A Little Bit of Brain Science
Recently I have been reading a book called Behave by Dr. Robert Sapolsky. It has been a great journey in learning more about the brain, and how our behaviors come about. In the spirit of science, knowledge, and learning I thought I would try to communicate some of my learning to whoever is reading this blog. Here’s my best shot at explaining some brain science!
All of the processes and structures I am about to describe will be presented in very basic terms. So basic, in fact, that anyone with knowledge of brain science past my current understanding will think “This doesn’t even explain a small portion of what is actually going on in our brains!” Bear with me as I try to simplify the “unsimplifyable”.
For today's lesson, I want you to think about two brain structures as we begin, the hypothalamus and the limbic system. In basic terms our hypothalamus is what controls our automatic nervous system, you could think of it as part of our body's command center for the nervous system. The hypothalamus is a part of the brain that is called the limbic system. This system sits roughly in the middle of our brains toward the base of our skull, where our spinal cord meets our brain matter. The basic function of the limbic system is to impact our hypothalamus. The various structures within our limbic system are all competing to tell the hypothalamus, and thus our whole body, what to do. One of these key limbic features is a brain area called the amygdala.
Let's talk amygdala. If you have heard about the amygdala before you have probably heard about its role in aggressive behavior. However, the amygdala plays a key role in fear, anxiety, and aggression. Sapolsky says “You cannot understand the neurobiology of violence without understanding the neurobiology of fear.” Our fear is often times what makes us act in aggressive ways. Both fear and aggression are processed in the same area. This is fascinating. So why does this matter?
Consider these quotes from Behave “Sustained stress has numerous adverse effects. The amygdala becomes overactive and more coupled to pathways of habitual behavior; it is easier to learn fear and harder to unlearn it” and “In PTSD sufferers the amygdala is overreactive to mildly fearful stimuli and is slow in calming down after being activated. Moreover, the amygdala expands in size with long-term PTSD.” When we are under long-term stress, or trauma, our amygdala becomes more active. This is one example of how stress impacts our brain functioning. As a therapist, I find this information really good to know. If the section of the brain that is linked to fear becomes overactive when stress occurs then I think that is excellent to know. This helps me understand what stress and trauma can be so impactful to my clients.
To wrap up I want to remind you that the structures within the limbic system compete when it comes to who gets to tell the hypothalamus what to do. And ultimately what the hypothalamus is told to do is what our bodies are told to do (again in extremely reductive terms). When the amygdala is overactive our entire body will feel that fear. As therapists, we believe in soothing our nervous system. We believe it is possible to use coping skills to help manage the impact stress has on our bodies. At ETG our hope is to integrate a holistic practice that addresses our brains as well as our bodies. Because it is clear to see our brain and body are deeply intertwined. Check out Behave to learn, in much more depth, about the brain and our bodies!
