Body Story

Teen dreams: Emotions

• Mood swings
Hormonal changes do not simply affect sex organs and physicality. They make permanent changes in the brain too. As inactive areas of the brain are brought to life by hormones, they stimulate nerve endings, which form new connections. These new circuits stir up powerful emotions.

Boys have to come to terms with very high levels of testosterone in their blood: studies show that there is a link between testosterone and aggressive behaviour.

Some girls, meanwhile, will be suffering from their first brush with PMT (pre-menstrual tension). While it is not known exactly why some women develop PMT and some do not, it is accepted that hormonal changes trigger various unpleasant symptoms, including irritability and tearfulness. Add in stomach cramps, back pain and headaches, and it is not surprising that a certain degree of moodiness results.

But moodiness is not only a side-effect of hormonal change. There is a whole host of problems with which the teenager has to cope, exacerbating their bad temper. Peer pressure over a range of issues — from sex to smoking, ideas of beauty and how much or little development is 'normal' — is likely to be stressful.

• Teenage angst
While teenage websites and magazines may be crammed with answers to questions relating to penis size and shape, masturbation (how often is normal?) and concerns about sexual orientation, surveys show that teenagers have many other things on their minds. For instance:

• More than 80% of teenagers say they lose sleep over exams.

• Nearly 66% say they are concerned about homelessness. The environment, unemployment and the Third World are also given as key concerns.

• 60% of girls aged between 14 and 15 believe they are fat and need to lose weight, although clinically, fewer than 13% are overweight. Just over 25% of boys believe they should lose weight too.

• 50% of teenage girls are unhappy with their appearance.

Boy's story | Girl's story | Hormones

Emotions | Facts of life

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