Mind Matters: The brainstorm of adolescence

On my walk at Longwood I heard a grandmother give notice to a toddler as he tries to pick up crusty snow to throw at people. “Careful, buddy, that’s ice.” Immediately, I flashed back to the story of the 12-year-old fooling around on an overpass several years ago. He hurled a large chunk of ice at a car on the road below him. The tragic result was that the driver, a mother, was killed. Did that boy know what the consequences of his action would be? Emphatically no, he did not.

And Daniel Siegel, neuro-psychiatrist, would agree. Synchronistically, I came to Longwood to write but the toddler I witnessed on my walk jogged my memory of the boy. We can be very harsh and judgmental of youth — especially boys, so it would certainly help us to understand their developing (note they are not developed) brains.

Daniel Siegel brings us another informative book on the matter: “Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain.” Siegel defines adolescence as being between the ages of 12 and 24.

The developing brain of the teen is at a critical juncture, and a critical time implies crisis. Yet again I consider how the Chinese character for crisis is also the symbol for opportunity. Crossroads are always a time of choice — do we take the metaphorical high or low road? So it is with the teenage brain: depending on circumstances and the environment, the developing brain can respond positively or negatively.

Siegel notes that teen brain changes are notable in four ways: novelty seeking, social engagement, increased emotional intensity, and creative exploration. These four qualities can lead to both positive and negative behaviors.

Novelty seeking arises from “an increased drive for rewards in the circuits of the adolescent brain.” The teenager searches for what is new and different. The downside, says Siegel, is thrill and sensation seeking; daring without considering the risks and consequences. Is there an upside? Yes, says Siegel, when teens can have an openness to change and a sense of adventure.

Social engagement also has its polarities. If teens are disconnected from adults and only connect with other adolescents, there is a danger of “increased risk behavior.” Knowledgeable and reasoned adult interaction can mitigate the effects of peer pressure on risk taking behavior. On the other hand, the drive for social engagement is, in the long run, necessary for health and wellbeing throughout life.

The third quality of the changing teenage brain is increased emotional intensity. While such intensity may be marked by impulsivity and reactivity, when regulated, emotional intensity engenders energy and enthusiasm.

Siegel names “creative exploration with an expanded sense of consciousness” as the fourth quality to develop in the adolescent brain. Conceptual and abstract thinking move the teenager from the concrete, black and white world of childhood. Do you remember, as a teen, questioning the meaning of life? I do. The existentialists were my imaginary buddies in those days. Trouble is, according to Siegel, “searching for the meaning of life during the teen years can lead to a crisis of identity, vulnerability to peer pressure and a lack of direction…” However, the upside is that such a searching brain, when nurtured, can mature into an open, inquiring, creative, and critical thinking mind.

Siegel reflects on how the “tragic school shootings and public explosions we bear witness to have often been carried out by males in their adolescence. There is an increasing disconnect in today’s world and we need to do something to help teens so that such destructive behavior can be understood and less likely to happen.”

By giving specific guidelines on how adults can connect to and model for the teens in their midst, Siegel rallies to avert the destructive actions of youth.

* Kayta Curzie Gajdos holds a doctorate in counseling psychology and is in private practice in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. She welcomes comments at MindMatters@DrGajdos.com or 610-388-2888. Past columns are posted to www.drgajdos.com.

About Kayta Gajdos

Dr. Kathleen Curzie Gajdos ("Kayta") is a licensed psychologist (Pennsylvania and Delaware) who has worked with individuals, couples, and families with a spectrum of problems. She has experience and training in the fields of alcohol and drug addictions, hypnosis, family therapy, Jungian theory, Gestalt therapy, EMDR, and bereavement. Dr. Gajdos developed a private practice in the Pittsburgh area, and was affiliated with the Family Therapy Institute of Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, having written numerous articles for the Family Therapy Newsletter there. She has published in the American Psychological Association Bulletin, the Family Psychologist, and in the Swedenborgian publications, Chrysalis and The Messenger. Dr. Gajdos has taught at the college level, most recently for West Chester University and Wilmington College, and has served as field faculty for Vermont College of Norwich University the Union Institute's Center for Distance Learning, Cincinnati, Ohio. She has also served as consulting psychologist to the Irene Stacy Community MH/MR Center in Western Pennsylvania where she supervised psychologists in training. Currently active in disaster relief, Dr. Gajdos serves with the American Red Cross and participated in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts as a member of teams from the Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Now living in Chadds Ford, in the Brandywine Valley of eastern Pennsylvania, Dr. Gajdos combines her private practice working with individuals, couples and families, with leading workshops on such topics as grief and healing, the impact of multigenerational grief and trauma shame, the shadow and self, Women Who Run with the Wolves, motherless daughters, and mediation and relaxation. Each year at Temenos Retreat Center in West Chester, PA she leads a griefs of birthing ritual for those who have suffered losses of procreation (abortions, miscarriages, infertility, etc.); she also holds yearly A Day of Re-Collection at Temenos.Dr. Gajdos holds Master's degrees in both philosophy and clinical psychology and received her Ph.D. in counseling at the University of Pittsburgh. Among her professional affiliations, she includes having been a founding member and board member of the C.G. Jung Educational Center of Pittsburgh, as well as being listed in Who's Who of American Women. Currently, she is a member of the American Psychological Association, The Pennsylvania Psychological Association, the Delaware Psychological Association, the American Family Therapy Academy, The Association for Death Education and Counseling, and the Delaware County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Board. Woven into her professional career are Dr. Gajdos' pursuits of dancing, singing, and writing poetry.

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