How Does The Brain Cause Anxiety?

Anxiety is widely-known as the most common mental health condition in the world. It impacts people differently and ranges in severity. 

Most people who have anxiety are able to recognize what triggers them. Getting to the root cause of individual anxiety is also an important step in treatment. 

However, not many people know exactly how the brain causes anxiety. What is happening in your mind to make you feel so nervous, worried, or fearful? 

Let’s take a closer look at what happens in the brain to trigger feelings of anxiety, and why it’s important to understand the functions of your mind and what’s happening while you’re worried. 

What Part of the Brain Causes Anxiety? 

The amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for “causing” anxiety. 

It works as a central hub for communication in the brain, connecting parts that process incoming sensory signals and parts that interpret them. You’ve likely heard of the “fight or flight” response. The amygdala is responsible for that. If a sensory signal is processed as something dangerous or something to be scared of, your amygdala will trigger a response, and your mind and body will react accordingly. 

The Amygdala in the Anxious Brain

When you’re dealing with anxiety, the amygdala is hypersensitive. Because of that, it doesn’t always work correctly. Rather, it tends to work “overtime” when it’s not necessary. 

When the amygdala is hypersensitive, it can send “false alarms,” triggering your fight or flight response even when there isn’t a real threat or danger. 

A Lack of Rationalization

If you’ve been dealing with anxiety for a while, it can weaken the connection between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that makes it possible to problem-solve and work through difficult situations. It allows you to think rationally, rather than relying on impulses. 

When that connection is weak, you’re less likely to process information correctly. Instead of coming up with a logical response to a perceived threat, you’re more likely to think irrationally, and even partake in impulsive and potentially dangerous behaviors. 

The Effects of Anxiety On Your Brain

While certain areas of the brain contribute to anxiety, it’s a vicious cycle. The longer you deal with worried, anxious thoughts, the more your brain will hold onto them. Anxiety causes a lot of stress, which can shrink your hippocampus – the part of your brain responsible for storing memories. 

As a result, you’ll be more likely to store anxious and negative memories, which can perpetuate the cycle and leave you in a pit of negativity. Your happier memories are still there, they’re just buried underneath everything else. 

What Can You Do If You Have Anxiety? 

Understanding how anxiety works in the brain is a good first step toward getting treatment. If you’ve been struggling with symptoms of anxiety, now you know why. However, there’s a long way to go in essentially “rewiring” the way your brain works. 

It starts by uncovering the underlying cause of your fear. You don’t have to do that on your own. Therapy makes a big difference for people with anxiety. Not only will you get to the root of your issues, but you’ll learn skills to manage your anxious thoughts on a daily basis. 

The more you work on combatting your anxiety, the easier it will be to break free from that cycle. 

Anxiety rarely goes away on its own, largely because of how it impacts your brain. However, with anxiety treatment and management techniques, you can take control of your anxious thoughts and get them under control. If you’re struggling with anxiety, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Feel free to contact us today.