Anxiety has a draining impact on the brain

The impact of anxiety on the brain is enormous. Cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine make us alert and defensive. Soon, our mind will be fertile ground for irrational thoughts, for fear that devours and paralyzes, for those emotions that, like a cold evening, without moon or stars, completely obscure our reality. The truth is that few psychological states can be so intense.

Demographic studies tell us that many people live with chronic anxiety. Unable to see that there is another way of feeling and processing reality, they let themselves be carried away by this hobby without knowing how to react. Others, however, experience what is known as situational anxiety. Speaking in public, facing a job interview or an exam or even interacting exemplify moments where that red flag of danger that limits us so much is raised.

We have all dealt with anxiety at some point. This very natural human response, which in precise doses can act as a valuable driver for our purposes, very often escapes our control.. Soon, it is she who takes control of our lives almost without us realizing it. And when that happens, everything is deformed and disrupted, like in a Kandisky painting.

Impact of anxiety on the brain

To better understand the impact of anxiety on the brain, we must know how to differentiate a first detail. We must know how to differentiate it from stress. For example, the latter responds to a physiological activation process that arises as a result of multiple external factors. That is, there is always an element that triggers it in the present moment. Pressure at work, excess tasks, family problems, etc. All of this arises when we are aware that “we lack resources” to deal with all these stimuli.

Now, anxiety is something more complex. While is true that It can often arise as an effect of stress itself, it is worth saying that on many occasions we experience this emotion without knowing why.. It is something internal, something that arises again and again and at different moments in time. We are facing a physiological response that prepares us to escape or fight against a threat. (Real or not).

All this makes anxiety is intrinsically different from stress and, in turn, much more difficult to manage because of the way it is orchestrated in our brain. Let’s see it below.

The amygdala

The amygdala is a small structure located deep in our brain. It is she who processes and interprets all the sensory signals that come from our environment. It is also the one who alerts the brain that there is a threat, a danger to defend itself against. She is, so to speak, like that instinctive (and sometimes even irrational) sensor that makes us react to such common fears as spiders, darkness, heights…

The hippocampus

The hippocampus is the part of the brain linked to our emotional memory. If the impact of anxiety on the brain is intense and sustained over time, this structure will be one of those that will suffer the most. Its size is reduced and we suffer serious effects associated with this alteration. Thus, memory losses, concentration problems or even post-traumatic stress are common. Let us think that this effect is common in children who have suffered abuse, the devastating weight of permanent fear, anguish, the continuous feeling of danger…

On the other hand, just a few months ago, a discovery that was as interesting as it was hopeful was published in the journal “Neuron”. It has been found that the cells responsible for anxiety are located right here, in the hippocampus. From this finding, we hope to develop more precise drugs to regulate its activity.

Cortisol, norepinephrine and adrenaline

Restlessness, a feeling of alarm, muscle tension or tachycardia are the effect of the action of very specific neurotransmitters. The impact of anxiety on our brain is due to that infallible (and fearsome) conjunction of cortisol, norepinephrine and adrenaline.

So, While the amygdala was responsible for identifying danger, these neurotransmitters prompt us to react. The brain wants us to defend ourselves, to escape and react… And something like this is achieved by bringing more blood to the muscles. Speeding up the heart, bringing more air to the lungs…

This state of alarm can help us at a specific moment as long as the threat “is real.” However, when this is not the case and this physiological activation is constant, problems arise. Poor digestion, headaches, hypertension, risk of strokes…

What can we do about the impact of anxiety on the brain?

As we noted at the beginning, anxiety is a physiological response. Therefore, it is not enough to tell us that “calm down, everything will be fine.” If our brain thinks there is danger, our reasoning is of little use.. Therefore, it is advisable to start with the physiological, the organic, the corporal.

Convince your body that there is no threat. As? Practice relaxation, deep breathing, put in “pause” your body so that your brain does too. Put anxiety in your favor. Managing anxiety is not a willpower problem. It is not about making this psycho-physiological reality disappear from our brain. It’s about coping with it, about using what it gives us to our advantage. To visualize this idea and achieve it, we can use artistic therapies. Molding clay or even painting, serve to give shape to that anxiety that, like a devouring monster, can become smaller, more harmless and manageable.New habits, new routines. Sometimes, changing something in our daily routine changes everything. Going for a walk, going to a musical concert every week, meeting new people, signing up for yoga… All of this can change our brain’s perception of alarm to begin to see things differently.

Finally, do not hesitate to consult with a professional in case this state of anxiety overcomes us. No one deserves to live in fear, no one should live permanently in the prison of that chronic anxiety that darkens everything.

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