes should help parents not personalize their craziness. Parents are still the most influential people in the life of a teen. You have to model by example; you have been given a second chance on re-wiring your kids brain. Mind Spectrum Institute located in North Miami Beach, Florida specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and ADD/ADHD in children and adults. It is a multidisciplinary treatment center that uses therapeutic interventions, included but not limited to psychotherapy, family and couples therapy, individual and play therapy, neurofeedback, biofeedback, psychiatric evaluation, and psychological and educational testing for accurate diagnosis. For more information about Mind Spectrum Institute, please call 305-936-8960 or visit Mind Spectrum Institute About AuthorMind Spectrum Institute located in North Miami Beach, Florida specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and ADD/ADHD in children and adults. It is a multidisciplinary treatment center that uses therapeutic interventions, included but not limited to psychotherapy, family and couples therapy, individual and play therapy, neurofeedback, biofeedback, psychiatric evaluation, and psychological and educational testing for accurate diagnosis. For more information about Mind Spectrum Institute, please call 305-936-8960 or visit Mind Spectrum InstituteSource: ArticleTrader.com Read more at: ?a=articles&p=54350. |
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