Why Your Teenager Is Grumpy or Moody

It’s not unusual to have a moody teen, but why is your teenager Grumpy Or Moody? Find out what’s causing this and when it’s not normal.

A parent of an adolescent is someone who can laugh at their jokes. Many parents bemoan their children’s erratic behavior as they approach adolescence. Hormones aren’t the only cause of your grumpy teen’s behavior.

Why Your Teenager Is Grumpy Or Moody
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Teenage Brains: A Changing Landscape

A teenager’s brain couldn’t be seen before MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) was widely used. The brains of children and teenagers who died early were the primary resources for researchers.

With the use of MRI images, we can now see how the brain’s structure is evolving. When puberty sets in, the teen brain undergoes a dramatic shift

Why Your Teenager Is Grumpy Or Moody
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Our personalities and social interactions are managed in the brain’s prefrontal cortex. More complex decision-making and expressing one’s personality are handled here. Adolescence is a time of rejuvenation for this part of the brain. After a period of relative stability during childhood, the rate of connections between these brain cells has increased dramatically.

Certain parts of the brain’s frontal and parietal lobe become more densely packed with white matter during this period as well. Reasoning, judgment, and impulse control all fall under the purview of these brain regions.

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Anyone who has had a run-in with an angry employer and suppressed their feelings can probably regulate their own emotions. It’s possible that a teen’s brain won’t allow them to perform the same thing.

Moodiness in adolescents may be related to the rapid growth and change in their brains. When a teen’s brain changes, they may express an emotion before thinking about it or coping with it because of their lack of impulse control.

What is Hormones’ Purpose?

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Hormones influence mood. Moodiness may result from adolescent hormone imbalance, which is thought to be caused by both estrogen and testosterone in the body. Hormones directly impact a woman’s mood during her menstrual cycle. A teen’s moodiness isn’t solely tied to these hormones, however.

Teenagers are more prone to anxiety than adults because of a hormone that is supposed to calm them down. During times of stress, our bodies produce THP (or allopregnanolone). When administered to adults, this hormone exerts a soothing impact on the nervous system. THP has the opposite impact on teenagers.

Why Your Teenager Is Grumpy Or Moody
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Stress can cause a person to become more prone to mood swings, as anyone who has ever been around an anxious person knows. If you notice that your teen is acting a little grumpy or irritable, it may be because she is under a lot of stress.

Teenagers may have less moodiness as they approach maturity due to this sensitivity to the hormone THP, which diminishes as they age.

Depression vs. Bad Mood

Why Your Teenager Is Grumpy Or Moody
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Parents frequently wonder whether their child’s moodiness is normal or a sign of a more serious problem. If you’re feeling down for a short period of time, don’t worry. For example, if your child is moody after a poor night but is otherwise pleasant during the week, it may be a sign of a more serious problem.

Apart from being cranky or depressed, people with depression and other mental health issues display various other symptoms. When a teen is depressed, it’s not uncommon for them to lose or gain weight, have sleep problems, isolate themselves from friends and family, or even bring up the subject of suicide.

A visit to your child’s doctor or family physician is always recommended if you have any concerns about your adolescent’s conduct. A medical professional can help you sort out what is normal and what is a problem and then help you find a solution.

Bottomline

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Don’t worry if your teenager is grumpy or moody—it will pass. Anxiety and depression in your adolescent will subside as their brain develops. Keep your chin up!

Meaningful articles you might like: Assisting Children in Dealing with Their Emotions, Help Your Child Develop Self-Regulation of Their Physical Moods, Dealing with the Mood Swings of Your Child