Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOverviewCausesMental Health and the AmygdalaPreventionCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Overview

Causes

Mental Health and the Amygdala

Prevention

Coping

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Have you ever lost control of your emotions and did something in the heat of the moment that you later regretted? Perhaps you’ve “lost it” or blown up at someone—your partner or child, work colleague, or perhaps the driver of another car—to such a degree that later, you realized was uncalled for.

How to Develop and Practice Self-Regulation

Goleman’s term aims to recognize that we have an ancient structure in our brain, the amygdala, that is designed to respond swiftly to a threat.

While the amygdala is intended to protect us from danger, it can interfere with our functioning in the modern world where threats are often more subtle in nature.

When you see, hear, touch, or taste something, that sensory information first heads to thethalamus, which acts as your brain’s relay station. The thalamus then relays that information to the neocortex (the “thinking brain”). From there, it is sent to the amygdala (the “emotional brain”) which produces the appropriate emotional response.

However, when faced with a threatening situation, the thalamus sends sensory information to both the amygdala and the neocortex. If the amygdala senses danger, it makes a split-second decision to initiate thefight-or-flight responsebefore the neocortex has time to overrule it.

This cascade of events triggers the release of stress hormones, including the hormonesepinephrine(also known as adrenaline) andcortisol.

While many of the threats we face today are symbolic, evolutionary psychologists explain thatour brains evolved to deal with physical threats to our survivalthat require a quick response. As a result, our body still responds with biological changes that prepare us for fight-or-flight, even though there is no actual physical threat with which we must contend.

Chronic stress and certain mental health conditions can also play a role in the functioning of fear circuitry in the brain, which can result in greater chances of amygdala hijacking.

Some studies of people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for example, show greater amygdala activation and therefore, increased emotional responses including fear and anxiety.

People with other anxiety disorders, such associal anxiety disorder(SAD) and panic disorder may also respond more strongly in their amygdala.

Even without a diagnosis ofPTSDor anxiety disorder,chronic stresscan lead to changes in the fear and anxiety circuit in your brain, and a reduction of activity in areas of the brain that help with the inhibition of fear, such as the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex.

All of this means that chronic stress can trigger more frequent amygdala hijacks and even subsequent problems with short-term memory, which is why it is important to work on understanding and taking charge of your emotional reactions. One way to do this is through preventative work.

Learning coping mechanisms and planning ahead can positively influence how you will respond in times of stress and help avoid an amygdala-induced overreaction.

7 Disorders Related to Social Anxiety Disorder

The best way to prevent an amygdala hijack is to increase your emotional intelligence.Emotional intelligencedescribes your ability to understand and manage your emotions and use this information in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, and defuse conflict.

A person who is emotionally intelligent has strong connections between the emotional center of the brain and the executive (thinking) center.

Techniques to Tame the Fight-or-Flight Response

Mindfulness

By practicing mindfulness every day, you will develop this part of your brain and make it stronger. Then, when you find yourself in a stressful situation, it will be easier to switch on the mindful part of your mind.If you still find yourself having trouble with this concept, try keeping notes throughout the day about situations that cause you to feel strong emotions.

How to Become More Mindful in Your Everyday Life

Stress Management

Another key to preventing amygdala hijacking is being aware of your stressors and identifying whenacute, everyday stresshas turned intochronic stress. If you find yourself constantly in a state of stress, employing stress management techniques can help.

Effective stress management should include fast-acting stress relievers (likebreathing exercises) for immediate relief in stressful situations as well as healthy habits that reduce overall stress (likeexercise, meditation, and journaling).

18 Effective Stress Relief Strategies

Though very effective in preventing amygdala hijacks, it can take time to learn and incorporate mindfulness and stress management into your daily routine. If despite your best efforts at prevention, you find yourself in the middle of a hijack, there are a number of things you can do to quickly get your unwanted emotions under control:

While preventing an overreaction in the first place or diffusing it in the moment may be the ultimate goal, it’s OK to slip up. If you do find yourself in the aftermath of a full-blown amygdala hijack, take some time to acknowledge your actions and review what happened.

Spending some time thinking about your reactions—especially when they aren’t a reflection of your best self—can help shift you toward a mindful way of viewing your experience. Over time, this practice will help to develop your emotional intelligence as well.

Intrusive Thoughts: What They Are and How to Let Go

A Word From Verywell

An amygdala hijack can be frightening because of the sense of loss of control and can leave you feeling guilty and regretful. But, with practice, it is possible to avoid letting your emotional response to get the better of you.

If practicing mindfulness and employing stress management techniques aren’t cutting it or you could use some extra support, set up an appointment with a mental health professional. Together, you can work to better understand and manage your emotions.

How Emotion Regulation Skills Promote Stability

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Goleman D.Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam Books; 1995.Hughes KC, Shin LM.Functional neuroimaging studies of post-traumatic stress disorder.Expert Rev Neurother. 2011;11(2):275-285. doi:10.1586/ern.10.198Fonzo GA, Ramsawh HJ, Flagan TM, et al.Common and disorder-specific neural responses to emotional faces in generalised anxiety, social anxiety and panic disorders.Br J Psychiatry. 2015;206(3):206–215. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.114.149880Neria Y.Functional neuroimaging in PTSD: From discovery of underlying mechanisms to addressing diagnostic heterogeneity.AJP. 2021;178(2):128-135. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20121727Charoensukmongkol P.Benefits of mindfulness meditation on emotional intelligence, general self-efficacy, and perceived stress: Evidence from Thailand.Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health. 2014;16(3):171-192. doi:10.1080/19349637.2014.925364Gotink RA, Meijboom R, Vernooij MW, Smits M, Hunink MGM.8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction induces brain changes similar to traditional long-term meditation practice - A systematic review.Brain Cogn. 2016;108:32-41. doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2016.07.001Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al.How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing.Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:353. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353

Goleman D.Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam Books; 1995.

Hughes KC, Shin LM.Functional neuroimaging studies of post-traumatic stress disorder.Expert Rev Neurother. 2011;11(2):275-285. doi:10.1586/ern.10.198

Fonzo GA, Ramsawh HJ, Flagan TM, et al.Common and disorder-specific neural responses to emotional faces in generalised anxiety, social anxiety and panic disorders.Br J Psychiatry. 2015;206(3):206–215. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.114.149880

Neria Y.Functional neuroimaging in PTSD: From discovery of underlying mechanisms to addressing diagnostic heterogeneity.AJP. 2021;178(2):128-135. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20121727

Charoensukmongkol P.Benefits of mindfulness meditation on emotional intelligence, general self-efficacy, and perceived stress: Evidence from Thailand.Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health. 2014;16(3):171-192. doi:10.1080/19349637.2014.925364

Gotink RA, Meijboom R, Vernooij MW, Smits M, Hunink MGM.8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction induces brain changes similar to traditional long-term meditation practice - A systematic review.Brain Cogn. 2016;108:32-41. doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2016.07.001

Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al.How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing.Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:353. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353

Kim JE, Dager SR, Lyoo IK.The role of the amygdala in the pathophysiology of panic disorder: Evidence from neuroimaging studies.Biol Mood Anxiety Disord. 2012;2:20. doi:10.1186/2045-5380-2-20

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