The brain has two main pathways that can lead to the generation of anxiety. These pathways, although distinct, can also work together. The cortex pathway begins with the sense organs and travels through the thalamus to the cerebral cortex, the thinking part of the brain. The frontal lobes within the cortex play a significant role… Read More »An outline of the brain’s dual pathways to generating anxiety.
In summary, the amygdala function is crucial for survival. It acts as a rapid threat detector, initiates the body’s fear response, forms and recalls emotional memories, and plays a central role in the stress response. It learns through associations, leading to the development of triggers for anxiety. While powerful, the amygdala also interacts with other brain regions like the prefrontal cortex, which can modulate its activity. Understanding the various aspects of amygdala function is key to managing anxiety and promoting emotional well-being.
The amygdala, acting as the brain’s threat detector, initiates the stress response upon perceiving danger. This involves activating the sympathetic nervous system and releasing stress hormones, leading to a cascade of physiological changes that prepare the body for fight, flight, or freeze. This response can be triggered by real or perceived threats, including sensory input, memories, and cortical interpretations. While rapid and often unconscious, the amygdala’s activity can be influenced by the prefrontal cortex. Understanding this process and employing strategies to calm the amygdala are crucial for managing anxiety.
Learning how to overcome burnout at work requires a multifaceted approach involving understanding burnout, seeking professional support, and implementing practical strategies. An anxiety therapist provides essential tools and guidance to address underlying issues, develop coping mechanisms, and promote a balanced and fulfilling work life.
Self-compassion is a crucial skill for well-being that involves treating oneself with kindness, understanding, and acceptance, especially during difficult times. Practicing self-compassion reduces self-criticism, increases resilience and motivation, and promotes emotional health and well-being. Techniques like mindfulness, loving-kindness meditation, compassionate imagery, self-compassion breaks, and compassionate letter writing can help cultivate self-compassion in daily life.
There are two main pathways in the brain that can generate anxiety: the cortex pathway and the amygdala pathway. Both pathways can cause the amygdala to create an anxiety response, but they operate differently and can be targeted with different techniques. The Cortex Pathway: This pathway involves the thinking part of the brain and is… Read More »The two distinct pathways in the brain that generate anxiety
CPR for the Amygdala is a tool that helps individuals manage their emotional reactivity and stress by using the SNAP protocol: Sense, Notice, Apply and Preoccupy. It combines mindful self-touch with cognitive distractions or “brain games” to redirect attention and calm the amygdala. It can be used both reactively in moments of distress and proactively to build resilience and can be adapted for relationship support and managing difficult feedback. CPR for the Amygdala can reduce stress, increase internal control, develop neuroplasticity, improve the relationship with self, and provide a better ability to manage physical and emotional sensations.
It’s important to be compassionate with yourself during this process. Choose one or two techniques that resonate with you and begin to implement them. If you find self-help approaches difficult, reach out to a professional for support, recognising that seeking help is an act of compassion.
Trauma significantly affects anxiety, altering brain function and leading to avoidant behaviours and heightened emotional reactivity. Addressing past traumas can lead to reduced anxiety and a richer more meaningful life. Self-help techniques like mindfulness, acceptance and conscious breathing can help, and there are several effective approaches that can be used by a professional. Choosing the right approach is a very personal journey that is best explored with the support of a qualified professional, and it is important to pay attention to key indicators when it’s time to seek that support. The aim is not to erase difficult feelings or thoughts but to transform one’s relationship to them.
Rewiring an anxious brain involves using a combination of techniques that target both the amygdala and cortex pathways. These exercises range from calming the amygdala through distraction and relaxation, to modifying cortex-based thoughts through cognitive restructuring, mindfulness, and values clarification. The key to success is understanding the different sources of anxiety and applying the appropriate strategies, while embracing the brain’s capacity for change through consistent practice and effort.
Cortisol is a key hormone in the body’s stress response system. While essential for immediate reactions to danger and having some benefits, chronic overproduction of cortisol can be harmful to both mental and physical health.
Rewiring the brain from anxiety is an achievable goal that focuses on a change in the relationship with anxious thoughts and feelings. It requires a holistic approach, combining self-help strategies with professional support where needed. Key to this is accepting anxiety as a normal part of life and focusing on building skills and confidence to manage its effects, whilst taking action towards meaningful goals. By understanding the brain’s role in anxiety and using neuroplasticity to your advantage, it is possible to build a life where anxiety has less of an impact.
Anxiety involves the amygdala’s stress response to perceived threats, which can become heightened by encoded trauma. Havening is a powerful method that uses touch, attention, and visualisation to directly target the encoded memories in the amygdala, promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety. It is a gentle and rapid method that can be used as self-havening or facilitated by a therapist. Havening is considered more effective than some traditional approaches because it addresses the root cause of anxiety and trauma, is quick and effective, does not require the details of the trauma to be discussed and can be used to increase the effectiveness of traditional approaches to support well-being.
mindfulness helps to create a different relationship with thoughts and emotions by increasing awareness, promoting acceptance, and reducing reactivity. By observing your internal experiences with non-judgmental awareness, mindfulness can help you gain control over the link between thoughts and emotions, making you less controlled by them and more able to respond thoughtfully.
Havening is a psychosensory technique that combines touch, attention and positive visualisation to alleviate anxiety and other emotional and physical difficulties. Havening is able to interrupt neural pathways in the brain and form new, positive ones. Through gentle touch and focussed attention, it helps to release emotional memories and associated negative emotions and can reduce physical pain and increase a sense of wellbeing. Havening can address root causes of anxiety by depotentiating the encoding of past traumatic experiences, and can be used for self-care and professional settings as it is safe, quick, empowering and effective. Havening does not retraumatise clients, and allows them to experience actual change in their quality of life.