THE AMYGDALA: HOW IT WORKS

control center of emotions

The amygdala is not just in the emotional brain. It is deeeeeeep inside it. Meaning? It is operating unconsciously. You cannot control its immediate, instinctive, automatic reactions because they happen much before your consciousness kicks in.

What is it reacting to? At a high level, we can say that the amygdala reacts to new or threatening objects in the environment. When its triggered, it sends immediate rapid fire signals ^(how?) to your brain and body. To do what? To make your body ready to fight or flight the situation.

Heart beats faster. Muscles tense. Blood pressure rises. Adrenalin is pumped into your bloodstream. More sweating. Lungs take in more O2. And many, many more reactions.

This is excellent news. Without your body prepared like this, you are simply not equipped to protect yourself in the face of genuine danger. How can you run away from a snake if your body doesn’t “feel” like you’ll be dead if you don’t?

Another excellent news is that amygdala triggering is so incredibly quick, automatic and visceral, that “consciously”, you have to do nothing to prepare your body to fight or flight. The bodily reactions from a triggered amygdala just “show up in your life”. One second you’re a beach bum on a hammock sipping his Pina Colada and the next second you’re sprinting for your life when a lizard falls on you.

Be thankful that your amygdala exists. It can save your life when the dangers are real.

WHEN THE THREATS AREN’T REAL

“Ok, so the amygdala produces fear-like symptoms, but why do non-fearful things trigger it? I can understand that if I see a snake, fear is expected. But what about things I know AREN’T supposed to be fearful? Why does that amygdala react to them? Like my own thoughts.” This is the anxiety sufferer’s question.

Amygdala Facts in the following table should be every anxiety sufferer’s bible.

AMYGDALA FACTS: 8 THINGS TO KNOW

• FACT 1: What triggers the amygdala?
  1. Sensory Input. “I see a snake” “I hear a creepy sound”. “I feel a tingling on my skin”
  2. Novelty. When you experience something out of your zone of predictability, familiarity or comfort.
     • A quick startle response. Experienced that? “Something just moved around the corner of my eye”. “Walking into what I expect to be an empty room but see someone in it.”
     • In social situations. “These people weren’t supposed to be here” “First day of college in a new town” “New job, new coworkers, new boss”
  3. Input more associated with contexts than senses, e.g. having a thought or having conflicts
  4. Memory
  5. Input coming in from the higher brain, called prefrontal cortex.
     • “It’s a rope, not a snake” vs. “It’s a rope, what if it becomes snake?”
     • “It’s a thought, you can’t control it.” vs. “It’s a thought, you better control it”
• FACT 2: Amygdala triggering happens very quickly. In less than a fraction of a second. This is because its part of the emotional brain. That means you ‘feel’ fear before you can understand what you fear and why you are fearing it. You cannot control this.
• FACT 3: The amygdala switches off its alarm when it believes that there is safety. Once the amygdala alarm is switched off, symptoms reverse themselves to normal. Your heart rate’s normal. Your breathing’s normal. Your focus, concentration and coordination is back.
• FACT 4: Some people have a more sensitive amygdala. Roughly 20% of the population
• FACT 5: Those with a sensitive amygdala are more likely to be triggered.
• FACT 6: Did you show up with a sensitive amygdala from the birth? Maybe. But the next point is the one to remember.
• FACT 7: Not everyone with a sensitive amygdala develops anxiety. In Jerome Kagan’s longitudinal study, 55% of those born with a sensitive amygdala (“high-reactives”) did not show signs of anxiety.
• FACT 8: The amygdala can be trained. The way to do that is to work with FACT 1’s #5. Train and use your prefrontal cortex to support recovery, not anxiety.

THE REAL REASON FOR ANXIETY

When  you show up to the table with anxiety, you are suffering with fear and fear symptoms from stimulus that aren’t real threats. Even you know that.

What are these triggers?

These are thoughts you don’t like (#3) and memories you don’t like (#4).

“Why did I think this thought?” “Why do I remember this?”

Because thoughts and memories trigger your amygdala, you are also stuck with bodily sensations you don’t like. Anxiety symptoms.

What have you concluded from your history with anxiety? “My thoughts and memories make me anxious.”

But the real reason you have an anxiety disorder is because #5 is your real problem.

Your prefrontal cortex (rational brain) is not able to switch off the false alarms raised by an amygdala that has been triggered by these thoughts and memories.

THIS IS WHERE ANXIETY IS DEVELOPED.

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the higher brain that is supposed to be the rational one. It assesses the situation rationally, interprets it rationally and follows it up with aligned action. It’s not just about “thinking” wisely but also correspondingly “behaving” wisely.

Snake? Danger. Run
Rope? Harmless. Stop running.
Crazy thought? Terrible. Whatever. Can’t control it.
Memory? Painful. Don’t fear it.
Perfectionism? Impossible. Trying my best.
Shamed for being imperfect? Not my problem.
Failure? Painful. Learned good lessons. Starting over.

The question marks are the potential triggers. For anyone. Not just someone with anxiety, or predisposed to anxiety. The question marks are the conflicts.

BUT everyone has a rational brain that has the power to resolve conflicts in way that are healthy, thereby overriding the amygdala’s emergency alarm. Once overridden, fear dissipates and the body returns to balance.

In other words, the higher brain has the power to not lead you to an anxiety disorder.