Re: "Why Teenagers Act Crazy"

6/29/14



To the editor:



Richard Friedman (Why teenagers act crazy, 6/29/14) focuses our attention on anxiety problems in adolescence - an issue that often takes a back seat in the public eye given the blatant dangers of impulsivity and risky behavior during this developmental phase. It is helpful to keep in mind that fear and anxiety, though related, are different.  Fearfulness when entering a potentially threatening, novel situation (for example, a party scene with heavy drinking) is adaptive and can balance out the impulsive tendency. Anxiety, anticipating and imagining a threat, can keep a teenager home. While many models of anxiety focus on the amygdala, others (Jaak Panksepp, for example) highlight the importance of brain regions that modulate separation distress - a critical and inevitable aspect of this developmental phase. Through this perspective, we all need some blend of fearfulness and exploration to successfully navigate adolescence.



Respectfully,



Larry S. Sandberg