Expert: Walter Hintz - 9/24/2006

Question
Have a question on hormones, when we hear the word hormones, we tend to think of something  that causes us to act in strange or unusual ways. My wife used this on me when our four daughters went through their teenage years, now our fifth daughter is entering her teenage years..  I'd like to know if there is any truth that is this the normal function of most hormones? Why do hormones have this reputation as causing such behavior?  

Answer
Hi Jamie
 Ah yes! We cannot help our behavior because our hormones are acting up.
  Hormones are inportant in development, in growth, and in conjunction with the nervous system as part of our control mechanisms.  I think that hormones cause us to act differently but not necessarily in strange or unusual ways. Your question involves teenage behavior and steroid (sex) hormones.  The onset of puberty begins with increases in steroid hormones and puberty results in really profound physical changes that can and usually do effect behavior especially in girls. Whether this bevavior is aberrant or not is perhaps in the eye of the beholder.  Fathers usually have a harder time with it than mothers do.  I believe that this is normal.  I raised two daughters and everyone I know who had daughters was faced with the same situation. We do not really like our little girls changing. In most cases all parties  survive the onset of these hormones until menopause when females readjust to the cessation of steroid hormones.
 In a sense then the hormones do cause the changes in behavior.