Anxiety can significantly impact how your brain functions, particularly in areas responsible for responding to threats and managing stress. When anxiety strikes, it can make certain parts of the brain overly active while hindering others. For example, the prefrontal cortex, which helps us process information and make rational decisions, can become less effective. This happens because anxiety weakens the connection between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, the part of the brain that processes fear and danger. As a result, people with anxiety may find it harder to cope with stress and fear, making everyday challenges feel overwhelming. Let’s explore further how anxiety affects the brain and what this means for those experiencing it.
Anxiety Overview: Causes and Symptoms
Anxiety is a normal emotional response to stress and threat.
Occasional anxiety to stressors like an important job interview or an exam is fine.
Anxiety disorders are different from this. They’re a group of conditions characterized by persistent feelings of anxiety, fear, and stress.
Some symptoms of anxiety include:
- Nervousness
- Restlessness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Teeth grinding
- Muscle tension
The cause of anxiety is still unclear, but it appears to be a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors.
How Does Anxiety Affect Your Brain?
In the past, scientists believed that the amygdala, a region deep within the brain, was solely responsible for fear and anxiety.
However, current research suggests that anxiety arises from complex interactions among various brain regions rather than being driven by a single area, like the amygdala alone.
The Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (DACC) is involved in processing fear signals from the amygdala.
When individuals with anxiety view fearful stimuli, the DACC and the amygdala enhance their communication.
This increased interaction contributes to heightened anxiety levels in individuals with anxiety compared to those without.
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex, located in the frontal lobe, is also involved in regulating anxiety signals from the amygdala.
Damage to this brain region can result in a lack of inhibition of anxiety signals, potentially leading to increased anxiety experiences.
This part of the brain serves as a modulator for anxiety responses rather than solely reducing anxiety signals.
Thus, anxiety is a complex phenomenon involving various brain regions orchestrating interactions to produce anxious responses.
Effects Of Anxiety On The Brain
Image: The Effects of Anxiety on the Brain / Inspired by NewScientist
Increased Stress Hormone Levels
Anxiety activates the fight or flight response in our bodies.
When fighting off the anxiety trigger(s), the brain releases adrenaline and cortisol, which alert our bodies and help us cope with danger.
When this danger is gone, the sympathetic part of the nervous system takes over and brings a sense of calm.
In people with anxiety, the sympathetic nervous system doesn’t do its job well.
As a result, the stress hormones keep getting released, triggering anxiety symptoms.
Increases the Risk of Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Chronic stress and anxiety can lead to structural degeneration and decreased functionality of the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex.
This can increase the risk for psychiatric disorders, including depression and dementia.
Changes in The Amygdala and Hippocampus
The amygdala is an almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the brain involved with expressing emotions.
It is responsible for responses to fearful and threatening stimuli.
With persistent anxiety, the amygdala increases in size, amplifying the body’s response to scary situations.
The hippocampus plays a major role in learning and memory.
It gets severely affected by many psychological disorders, including anxiety.
In chronic anxiety, the hippocampus shrinks in size.
Any damage to it can cause difficulty recalling memories and forming new ones.
The hippocampus is also responsible for linking a particular place to a fearful event.
This explains why some individuals with anxiety may avoid certain places.
Difficulty with Rationalizing
The prefrontal cortex region of the brain is involved in logical responses and reasoning.
It helps process information and make an informed decision to solve a problem.
The connection between the prefrontal cortex and amygdala is weakened in anxious brains.
This can increase the sensitivity to dangers and hamper logical thinking and rationalizing.
Holding Onto Negative Memories
The hippocampus is responsible for holding short-term memories and transferring them to long-term storage
With chronic anxiety, the hippocampus shrinks in size, making it difficult to recall memories.
Research has demonstrated that stress and anxiety can modulate hippocampal function, leading to enhanced encoding and consolidation of emotionally arousing or threatening memories.
Studies have found that individuals with anxiety disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), tend to have better recall for trauma-related or threatening information compared to neutral information.
Thus, in an anxious brain, the memories of failure, threat, and danger overpower that of success, happiness, and achievement.
Depression
In anxiety, the brain tends to hold onto negative memories.
This contributes to other mental disorders like depression.
Types of Anxiety
The five major types of anxiety disorders are:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD, is a specific anxiety condition marked by persistently elevated tension, anxious feelings, and negative thoughts, even without a force or occasion to trigger them.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a persistent pattern of evaluations and ritualistic behaviors.
OCD is characterized by unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).
Practicing behaviors such as washing hands, counting, checking, or cleaning is typically done with the aim of eliminating thoughts or making them disappear.
However, these “rituals” are only temporary relief, not a solution.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder that causes sudden and repeated episodes of intense fear, accompanied by symptoms including chest discomfort, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or stomach distress.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal that involves impending physical harm.
Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include traumas arising from violent personal assault, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.
Social Anxiety Disorder or Social Phobia
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) or social phobia is an anxiety disorder marked by excessive self-consciousness in social situations and overwhelming anxiety.
Depending on the severity of its symptoms, SAD can be limited to only one type of situation, such as a fear of speaking in formal or informal settings.
It also may be so severe that the person may experience the symptoms by simply being around other people.
Coping with Anxiety
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to coping with anxiety, several strategies can help.
Some of these include:
- Meditation: This practice can help you learn to focus on your breath and let go of negative thoughts and feelings.
- Aromatherapy: Certain scents may be soothing and calming for people with anxiety. Lavender is often recommended for this purpose.
- Physical activity: Exercise can help release endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects.
- Managing triggers: Identifying the things that tend to activate your anxiety symptoms and developing strategies like deep breathing for dealing with them can reduce instances of anxiety attacks.
- Healthy eating: Eating nutritious foods helps keep your body and mind healthy. Getting plenty of fruits and vegetables and avoiding processed foods and sugary drinks can promote good mental and physical health.
- Enough sleep: Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Establishing a regular sleep schedule can help improve your anxiety symptoms.
- Daily routine: A healthy everyday routine, allowing time for exercise, relaxation, and social activities, can help reduce stress and anxiety.
If needed, seek professional therapy to help address your anxiety.
