I don’t know if I just had a breakthrough, if my project just fell apart, or if I’m way too hopped up on coffee. Either way, I have an idea. 

This all started when I was mapping out what I should do for the rest of senior project and what my final presentation should be. I made a list of the things that I thought I should cover: …but it didn’t feel like it would magically give me a presentation that wouldn’t be boring to people who don’t have a love for the brain like I do. So I decided to map it out on paper. I would’ve mapped it out on my ipad and done a cool concept map but my apple pencil isn’t working, so yeah. While I was writing it out, I realized something: My essential question, specifically the psychology part, connects to the fact that a part of adolescent psychology is about brain development, which connects to the idea that if ‘issues’ in brain development happen, they’re possibly considered psychiatric disorders. The line that connects these two (this must be so confusing to read, I should draw it. But wait… I CAN’T because my stupid stylus decided to stop working – thanks Apple) has a branch that says: many disorders start to manifest in adolescence – but why? That’s the question! That’s what my essential question should have been! Is it because of brain development? Environmental stressors? Genetics? But why during adolescence? Well maybe it’s because the brain is developing and the genetic abnormalities begin to show themselves then – but why? I understand that these are HUGE questions that are most likely someone’s life’s work, but it really got me thinking. Secondly, what is normal in terms of developmental issues? One thing that I have learned from senior project is that there’s always a gradation when it comes to psychological symptoms. For example: most people characterize auditory hallucinations with schizophrenia, but there’s a gradient (a picture here would be really nice….). There are in fact some people who have auditory hallucinations that do not meet the criteria for schizophrenia. So, in conclusion, one can experience psychological symptoms without meeting the criteria for a disorder. So………when it comes to brain development, especially that of an adolescent, what is normal?