Lottie32
03-12-03, 09:27
Thought this might interest some of you - it did me, but then I've been known to read the bran flakes packet at the breakfast table.
Taken from the NEW SCIENTIST – September, 2003 from an Original Article by Phylida Brown
“ANXIETY – THE COMMON COMPLAINT
Surveys ranging over many continents and countries have found that anxiety disorder is THE most common mental health problem. One in four people will suffer from an anxiety related disorder at some point in their lives. There is no discrimination between class, race, intelligence and wealth.
Anxiety disorders cover Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Phobias and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Many people come to this site believing they are not normal, convinced that they are mad, and that nobody else could possibly understand how they feel, and that there is no cure.
Hopefully, by spending a little time on this site, you will realise that this is not the case – imagine you are at a wedding with another 119 people. Scientists have proved that THIRTY people in the room will actually be suffering/have suffered or will suffer the same problems as you. (Ok all you statisticians out there – I know it doesn’t work exactly like that, but it illustrates a point).
It’s only during very recent times that scientists have begun to research anxiety disorders, doctors have started recognising and treating these issues, and people have finally admitted to suffering. Gone are the days where you were told to “pull yourself together”.
HOW IT ALL STARTS
We all know about fear. It is a response of every animal and human alive, and it’s a good response. It helps us run away from danger, and keeps us alive. The problem occurs when response to fear gets “out of control” and fear is felt when it’s not required. This creates an “irrational” fear, which in turn develops into an anxiety disorder. It leads you to respond inappropriately to your own triggers and developing fear of everyday things – using public transport, answering the telephone, driving.
The only thing that makes all anxiety sufferers different is that each the triggers will vary.
The response will be shared – all though not all symptoms will be felt by all sufferers each time – fear. Tingling skin, raised heart rate, irregular breathing patterns, sweaty palms, nausea, need to open the bowls, lump in the throat, twitching, blurred vision, feeling of being “spaced out”, the list is endless, but most of us have experienced all the symptoms at some point.
We all need to learn fear. That’s how we get to know that a fire is hot, and putting your hand in it will be painful!
Scientists have discovered that the brain stores memories of fear in a different way to ordinary memory. In people who suffer anxiety, these fear memories over ride the ordinary memories, and are much stronger.
The fear memories are stored in your brain as an “emotional memory”, as opposed to rational memory. Unfortunately, emotional memory is pretty much permanent, whilst rational memory can be readily manipulated. Many sufferers of anxiety disorder appear to have a more dominant emotional memory to rational memory.
WHY IT HAPPENS
LeDoux, a neurologist, discovered that a specific area of the brain, the amygdala, is responsible for learned fear. When you are faced with your trigger the amygdala reacts immediately and the learned fear is strengthened. Rational memory is stored differently, and is a more slow response, through the cortex and into the hippocampus.
LeDoux then tracked the brain as individual triggers were released. A signal travels through the brain until it reaches the “high” and “low” roads.
The high road takes information, processes it, then passes it through to the amygdala.
The low road fast tracks information directly to the amygdala. This information is basic, and travel much quicker.
As soon as information is received in the amygdala it is passed straight to the brainstem, which controls involuntary fear.
The body then prepares for flight (panics) before the
Taken from the NEW SCIENTIST – September, 2003 from an Original Article by Phylida Brown
“ANXIETY – THE COMMON COMPLAINT
Surveys ranging over many continents and countries have found that anxiety disorder is THE most common mental health problem. One in four people will suffer from an anxiety related disorder at some point in their lives. There is no discrimination between class, race, intelligence and wealth.
Anxiety disorders cover Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Phobias and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Many people come to this site believing they are not normal, convinced that they are mad, and that nobody else could possibly understand how they feel, and that there is no cure.
Hopefully, by spending a little time on this site, you will realise that this is not the case – imagine you are at a wedding with another 119 people. Scientists have proved that THIRTY people in the room will actually be suffering/have suffered or will suffer the same problems as you. (Ok all you statisticians out there – I know it doesn’t work exactly like that, but it illustrates a point).
It’s only during very recent times that scientists have begun to research anxiety disorders, doctors have started recognising and treating these issues, and people have finally admitted to suffering. Gone are the days where you were told to “pull yourself together”.
HOW IT ALL STARTS
We all know about fear. It is a response of every animal and human alive, and it’s a good response. It helps us run away from danger, and keeps us alive. The problem occurs when response to fear gets “out of control” and fear is felt when it’s not required. This creates an “irrational” fear, which in turn develops into an anxiety disorder. It leads you to respond inappropriately to your own triggers and developing fear of everyday things – using public transport, answering the telephone, driving.
The only thing that makes all anxiety sufferers different is that each the triggers will vary.
The response will be shared – all though not all symptoms will be felt by all sufferers each time – fear. Tingling skin, raised heart rate, irregular breathing patterns, sweaty palms, nausea, need to open the bowls, lump in the throat, twitching, blurred vision, feeling of being “spaced out”, the list is endless, but most of us have experienced all the symptoms at some point.
We all need to learn fear. That’s how we get to know that a fire is hot, and putting your hand in it will be painful!
Scientists have discovered that the brain stores memories of fear in a different way to ordinary memory. In people who suffer anxiety, these fear memories over ride the ordinary memories, and are much stronger.
The fear memories are stored in your brain as an “emotional memory”, as opposed to rational memory. Unfortunately, emotional memory is pretty much permanent, whilst rational memory can be readily manipulated. Many sufferers of anxiety disorder appear to have a more dominant emotional memory to rational memory.
WHY IT HAPPENS
LeDoux, a neurologist, discovered that a specific area of the brain, the amygdala, is responsible for learned fear. When you are faced with your trigger the amygdala reacts immediately and the learned fear is strengthened. Rational memory is stored differently, and is a more slow response, through the cortex and into the hippocampus.
LeDoux then tracked the brain as individual triggers were released. A signal travels through the brain until it reaches the “high” and “low” roads.
The high road takes information, processes it, then passes it through to the amygdala.
The low road fast tracks information directly to the amygdala. This information is basic, and travel much quicker.
As soon as information is received in the amygdala it is passed straight to the brainstem, which controls involuntary fear.
The body then prepares for flight (panics) before the