Teen Therapy: Impulsivity and Risk Taking Behaviours
The teenage years are a whirlwind of hormones, emotions, and experiences. When you are old enough to understand the world around you, yet, at the same time, young enough to not have the part of your brain developed that helps with decision making and weighing risk, this can make for a chaotic combination. In order to better understand the gap between risky and non-risky behaviour during such a complex age-range, it may be useful to consult a therapist specializing in teen therapy.
Common Impulsive / Risky Teen Behaviours
As a teenager your brain is the biggest it has ever been, so it is easy to feel like you are knowledgeable enough to make sound decisions. However, teens do not yet have their prefrontal cortex - the brain region associated with problem solving, decision-making, impulse control, and behaviour regulation - fully developed. Here are a few common impulsive behaviors that are worked through in teen therapy.
Hazardous engagement on social media.
Sexting, sending nude photos, posting images of oneself, dating apps, and any other use of social media as a means of connecting with others. While social media is a great tool to find niche interests and make new friends with similar attitudes, it also includes individuals who may take advantage of young minds.
Vaping, smoking, drinking, and general substance abuse.
Warnings and laws guarding teenagers from partaking in substance abuse have been around for decades. During crucial times of physical and mental development, it is better to not indulge in such behaviours. Curiosity is normal, but these behaviours in teenhood may lead to addiction and psychological disorders in adulthood depending on the person.
Dangerous driving.
Though in public transport-driven cities this is less of a worry, dangerous driving is still quite common during teen years across the country. If you cannot always be in the car with your teen, it is important they learn to become aware of the severe risks of dangerous driving. In teen therapy, the counsellor can help teens become better at risk assessment.
The list can go on and on, but these are a few of the most common risky behaviours in teenhood. Though learning from mistakes is healthy, any one of these behaviours, if occurring consistently often over a long period of time, can be indicative of possible trajectory into a psychological disorder in adulthood; depending on your child’s genetics and socialization. Teen therapy gives individuals a space to deal with the consequences of risky decisions before they turn into larger issues.
Not Giving your Teen Freedom is not the Solution
To a certain extent, impulsive behaviour in teens is normal and not something to particularly worry about. The prefrontal cortex cannot fully develop without having engaged in decisions that lead to positive or negative consequences. In other words, your brain literally cannot learn and grow without making mistakes.
Though it is important to encourage safe risk-taking for learning's sake, it may be difficult to balance that with protecting them from making life-altering, dangerous decisions that far surpass small learning curves.
On top of that, during teenage years, individuals tend to close off from their parents. During a time in your life where you are quite literally the most autonomous you have ever been (having gone from diapers and relying only on your parents, to being able to take care of yourself to a certain extent), teens are reluctant to share their experiences because they want to feel they are their own person.
Attempting to get your teen to be honest with you while also creating boundaries with what you do or do not allow them to do is difficult to manage alone.
A healthy alternative is getting a third party, such as a teen therapist, who is unrelated to your teenager. In teen therapy, psychotherapists are trained specifically to recognize the fine line between normal and abnormal behaviours, all while ensuring teens feel safely heard and understood.
Try Teen Therapy Today!
At Healing Voices Psychotherapy, we offer teen therapy for those experiencing impulsive and risk taking behaviours. To learn more about it book a free 15-minute consultation today.
