Am I losing my mind?

Pouty. Silly. Confused. Impulsive. Angry. Clueless. Determined. Happy. Sad.

This list can go on and on with the range of emotions and impulses that teenagers experience over the course of a day. The emotional rollercoaster – and often curious and erratic behavior – of teens was once chalked up to hormones kicking in at puberty. While it is true that the adolescent brain is soaking in sex hormones, recent research using sophisticated brain scan equipment with healthy teens reveals a lot more than meets the eye.
 
Perhaps best described by Barbara Strauch’s book, The Primal Teen: What the New Discoveries About the Teenage Brain Tell Us About Our Kids, the teen brain is undergoing an astounding array of changes that parallel the neurological leaps that a baby’s brain experiences. In fact, the teen brain is going through a phase of major “discombobulation.” The areas of the brain – such as the frontal cortex (command center) and prefrontal cortex (working memory, inhibition and impulse control) – are in a continual state of activity and refinement. In essence, the brain is a garden of neuronal synapses growing wildly and then pruning itself back over time.
 
The brain also houses a complex set of neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, that travel from nerve cell to nerve cell and affect moods states. These chemicals, such as dopamine and norepinephrine, travel about the brain at varying levels. They are linked to depression and other mood disorders. Added to this alphabet soup are stress hormones (cortisol) streaming through blood vessels. This hormone fluctuates depending on how much stress you might experience (taking an exam, fighting with your mom or running a stop light with your learner’s driving permit).
 
Then there is the DNA you inherit, the double strands of genetic material that influence your eye color, body shape, personality, predisposition to certain diseases, temperament, aptitude, intellect, and so on. Add life experience to the mix and it all helps to shape the growing teen brain.
 
Pretty complex.
 
So what does this mean for you? It means your brain is a work in progress. Tend to it mindfully. How? 
  • Think through potential consequences.
  • Don’t marinate your brain in drugs and alcohol – which can seriously alter the intricate and growing neuronal network of your brilliant mind.
  • Know that taking risks and making mistakes is a part of normal development.
  • Emotional highs and lows are expected and will pass.
  • When challenges come along, take the high road.
Learn more about the body and brain. Check out BodiMojo's interactive tool, HeadSpin.

This article has been reviewed by BodiMojo health expert Dr. Karen Devaney. 

Feelings

MRIs are shedding light on how teens may process emotions differently than adults. Young teens, use the amygdala, a brain center that mediates "gut" reactions, more than the frontal lobe. But teens grow older, their brain shifts to the frontal lobe, leading to more reasoned perceptions and improved performance.