How Teen Brains Differ from Adult Brains
We often look back at our teenage years with rose-colored glasses. As time passes, it's often not hard to only remember the good times you had and none of the bad. They say that time heals all, right? Time, unfortunately, doesn't heal everything, but it does cause you to have a different perspective.
As adults, it's all too easy to forget what it was like to be a teenager. It's even harder when you become a parent yourself, and your child becomes a teen. After all, the reality of the parent's generation is often completely different from that of the teen. This couldn't be truer about today's teenagers.
If you are raising a teenager, you might often question, "Why are they like this?" With all matters of society excluded, the answer is actually quite simple: their brain!
How Teen Brains Differ from Adult Brains
Their Brains Are Still Developing
We often think of childhood development as the period when the brain is rapidly growing. After all, children are constantly learning, growing, and trying new things. While that is true, this process doesn't stop once they become preteens or teenagers.
The teenage years are often when the brain develops even more rapidly. While it may not seem as if there is much going on there some days, there really is quite a lot happening inside them. These changes are often a large part of why your teenager is acting so differently at times.
Emotions Are Running Wild
We often joke about teenage hormones, but there is real scientific evidence about why those are no joking matter. Due to the brain's rapid development, it is constantly fluctuating with differing levels of hormones. Our hormones play a massive role in our mood as well as behavior. When these hormones are continually shifting, it causes an imbalance overall.
So, those mood swings that seem to come out of nowhere? Or the angry outbursts for no reason? Their hormones may not be the sole cause, but they are definitely to blame for this type of behavior.
Dopamine
Dopamine is a hormone released when we find something that makes us happy or eases tension. And don't get us wrong; we all love that feeling, including adults.
The difference is that when we become adults, the inherent need for dopamine release often tapers off or is regulated. In a teenager, however, that is a completely different story. Teenagers will relish finding any "ounce" of dopamine they can get. After all, it helps them to feel more balanced as their other hormones are constantly changing.
We all know how peer pressure can impact a teenager. It releases dopamine when they are accepted or liked for something, even if it's something unacceptable. The impact? This often leads to risky behavior or alcohol use, as those become synonymous with a dopamine release.
Executive Functioning Skills Are Impacted
Executive functioning in teenagers can refer to their ability to focus. When the brain is still developing, the key areas of the brain that are involved with executive functioning are also still learning. This directly correlates to the teenager's ability to focus on any task. If they seem scattered, distant, or not with it, it may not be because they are defiant or forgetful.
Instead, their brain cannot fully process things that aren't as interesting to them. This is one reason why they may gravitate more toward their favorite hobby instead of helping you around the house.
How to Help Your Teen
A lot is going on for your teenager. They are trying to figure out who they want to be while contending with society's expectations of who they should be. Their social circles are changing and it seems as if everyone else is too. With all this said, if your teen is struggling, don't be afraid to encourage them to seek therapy. Contact us to learn more about teen counseling and how it can help you and your teen find relief.
