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Teens and decision making
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Between the ages of 13-18, adolescents are constantly thrown decisions with positive and negative consequences. These decisions determine how they, their family, their friends, and their future are altered. Choices, as significant as medical decisions, should not be given to adolescents. At the age unfortunate age of fifteen, Abraham Cherrix developed a case of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was immediately given the option to go through curative therapy, but he denied treatment in hopes of pursuing a natural remedy. Abraham, as a quaker, decided to follow the path of Hoxsey Therapy. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, this form of treatment is a herbal tonic that may be ingested or applied topically. After various claims since it was discovered,
One of the most complicated puzzles that have faced our society and you, the parents, is that of the teenage brain. The reason that this has been stumping our heads is because this puzzle isn’t even complete. The adolescent brain is developed from back to front creating many complications for their decisions. This both helps and damages us. With this ability, we have an easier ability to learn new things, easier time adapting to our environment, and we seek new thrilling experiences. The ways this hinders us is that we have bad decision making, emotions controlling our decisions, sensitivity to social and emotional information, and the seeking of immediate rewards. Although a teenager’s brain is not fully
Similarly, going along with the prior rebuttal of the importance of differentiating juvenile’s characteristics and actions of that of an adult, science is compiling more evidence of its vitality. Many adults can look back and reminisce about an action he or she did when younger and say, “Wow I cannot believe I did that.” Science has proven the reason behind that is because an adolescent’s brain has not yet fully matured. Tsui states “Studies conclusively established that the brain of an adolescent is not fully developed, particularly in the area of the prefrontal cortex, which is critical to higher order cognitive functioning and impulse control” (645). The facts of scientific research need to be taken into consideration when distinguishing
First, most adolescents are not mature enough to make decisions that will change their lives forever. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius state, “Some older adolescents have the cognitive ability and capacity to reason similarly to an adult. However, neuroimaging studies have shown that the brain undergoes major reorganization during adolescence, particularly in the regions of the brain relating to executive functions” (qtd. in Christian Med.). In other words, the majority of teens lack maturity and wisdom to make life changing decisions (Christian Med.). In most situations, teens are desperate, and they make choices without thinking about the long- term consequences of their actions. If abortion is hard, enough in a grown woman imaging how it must be in a teenager with no one by her side to counsel and guide her. Imaging how confusing would be the mind of a fourteen years old girl going through an abortion without having her parents to tell her that everything will be fine. How can a fourteen years old girl handle that much stress?
Throughout time, mankind has persistently been seeking ways to maintain their health and to cure those that had not been so fortunate in that task. Just about everything has been experimented with as a cure for some type of illness whether physical, spiritual or mental. There has always been evidence of spiritual healing and it will continue to be an important part of any healing process, large or small. In particular, the roots of Native American Medicine men (often a woman in some cultures) may be traced back to ancient times referred to as Shaman. A special type of healer used by the Indians is referred to as a medicine man (comes from the French word medecin, meaning doctor).
At the age of 13, many children have already begun puberty and therefore have experienced growth spurts and have more experience on determining what is safe. Anyone under the age of 13 should not be heading the ball at all, because they still have leaps and bounds to make when talking about development of their brains and bodies. In the interview done by PBS, the neuroscientist, Dr. Robert Cantu (2014)
Parents must discover ways to help teens learn to make decisions that minimize the potential harm to themselves and others, and parents must also gradually relinquish control and place increasing amounts of personal responsibility onto teens so that they become self-regulating.
Holistic Medicine, commonly referred to as “Alternative Medicine”, is a vast and rapidly growing new scientific field. It is derived mainly from ancient, traditional methods of healing that have often been practiced in the East for centuries. These include a variety of techniques from herbal healing to acupuncture to homeopathy to energy channeling. Due to the large number of methods that are covered by the term, there are various definitions of Holistic Medicine. However, all literature seems to agree that Alternative Medicine, is exactly what the name suggests: an ‘alternative’ approach to healing and medicine. It is a more personal move toward health care, which attempts to connect the mind, body and spirit.
Adolescent mental health for at risk youth is important to the wellbeing of an adolescent who is growing and developing. Most adolescents who can incur mental health issues can be based on several factors such as: poverty, poor relationships, lack of health care, and inheritance. An adolescent is defined as: a young person who is developing into an adult (Merriam-Webster, 2017). The adolescent stage of development is a complex stage of a person’s life and can be viewed as the most difficult stage. At risk adolescents are likely to have a higher risk for mental health issues.
During the adolescent year’s children goes through physical and mental changes which could cause them to act deviant. Family support and good family structure is needed to help an adolescent cope with changes in their behavior. Other family crises such as parents’ divorce, death, and economics factor can trigger a child to act out differently as a mean to seek attention. Juveniles are not as good at decision making as adults, because they are young and does not have much experience in life they could make bad decisions that would make their life difficult. Youngsters do not think of the consequences of their action thus “they face deciding whether to engage in a risky behavior, such as taking drugs, shoplifting, or getting into a fight, in situation involving emotions, stress, peer pressure, and little time for reflection” (national academic press). Adults could think rationally where as children do not develop to think rationally between the ages of ten and seventeen thus children should not be punished as bad as an adult.
Children coming from adolescent parents are more likely to have poorer health, behavioral, and educational outcomes throughout their lives (comparing to children with older parents). Infants born from teenage mothers are at an increased risk for health issues. (This explains why our ancestors had lost so many of their infants.) Pregnant juveniles are less likely to gain sufficient weight during pregnancy, this can lead to a low birth weight of the child. Low birth weight is associated with several infant and childhood disorders and a higher rate of infant mortality. Low-birthweight babies are more likely to have organs that are not fully developed, which can result in complications, such as bleeding in the brain, respiratory distress syndrome, and intestinal problems (Health Communities). Also, teenager’s brains have not fully developed yet. Scans have revealed changes of the volume, of gray matter in parts of the cortex that are “responsible for more ‘top-down’ control, controlling impulses, and planning ahead—the hallmarks of adult behavior…”(The Teen Brain). This means, minors do not understand the concept of ‘what they are doing now can affect them later life’. Plus, these young mothers may have not had the education to even know what is wrong from right in pregnancy! Adolescent mothers are more likely known to smoke cigarettes, use
Teen years are formable years where children are often seeking to be more independent and have the respect of their parents and peers. Equally balancing the infrastructure of being a supportive parent and allowing your teen a healthy dose of freedom, is a tricky and tedious act. Balance must be struck to maintain your authority as a parent for their safety and wellbeing as well as the fact that you are overall still responsible for them.
transcends into adulthood (Casey, 2008). During adolescence there are examinable changes in various areas of life. These changes occur physically as the adolescent goes through puberty, as well as psychological changes where high emotional reactivity emerges, and social development is at its height (Casey, 2008). Adolescents are more likely than adults or children to engage in risky behaviour that can subsequently lead to death or illness by drunk driving, carrying weapons, using illegal drugs, and engaging in unprotected sex, which in turn can lead to STD’s and teenage pregnancies (Eaton, 2006). The prior is proof that adolescents do engage in risky behaviour. Through this essay we will explore the various theories of why risky behaviour is at its height during adolescence.
As time went by, "home remedies" were discovered and used to alleviate aches, pains and other ailments. Most of these preparations were herbs, roots, mushrooms or fungi. They had to be eaten, drunk, rubbed on the skin, or inhaled to achieve the desired effect.
Wier, R. F., & Peters, C. (2004). Affirming the decisions adolescents make about life and
As a parent, I have spent a great deal of time observing the behavior, motivation, and thought processes of my children. As they mature these processes have changed, and it has been fascinating to watch. I have learned a great deal on the limits of self control in the adolescent mind during this time, and I believe that families should be held responsible for crimes committed by their teenagers.