What Changes During Adolescence?

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All behaviour is a communication.

“Attention seeking” adolescents are seeking our attention for a reason.

Adolescents display "attention seeking" behaviour when they have unmet needs.

A number of my adolescent clients are labelled as “attention seeking” by (mostly) well-meaning adults. The behaviours I hear about are described as silly, fake, dramatic, made-up, chaotic, untrue, acting-out and fantastical. They include lying, stealing, “imaginary” physical ailments, acts of self-injury and suicidal actions. Attention seeking is perceived as a disparaging term, which belittles the behaviour and suggests that both it and the individual who is behaving that way shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Yet the arrival of the attention-seeking adolescent in my clinic suggests that, finally, they have been taken seriously by their confused and perhaps exasperated adult.

When I’m presented with an “attention-seeking” adolescent, I often ponder aloud why they might feel the need to do something that risky or that dangerous or that nonsensical for attention. In doing........

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