“Puberty: Changing Bodies, Changing Minds”- “The Psychological Impact Of Puberty”

Thank you Mr. Ahmed Tajoury for the nice introduction. “The hardest thing about adolescence is
that everything seems too big. There’s no way to get the context or perspective. Pain and joy
without limits, No one can live like that forever, so experience finally comes to the rescue. We
come to know what we can endure, and also that nothing endures.” – Sara Paretsky, bleeding
Kansas.

A warm welcome to all the teachers, parents, schoolmates, and guests, I, Matt Lourenz Talaid, a
student from the Philippine Centennial Academy International, extend a warm greeting to all of
you to this exciting and vibrant session. My topic for this morning/afternoon is about The
Psychological Impact of Puberty.

Your sweet, good-natured child can turn into a completely different person when going
through puberty. During this stage, adolescents experience many PHYSICAL and
PSYCHOLOGICAL changes that can result in CONFUSION, ANGER, and REBELLION.
Although some of the adolescents often push their parents away, they need support and
understanding to survive this stage and emerge as mature adults. Learning about the most
concerning psychological changes that take place during puberty can help you be better prepared
for dealing with your child during this stage.

BODY DISSATISFACTION AND LOW SELF-ESTEEM

During puberty, teenagers struggle with wanting to be accepted and with trying to fit in
with their peers. As their bodies begin to change, they may feel different and become self-
conscious about these changes. A survey of 1,266 adolescents conducted by Marita McCabe and
Lina Ricciardelli found high levels of bodily dissatisfaction among the adolescents, published in
the Summer 2001 issue of “Adolescence”. Female teens were more concerned with losing
weights, while males were focused on increasing muscles mass. The increased concern
regarding body image often leads to a reduced self-esteem. During this stage, it is important for
teenagers to understand that change is normal and that eventually everyone will experience it.

MOOD SWINGS

Teenagers are known for their “raging hormones” and drastic mood swings. The moods
of a teenager going through puberty can fluctuate between excitement, anger, anxiety, and
depression. Sheryl Smith and her colleagues found out that the THP hormone, which is a natural
steroid, calms female adult and pre-pubescent mice in response to stress. However, during
puberty, the THP hormone has the reverse effect by increasing anxiety, in the study published in
the April 2007 issue of the journal, “Nature Neuroscience”. The study was done on adolescent
female mice. These findings show that puberty is a time of great emotional turmoil and distress
for females.

SEXUAL AWAKENING

Before hitting puberty, teens were less affected by gender roles and differences. As their
hormones change, they begin to see the opposite sex in a different light and begin to experience
sexual arousal. At the same time, teenagers also become more affected by gender roles and
often develop a preference for more gender-specific activities. Some adolescents may experience
shame regarding their developing body and sexual curiosity and may choose to withdraw from
friends and families.

1 Matt Lourenz P. Talaid – Grade 10

Philippine Centennial Academy International
“Puberty: Changing Bodies, Changing Minds”- “The Psychological Impact Of Puberty”

CONFLICTING THOUGHTS

Since you are somewhere in between, as a teenager during puberty, you may
feel stuck between how you were as a child and how you wish to be as an adult. For
example, you are along the lines of whether you wish to give up on your interests
that you had as a child to be able to fit in with your friends. As a result, you may feel
conflicted and look for clarity.

In conclusion. We need to know about children’s still-developing brain

structure, sleep alterations, and changing hormones and the emotional and cognitive
immaturity that results from this still-developing state so that they can regard their
children’s behavior in proper perspective. Though adolescent children may become
moody and make poor choices, they are not doing this purely out of spite, but rather
because they cannot be substantially otherwise at this point in their development.
Despite their resistance, parents need to continue to provide age-appropriate
behavior limits. Through doing so parents provide children with the proper mixture of
safety and freedom they require to enable and enhance their further growth.
Adolescents need enough room to express their individuality and practice (and
sometimes fail) independent decision-making and they need to be protected from the
consequences of their worst decisions in order for them to thrive. ‘’ adolescence
represent an inner emotional upheaval, a struggle between the eternal human wish
to cling to the past and the equally powerful wish to get on with the future’’ – Louise
J. Kaplan.

Thank you all for being here today and taking the time to patiently listen to
what I had to say, I wish you all a blessed day. I would like to call back Mr. Ahmed
Othman Tajoury to discuss about “The Teenage Thought Process”.

2 Matt Lourenz P. Talaid – Grade 10

Philippine Centennial Academy International