Posted at 8:00 am
Mélanie Loubert The aces of information
Daphnee Hacker-B. Staff, Les As de l’info
Camille Lopez Contributor, Les As de l’info
The emotions of teenagers, a real roller coaster!
Have you ever been to an amusement park with mind-bending rides? At the same time, we live full of emotions: we laugh, we cry, we have fun, we are afraid. When we are teenagers, the same thing happens in our brain: we experience many strong emotions. It’s very difficult sometimes, but it’s normal. We explain why!
There’s a new book in bookstores that explains what goes on in the minds of teenagers. It was written by Lisa Damour, a psychologist living in the United States. A psychologist is an emotional expert who helps people who are struggling.
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY LISA DAMOUR
Lisa Damour’s book is titled The Emotional Lives of Teenagers. In French it can be translated as “The Emotional Life of Young People”.
The author of the book is also a mother to two teenagers aged 12 and 19. She hopes her book will help parents better understand why teenagers throw tantrums, fight with friends, or cry often.
Being sad is normal
In her book, Lisa Damour reminds us that negative emotions are part of life, like anger and sadness. “At some point we started to fear being unhappy,” writes Ms. Damour.
In her opinion, it is impossible to always be in a good mood. There are situations that make us unhappy and we have to learn how to deal with them.
The psychologist gives the example of a teenager who is depressed because his family is moving to a new city. He’s going to leave his friends, his school… it’s perfectly normal to be in a lot of pain.
Ms Damour offers this advice: “You don’t need to be alarmed if your teenager is sad about something for a short time, but you should be alarmed if he’s sad about anything for a long time. »
brain development
But why are teenagers so emotional? Because from the age of 11 the brain develops very quickly. A real revolution is taking place: neurons are multiplying at breakneck speed! Neurons are cells that can analyze and produce a lot of information.
In teenage brains, there are a multitude of neural connections that come and go. This can trigger waves of strong emotions, like on a merry-go-round.
When should we seek help?
Although it’s normal to feel sad, you or your loved ones should see a psychologist or other mental health professional if:
- the negative emotion persists;
- normal functioning is impaired (no longer go to school, no longer see friends, etc.);
- We are tempted by dangerous behaviors (such as drug use).
After a text by Silvia Galipeau, La Presse
Do you need help ?
You can contact Tel-jeunes by phone, SMS or chat.
Telephone: 1.800.263-2266
Text: 514 600-1002
In French please!
This week was the International Day of Francophonie. By the way, why do we speak French in Quebec? And why do we say that our language is in danger? Melanie explains it all to you!
Arrest warrant against Putin: what does it mean?
PHOTO VLADIMIR ASTAPKOVICH, SPUTNIK, PROVIDED BY Portal
President Vladimir Putin
Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is responsible for trying the world’s worst crimes, issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is accused of war crimes. But beware, this does not mean that Vladimir Putin will go to prison. We explain it to you.
Thousands of children have reportedly been abducted
War crimes are particularly serious acts of violence committed during an armed conflict. It is the job of the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, to investigate and bring these crimes to justice. One of these crimes: the illegal deportation of children from one country to another.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Russian authorities have kidnapped thousands of Ukrainian children and forcibly brought them to Russia, according to organizations. The ICC investigated these allegations for more than a year.
On March 17, 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for the Russian President, who is held responsible for these crimes. Putin even signed a new law allowing Russians to adopt Ukrainian orphans and change their name, date of birth and place of birth in a single day.
The ICC has also issued an arrest warrant for the Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Russia, who handles juvenile cases, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova.
What will happen to Putin?
What you need to know, however, is that the International Criminal Court only has the power to act in the territories that belong to it… and Russia is not a member.
In addition, Russia denies all allegations by the ICC. It is therefore very (very) unlikely that she will handcuff Vladimir Putin and the commissioner to take them to court in The Hague. It is therefore not known how the International Criminal Court intends to proceed.
One thing is for sure: it sends the message to the whole world that this type of crime should not be ignored!
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