What Are the Causes of Lack of Emotion in Teenagers?

As their bodies develop into adulthood, teenagers experience various physical and emotional changes. They go through conflicting emotions that may not present themselves on the surface. As a parent to a teenager, it may appear as though he shuts down emotionally during certain periods of time and events. While it may be frustrating to feel like your teenager is shutting you out of his life, it is even more worrying when he doesn̵7;t express any emotions. Several factors influence a teenager̵7;s ability to express his emotions.

  1. Mental Illness

    • Mental illnesses can impair a teenager̵7;s emotional development. For instance, according to the Merck Manual, a schizophrenic patient can display a restricted range of emotions. Schizophrenia is also characterized by psychosis or loss of contact with reality. Although the average onset is 25 years old in women, men can get schizophrenia as early as 18 years of age. Also, early-adolescent onset can occur.

    Abuse

    • Abuse robs children of the opportunity to develop healthy and trusting relationships, and it impairs their emotional development even as teenagers and adults. Teenagers who are going through abuse or have been abused before may find it difficult to trust people and express emotions. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, children who have been abused physically can develop a pattern of denying certain emotional responses as a coping mechanism from psychic pain. Consequently, their range of emotional response is inhibited. Sexual abuse can also cause a blunted affect or lack of ability to have observable expressions.

    Head Injuries

    • Head injuries can cause damage to the parts of the brain that control emotions. The frontal lobes of the brain are the emotional control center and home to your teenager̵7;s personality. Due to their location ̵1; behind the forehead ̵1; and their large size, the frontal lobes are vulnerable to injury. According to the Centre for Neuro Skills, patients with frontal lobe injuries can have limited facial expressions. In addition, damage to the brain structure can interfere with your teenager̵7;s ability to express emotions.

    The Affect

    • According to the University of Washington glossary of psychological terms, affect, as opposed to effect, is a psychological term that refers to an observable immediately expressed emotion. A feeling becomes an affect when it is observable. A teenager can express an affect through use of hands, pitched voice or facial expression. However, some teenagers can have a blunt affect, which is characterized by a reduction in their affective expression.

    2. Previous:

    Next: