Adolescence is a period of significant growth and development within the teenage brain.
During puberty, while the pre-frontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for decision making, is in development, the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with emotions, instincts and impulse, where the fight and flight response hormones are released to signal the need for aggression or escape for survival, is much more active. Behaviour can reflect this, which can be as bewildering to the person exhibiting extreme emotional reactions, as it is to the loved ones around them.
There is much to navigate for teenagers while these changes are taking place, alongside extra responsibilities within their home and learning environments, which can affect friendship and social group dynamics and the ability to manage during this time of life.
Hormonal changes can cause increased susceptibility to anxiety as the Amygdala changes and homeopathy can provide great support to teenagers, especially where there may be significant anxiety around performance, whether anticipatory exam anxiety, or social anxiety with remedies to address anything from acute panic symptoms [ACONITE 30C] to performance nerves [GELSEMIUM 30C].
Homeopathy can be hugely supportive, on a physical level for menstruation issues and discomfort, as well as emotional symptoms associated with PMT.
Girls can experience menstrual cramps [‘Dysmenorrhea”] and when symptoms are consistently difficult to cope with, a GP may prescribe oral contraceptives. Oral contraceptives are linked with weight gain and other side effects, which may not be in the best interest of the teenager. Dysmenorrhea is the most commonly reported menstrual disorder and affects up to 90% of women. It can be treated, effectively, with a range of homeopathic remedies [SEPIA, MAG. PHOS 12x] depending on the specific individual symptoms, and homeopathy is my recommended first port of call for teenage girls, before even considering pharmaceutical intervention.
A note on the the increasing medicalisation of our children:
Dr. Tess Lowrie, Doctor, researcher, health advocate and co-founder of World Council for Health initiative, has recently tweeted a warning.
Medical intervention with pharmaceutical medication, while it has a place in some instances, comes with consequences and “side effects” especially when medicines are taken for a sustained period of time. With homeopathy no longer being available for NHS GPs to prescribe, at their discretion, teenagers will be offered only pharmaceutical interventions rather than the gentle, effective and non-invasive homeopathic options.
Delivery of medical intervention is also increasingly prevalent within the school environment, normalising the practice of receiving pharmaceutical products as preventative measures to children. The annual ‘flu jab is not a guarantee to prevent the current ‘flu strain of the winter season, yet it is administered across the UK to school children throughout primary and secondary schools, and the HPV jab has been linked to some life-changing injuries to both teenage girls and boys.
As a mother I am concerned each time that I receive a letter from the “School Immunisation Team” with another medical procedure offered for my daughter. Are our children being properly informed about the negative effects or given access to the stories of those whose lives have been permanently affected by an adverse response to a medical procedure offered via the school? A promotional film made by those with vested interests in a product, designed to encourage uptake for a vaccine is definitely not good enough for informed consent. It needs to be enshrined in schools’ policies that a balanced and informative education of the pros and cons of medical interventions are shared with recipients.
“The teaching of corporate propaganda, in the guise of ‘accurate information’ and ‘providing appropriate educational materials that promote vaccine confidence’, risks turning education into indoctrination, where children are taught what to think instead of how to think. Over the last three to four years we have seen how powerful the pharmaceutical industry is and how lucrative it is to vaccinate all healthy children, especially with vaccines that require frequent boosters. With such powerful vested interests lobbying for more and more access to our children, it is surely time to draw a line.” [Dr. Elizabeth Evans]
Full Article here “State power grab over child health Part 1: Vaccination in schools” Article by Dr. Elizabeth Evans
HPV vaccine: In Year 8 schools offer HPV vaccines.
Safer to Wait is an on-line website resource which provides links and information that may not be included in parental correspondence, promoting HPV vaccine uptake, at your child’s school. Informed consent is vital before receiving ANY medical procedure. Researching beyond the promotional material provided by manufacturers is important to gain an understanding of what potential effects that can result from a medical procedure actually mean, for some.
TIME FOR ACTION UK Families Affected by HPV Vaccination is a campaign group run by UK families for UK families.
As parents we need to make our children are not being hijacked by Big Pharma. An increasing number of children are being medicated for numerous reasons, leading to dependence on substances that may be detrimental in the long term. Anti-depressants are causing PSSD [Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction is a set of heterogeneous sexual disorders that may arise during the administration of SSRIs and persist after their discontinuation.] in some long term users and even long after cessation.