What it is and how to deal with “amygdala hijacking”

We have all had an outburst, loss of control, overreaction or “emotional explosion” at some point. We are human and getting carried away by a set of intense emotions is completely normal. However, it does make us feel bad because few facts are more disabling than not having control over oneself.

The people who most frequently show this type of behavior dominated by fear, anger or anguish are patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. Traumas are those life experiences that most often affect a key structure in the brain, such as the amygdala.. Any highly stressful factor can make you hyperactive.

This region, in addition to regulating other processes, is responsible for receiving danger signals, processing them and triggering a series of reactions that facilitate survival and self-protection. Thus, going through a time of high anxiety, threats and fear, for example, tends to alter it. We will see threats constantly and our emotional pattern will be disproportionate.

This reaction has a name: “amygdala hijacking,” a concept introduced by Daniel Goleman in 1995., in his now classic book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (1995). Let’s delve a little deeper into this concept.

The main function of the amygdala is to allow us to react to dangerous situations.

What really is “amygdala hijacking”?

We can define amygdala hijacking as an intense emotional response to stressful situations. They are reactions mediated by a loss of control of our emotions. Now, to understand this type of experiences it is necessary to describe a little more the functions of this small brain region.

The amygdala is essential to promote our survival. It protects us from everyday dangers. It is what processes our environment, what registers and remembers dangers and sends signals to the brain to act. Its objective is for us to act, either escaping danger or facing it. Now, the problem is that your reaction pattern is not always useful in this modern world.

In our evolutionary past it made it easier for us to act in the face of real dangers. Nowadays, you are more aware of unimportant subtleties and fears that are not always real. Our present threats are almost always emotional and mediated by stress and anxiety.

Thus, When faced with distressing situations, what the amygdala does is prevent us from carrying out logical reasoning about the situation. The intense release of adrenaline and cortisol causes us to react quickly, excessively and out of control. In other words, we become kidnapped by our most intense emotions.

Amygdala hijacking is common in anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress. Therapy is essential in these cases.

Who is most susceptible to these “kidnappings” and what can they do?

As we have pointed out, we have all reacted excessively at some point. However, if we analyze the context of that reaction, we will become aware of something. Surely, we were stressed, overwhelmed for some reason. Indeed, the people who are most susceptible to amygdala hijacking are people with anxiety disorders.

Research from San Diego State University, for example, highlights that patients with social anxiety or panic disorder show a more hyperactive amygdala. In addition, Those who show post-traumatic stress disorder often suffer from constant emotional kidnappings.

The brain, as a result of a traumatic experience, suffers alterations in those most primitive areas such as the amygdala and hippocampus. Consequently, The person remains in a permanent state of alert, so that their mind processes and sees threats continuously.. What can we do in these situations? Let’s look at some keys.

Notice what happens in your body and name the emotions you experience

Amygdala hijacking has its beginning in bodily changes: tachycardia, sweating, pressure in the chest and stomach… Detecting these alterations is the first step, then it is essential to clarify what emotions we are feeling and name them. Telling ourselves something like “I’m feeling fear and anxiety, I’m going to sit down and try to regulate what I feel” will help us.

The 6 Second Chemical Rule

Cortisol and epinephrine take about 6 seconds to reduce their impact on our body. Therefore, as soon as you detect changes in your body, and feel that almost instinctive desire to react, give yourself some time. Breathe deeply for at least several minutes, this way you will dissipate tension and calm your mind.

Time out: give yourself a break

Being gripped by our most intense emotions exhausts and disturbs. It is not a pleasant experience. Therefore, every time you feel dragged down by an amygdala hijacking, it is appropriate to give yourself a few hours of rest. You can walk, lie down, or talk to someone close to you about what happened to you.

The importance of psychological therapy

Hyperarousal in the amygdala is a reaction to an underlying problem that needs to be addressed. As we have pointed out, these types of reactions appear in phobias, traumas, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc.

In these cases, psychological therapy is a priority, Only in this way can we treat the original problem that triggers these poorly adjusted emotional reactions. We can all learn tools and strategies to improve our emotional regulation and regain control of our lives.

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