teen girl grain: message from 2009

A few 80s Angst readers voiced concerns about the mood swings (and silly obsessions) in these diary entries. Teenage boys of all decades, please don't worry. The very act of writing down psychotic thoughts (in this case) was an extremely effective therapy all its own. Also, I didn't get my driving license until I was 18, so stalking wasn't possible until I was well past the "so sprung over you that I can't handle it" stage.

In Louann Brizendine, M.D.'s book The Female Brain, she documents TEEN GIRL BRAIN, {like totally} and explains its effects. {You should totally read it. I like it mass!} Let me share the first paragraphs of Teen Girl Brain (chapter 2) with you:

Drama, Drama, Drama. That's what's happening in a teen girl's life and a teen girl's brain. "Mom, I so totally can't go to school. I just found out Brian likes me and I have a huge zit and no concealer. How can you even think I'll go!" "Homework? I told you I'm not doing any more until you promise to send me away to school. I can't stand living with you for one more minute!"...

Did you think you were reading the diary entries there for a minute? Nope, that's from the book. {I'm so, like, totally normal. Wait. Do I want to be normal? Normal sounds boring!}

The teenage years are a turbulent time. The teen girl's brain is sprouting, reorganizing, and pruning neuronal circuits that drive the way she thinks, feels, and acts-and obsesses over her looks. Her brain is unfolding ancient instructions on how to become a woman. During puberty, a girl's entire biological raison d'etre is to become sexually desirable. She begins judging herself against her peers and media images of other attractive females. This brain state is created by *the surge of new hormones on top of the ancient female genetic blueprint...

Their brains are hard at work rewiring themselves and this is why conflicts will increase and become more intense as teen girls struggle for independence and identity. Who are they anyway? They are developing the parts of themselves that most make them women - their strength for communicating, forming social bonds, and nurturing those around them.

Of course, it is always a good idea to be on the lookout for teen girl brain circuitry gone haywire, beyond the pale of the average boy-obsessed fiendishness. Good luck with that one! For some great context, though, check out Brizendine's work. Or, just know it will pass.

By the time I turned 20, I found it tiresome to put on make-up and preferred washing dishes to talking on the phone. At 35, the closest thing to boy obsession I've felt in a long time manifested itself in political campaigning over the past year.

Quick summary: It IS possible to survive the estrogen-progesterone onslaught. Yes we can, my sisters. Yes We Can.