Science of Anxiety: What Happens in Your Brain During an Anxiety Attack?

The Neuroscience of Anxiety

Three key brain regions determine how the brain perceives threats and triggers anxiety. We have the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus.

Amygdala: This is the alarm system of the brain. It is the part of the brain responsible for threat detection. When you perceive something dangerous or you’re in a situation that threatens your safety, the amygdala sends a reaction to other parts of the brain.

This reaction is automatic, and it activates a fight or flight response to keep you safe. So, it is what determines whether you attack, run away, eat, or generally engage in something.

The Prefrontal Cortex: On the other hand, the prefrontal cortex helps you to think rationally and decide in a situation. When you’re faced with a particular situation, the prefrontal cortex allows you to know whether the threat is real or imagined. It works to regulate the fight-flight response from the amygdala.However, when a situation becomes too intense, the amygdala can override the role of the prefrontal cortex. In this situation, you are unable to think clearly or rationally or even make a logical decision.

The hippocampus: The hippocampus has a role that is different from the amygdala. It is closer and connected to the amygdala, and it helps memorize and differentiate between what is dangerous and safe.

For instance, when you see a lion both in the zoo and the desert, the amygdala will trigger fear in you. However, the hippocampus determines what is safe and harmful depending on the environment and the current situation.

So, instead of being afraid of a lion in a zoo, the hippocampus comes into play to block the response.

During our research we came across a fascinating video by @lifenoggin. Anxiety is a natural reaction to stress or danger something nearly all of us have experienced at some point. But have you ever wondered why it happens?

Chemical & Hormonal Response

When you are in a stressful situation, and a response has been sent to your brain to detect a threat, there is always a chemical and hormonal response to the situation. The chemical response includes the secretion of Adrenaline and Cortisol.

Adrenaline: When the body perceives a threat, adrenaline triggers the fight-or-flight response in the body. It will cause a supply of oxygen to the muscles so you can either flee from the threat or stay to fight.

Adrenaline also triggers the blood vessels to direct blood to muscles like hearts and lungs. At this moment, it also reduces the ability of your body to feel pain. This explains why you can fight danger or flee from it even when you are injured.

In addition, adrenaline also strengthens you in this situation and improves your performance.

Cortisol: On the other hand, cortisol, also known as glucose, is a primary stress hormone that increases sugar in the bloodstream. It helps the brain absorb glucose better while also ensuring the body gets everything needed for tissue repair.

In addition, cortisol slows down certain functions in the body during the fight-or-flight response.

The role of neurotransmitters like Serotonin, Dopamine, and GABA in chronic anxiety and brain function characterizes the hormonal response.

Serotonin: Anxiety and stress also activate a chemical messenger known as serotonin. It transmits messages between the nerve cells in your body and throughout the body system.

According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, a low level of serotonin in the body can cause anxiety and major depression.

Dopamine: Dopamine is a hormone and a neurotransmitter responsible for sending chemical messages between nerves in the brain, your brain, and the entire body system. It plays a significant role in learning, memory, motivation, and movement.

In addition, a study concluded that dopamine helps with anxiety modulation in various parts of the brain. A low level of dopamine in the body is associated with cognitive decline like Parkinson’s or depression.

GABA: Gamma-aminobutyric acid is also a neurotransmitter, and it is known to help slow down the brain by blocking or preventing chemical messages. GABA also helps to produce a calming effect in the brain. In addition, it helps control nerve cell activities that are linked to anxiety, fear, and stress.

According to a clinical trial published in the National Library of Medicine, GABA is a natural relaxant and can help induce relaxation at the same time, reducing anxiety.

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Physical & Psychological Symptoms

There is a relationship between chronic anxiety and brain function; therefore, it can alter brain activities, causing the following symptoms:

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms of anxiety can vary in individuals and according to situations. The autonomic nervous system reacts when the body perceives you as being under physical stress. It is a system you can’t consciously control, and it is also responsible for fight-or-flight response.

When you feel anxious or under stress, this system starts working, and some of the common systems are increased heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension, shakiness, and many more.

Psychological Symptoms

While some symptoms are easily noticeable, some are not physical but mostly affect cognitive function. These symptoms can be a fear loop, a self-perpetuating cycle of fear and negative emotions that is always hard to break out from. Other symptoms include overthinking, selective mutism, catastrophizing, and many more.

Long-Term Effects of Anxiety on the Brain

Chronic anxiety's effects on brain function become more significant, especially when it is prolonged. According to Dr. Kerry Ressler, chief scientific officer at McLean Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, there is evidence that persistent chronic stress can rewire the brain.

He explained that since some parts of the brain are focused on survival during stress and others are focused on another thing, prolonged stress might put some parts of the brain to work more than others.

It is like exercising one part of the body and leaving the others idle. The most exercised part becomes stronger, leaving the other ones weaker. The same thing applies to the brain under persistent stress and anxiety. It builds up part of the brain responsible for threat detection while others with more complex functions are left idle.

He said these brain changes can be reversible in certain situations while others are difficult to reverse. For example, childhood stress might not have a significant effect on the brain since a new brain is mostly generated to compensate for any trauma a child faces.

Therefore, chronic anxiety effects on brain function are more pronounced and damaging in adults than in children.

Ways to Manage and Reduce Anxiety

While anxiety is a common mental health issue, it doesn’t have to take over your daily life. There are effective ways to improve both chronic anxiety and support your brain function at the same time:

Mindfulness & Meditation

When you feel you are about to lose it all to anxiety, mindfulness, and meditation are one of the coping strategies to rescue yourself. It is a way of becoming more aware of your thoughts and feelings and eventually calming the amygdala.

According to a Randomized Controlled Trial published in the National Library of Medicine, mindfulness meditation has a beneficial effect on anxiety symptoms in Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy involves the process of identifying and rewiring the anxious thinking pattern of an individual to help them manage mental health issues. It is one of the techniques to help ease chronic anxiety's effects on brain function.

According to a meta-analysis published in the National Library of Medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy has a moderate effect on improving physical and psychological symptoms. Combining therapy with a cognitive support supplement may enhance overall brain health and anxiety management.

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Diet & Exercise

When there is a stress chemical response in the body that activates the fight-or-flight response, it leads to physical symptoms of anxiety. However, you can burn these stress chemicals through exercise to promote relaxation.

According to the study published in the National Library of Medicine, there is evidence that exercise and physical activity improve pathophysiological processes of anxiety.

On the other hand, dietary adjustment can also help reduce anxiety. You can include food rich in magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, and omega-3s, as they help reduce anxiety. These nutrients help ease chronic anxiety effects on brain function. Incorporating foods for brain health is a powerful way to support mental wellness and reduce anxiety symptoms naturally.

According to Dr. Laura Mitchell, Mental Health and Nutrition Specialist Regular exercise and a nutrient-rich diet are essential for managing anxiety. Foods high in magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, and omega-3s support brain health and help reduce anxiety symptoms naturally.

Breathing Techniques

Deep breathing is one of the techniques to manage anxiety. When a situation activates the fight-or-flight response in your body. The response sends oxygen to parts of your body, like the arms and legs, to prepare you for a fight or flight.

However, the prefrontal cortex gets less oxygen, and it becomes more difficult for you to think clearly or make a rational decision.

What deep breathing does is send more oxygen to the prefrontal cortex to help you think clearly. It also activates the parasympathetic nervous system that informs the anxious part that your safety is not threatened and you don’t need the fight-or-flight response. This way, you can free up some mental energy to deal with chronic anxiety effects on brain function.