why do teens have so many mood swings?

Question

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Answer 1

because its that time in their life where they feel like everything is going down hill.
try not to get mad at them for random things and yell at them
that makes them mader

Answer 2

Those would be hormones, hon. The body is going through so many changes at one time, it's an overload. Really, theres nothing anyone can actually DO about the changes, it's just life. Give/get space - if you're referring to another person, give them room to go through these things, but be sure to make yourself available should the other person need to talk. If you're talking about yourself - know that it's a normal thing to have the mood swings, that it's not just you. Make sure you've got someone close to confide in when you need them. It'll pass in due time ... at least the worst of it.

Answer 3

Hormones, Hormones, Hormones. Be understanding but know that no matter what you do the mood swings will continue.

Answer 4

Their hormones are out of whack. Just do the right thing and wait it out. Always be there when they need someone to talk to, but DO NOT be pushy and intrude. They will come to you when they are ready. Remember, men are from mars, women are from Venus, so teenagers must be from Saturn (or maybe Neptune).

Answer 5

It's called puberty. n raging hormones. u can only make sure they don go on the e wrong track of life n be patient for them to grow out of tt stage.

Answer 6

When it comes to pop culture, hit music, electronics, fashion trends, celebrity-doings, sex and partying. (whew) most of you, teenagers, are "ppssssttt"… sizzlin' hot. But of the subject, many of you all are clueless.

In charting the brain's normal development through adolescence, scientists discovered the brain's anatomy apparently keep on evolving far more than ever thought, which may help explain why can teens act the way they do.

Teenager Bryan Wright is one of hundreds of volunteers taking part in the research at the Child Psychiatry Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md.

On summer evenings, Wright, 17, allows government researchers to peer into the very deepest recesses of his brain, just as they've been doing since he was 13.

Using magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, government researchers can now journey through the brain, from top to bottom, left to right, back to front, and most important, from year to year.

"Recent advances in imaging technology, even over the last 18 months to two years, allow us to really zero in on specific brain parts," said Dr. Jay Giedd, who directs the project as chief of brain imaging at the research center.

Giedd, like most of his colleagues, had thought that since the brain has reached 90 percent of its full size by the age of 6, that it was virtually fully developed. Not so.

"What's new is that the brain's anatomy in the teen years is changing far more dynamically than we would ever have guessed," said Giedd.

In other words, the "makeup" of the brain, the individual elements of the brain, continue to evolve and become more efficient throughout the teenage years, even into a person's 20s.


New Findings Explain Mood Swings

Giedd's images show a thickening in gray matter on the outer part of the brain peaks at age 11 in girls and at age 12 in boys. Then, during the teen years, the brain trims back excess cells and connections so what's left is more efficient.

The cells and connections used the most survive and flourish, and those not used will whither and die, said Giedd.

The images show one of the last parts of the brain to complete this maturation process is the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for planning, judgment and self-control.

"[Adolescents] are capable of very strong emotions and very strong passions, but their prefrontal cortex hasn't caught up with them yet. It's as though they don't have the brakes that allow them to slow those emotions down," said Charles Nelson, a child psychologist at the University of Minnesota.

Researchers say this may help explain the often irrational behavior of teenagers: the mood swings, and the risks they're often too willing to take.

And psychologists believe this new understanding of the adolescent brain — and its limitations — can help parents recognize there are some behaviors teenagers cannot easily control.

"If I walk into a class of kids who are 14 or 15," said Nelson, "those kids have a level of brain maturity that just does not map onto the kinds of emotional decision-making that a lot of those kids are being asked to make by teachers and parents."

Added Nelson: "The more teachers and the more parents that understand that there is a biological limitation to the child's ability to control and regulate emotion, [the more] they might be able to back off a little and be a bit more understanding."

Severe mood swings and the need to eat regularly points to a problem with sugar metabolism, known as ‘hypoglycaemia’ or Low Blood Sugar (LBS). LBS occurs when the body's blood sugar, or glucose, is abnormally low, often because it is used up too rapidly. This could be an inherited weakness, although the condition most commonly develops as a result of a diet high in sugar, including from natural sources, and processed carbohydrates. LBS is known to have a very strong effect on the brain, and the symptoms you list are commonly associated with this condition.
If sugar is not the issue, then perhaps you need to look at the fats in your diet, in particular Omega 3 fats. These essential fats must be derived from food, as our body cannot make them by itself, hence the name ‘essential’.

Two fatty acids of particular importance in the sort of case you describe are EPA and DHA, found mainly in oily fish, and in flaxseed and hemp oils. DHA in particular is highly concentrated in the brain and nervous system, and was shown to improve learning and memory, dyslexia and dyspraxia and to enhance mood. It’s also important to restrict or avoid ‘bad’ fats, such as saturated and hydrogenated fats, which would counteract the benefits of good fats.

To summarise, your condition may benefit from certain things being taken out of the diet whilst others are added. I highly recommend that you have a full nutritional consultation to assess and improve your diet. This could be as the first step to achieving a more balanced life for you.
Avoid processed flour and sugar. Bad fats, dairy and alot of meat. Include large amounts of raw organic vegetables and fruits with some nuts also.
As always: Consult your doctor before you start any diet/eating program.

Answer 7

It is to terrorize the parents. You can do nothing to help them, just assure them of your love. They outgrew it in a couple of years. Do not get into emotional fights with them you will be the looser everytime. Have fun.

Answer 8

It's the hormones. I don't know if you can do much to help. Just try not to take it personally.

Answer 9

Like with menopausal women, it's a hormonal thing.
Only patience and understanding will get you through this period.

Answer 10

There hormones are acting crazy just be patient and wait it out.