This article is reprinted from conversation.
A heart in my throat. A butterfly in my stomach. I have a bad bowel. These are all phrases that many people use to describe their fears and anxieties. You’ve probably felt anxiety in your chest or inside your stomach, but your brain usually doesn’t feel pain when you feel fear.In many cultures cowardice and courage are more associated in my heart or guts than the brain.
But science has traditionally viewed the brain as the birthplace of fear and anxiety and where it is processed. So why and how do other parts of the body feel these emotions?
I psychiatrist and neuroscientist A person who studies and treats fear and anxiety. in my book “I am afraid,It explains how fear works on the brain and body, and the effects of excessive anxiety on the body. Research confirms that while emotions do originate in the brain, it is the body that carries out the commands.
fear and brain
The human brain evolved to defend against falling rocks and fast-moving predators, but the anxieties of modern life are much more abstract. Fifty thousand years ago, being rejected by a tribe could mean death, but failing to do well in public speaking at school or work doesn’t produce the same results. But your brain you may not know the difference.
There are several key areas of the brain that are deeply involved in fear processing.
When you perceive something as dangerous, whether it’s a gun pointed at you or a group of people looking unhappy at you, these sensory inputs are first passed on to the next person. . Amygdala. This small almond-shaped brain area near our ears detects salience, the emotional relevance of situations and how we react to them. When you see something, you decide whether to eat it, attack it, run away from it, or have sex with it.
threat detection is an important part of this process and should be fast. Early humans didn’t have much time to think when a lion charged towards them. They had to act quickly. For this reason, the amygdala has evolved to bypass brain regions involved in logical thinking and be directly involved in physical responses. For example, seeing an angry face on a computer screen can quickly trigger the following emotions: Detectable response from the amygdala The viewer is unaware of this reaction.
Hippocampus It is located near the amygdala and is tightly connected to it. It has to do with remembering what is safe and what is dangerous, especially in relation to the environment, and puts fear into the situation. For example, seeing an angry lion in a zoo or in the Sahara desert triggers a fear response in the amygdala. But when you’re at the zoo, the hippocampus steps in and blocks this response because there’s no danger.
of prefrontal cortexLocated above the eyes, it is primarily involved in the cognitive and social aspects of fear processing. For example, they may be afraid of snakes until they read a sign that they are non-venomous or their owner tells them it is a friendly pet.
The prefrontal cortex is usually considered the part of the brain that controls emotions, but it can also teach fear based on the social environment. For example, you may feel calm in a meeting with your boss, but quickly become nervous when a colleague hears about rumors of a layoff.many Prejudice like racism It is rooted in learning fear through tribalism.
fear and the rest of the body
When the brain decides that a fear response is justified in a particular situation, it triggers the following responses: Cascade of neural and hormonal pathways Be prepared to act immediately. Part of the fight-or-flight response occurs in the brain, such as heightened attention and threat detection. But the body is where most of the activity takes place.
Several pathways prepare different body systems for strenuous physical activity.of motor cortex The brain of the brain sends rapid signals to the muscles to prepare them for quick and powerful movements. These include muscles that help protect vital organs in the chest and abdomen. That can lead to tightness in the chest and abdomen during stressful situations.
of sympathetic nervous system An accelerator pedal that speeds up systems related to combat and flight. Sympathetic neurons are spread throughout the body and are especially dense in places such as the heart, lungs, and intestines. These neurons cause the adrenal glands to release hormones such as adrenaline. This hormone travels through the blood to these organs and increases the speed at which they experience fear reactions.
Signals from the sympathetic nervous system increase heart rate and contractile force to ensure an adequate blood supply to the muscles when their demand increases. You can feel both an increase in your heart rate and the force of your chest contracting, so you can connect intense emotions to your heart.
In the lungs, signals from the sympathetic nervous system dilate the airways, often increasing the rate and depth of breathing. In some cases, this results in feelings such as: shortness of breath.
Since digestion is paramount in a fight-or-flight situation, sympathetic activation slows down the bowels, reduces blood flow to the stomach, and oxygenates more vital organs such as the heart and brain. Conserve nutrients. These changes to the gastrointestinal system can be perceived as discomfort leading to fear and anxiety.
everything goes back to the brain
All bodily sensations, including visceral sensations from the chest and abdomen, are transmitted to the brain through pathways. through the spinal cord. Your already anxious and alert brain processes these signals on both a conscious and unconscious level.
island The part of the brain specifically involved in the conscious perception of emotions, pain, and bodily sensations.of prefrontal cortex Also, label and name physical sensations, especially stomach tightness or pain, and attach cognitive values to them such as “This is fine, it will go away soon” or “This is terrible, I’m fine”. By attributing, we also work on self-awareness. Dead. “These bodily sensations can create an increasing anxiety loop as the brain perceives the turmoil in the body and makes the situation even more frightening.
Feelings of fear and anxiety start in the brain, but they are also felt in the body because the brain changes how the body functions. Emotions occur in both the body and the brain, but it is the brain that is aware of their existence. As rapper Eminem said in the song “Lose Yourself,” his sweaty palms, weak knees, and heavy arms were due to a strained brain.
Arash Javanbaft Associate Professor of Psychiatry Wayne State University
This article is reprinted from conversation Under Creative Commons License.read Original work.
