The New York Times – Sunday Review – Opinion – Why Teenagers Act Crazy – By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN – Published: June 28, 2014
Understanding adolescent anxiety, in conjunction with the often co-morbid novelty seeking and risk taking behaviors that are classic of this age group creates a challenging treatment paradox. Why are teens classically both anxious and thrill-seeking? It can all be understood when we look at what this age brings neuro-developmentally.
Richard Friedman, in his NYT article, “Why Teenagers Act Crazy”, highlights why Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy, which is often considered the gold standard for adolescents, may be, in fact, sub-optimal in it’s distilled form, due to recent research in brain development.
Different regions and circuits of the brain mature at very different rates. The article further proposes that, largely because of a quirk of brain development, adolescents, on average, experience more anxiety and fear and have a harder time learning how not to be afraid than either children or adults.
The implications of this research in the treatment of adolescent anxiety are immeasurable. For starters, let’s keep in check our adult f nomenclature: they’re not “acting crazy.” They’re acting their age. So, how can we help them blossom into their best selves, celebrating each step of the way?