Difference between revisions of "Anxiety"

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== The [[brain]] is the organ most responsive to [[behavior]]. ==
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== Key Claims ==
== Anxiety is caused by consistently avoiding a [[trigger]]. ==
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*The brain is the organ most responsive to behavior.  
[[Avoidance]] trains your [[amygdala]] to label things as threats.  
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*[[Anxiety is caused by consistently avoiding a trigger.]]
The amygdala detects [[threat labels]].
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** Avoidance trains your amygdala to label things as threats.  
The amygdala sounds the alarm upon detection.  
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** [[The amygdala detects threat labels.]]  
The amygdala watches your response.  
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** The amygdala sounds the alarm upon detection.  
[[Approach]], a form of [[challenge]], retrains the amygdala to be less triggerable: [[habituation]].  
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** The amygdala watches your response.  
Further avoidance trains your amygdala to be more triggerable: [[sensitization]].  
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*Approach retrains the amygdala to be less triggerable: habituation.  
Anxiety disorders all involve having a [[phobia]] of anxiety or a component of the threat response.  
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** While approaching a threat trigger, the anxiety level will increase, peak, and decrease as long as the approach behavior is maintained.
[[Adrenaline]] is the ideal stimulant for the brain.  
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*The time scale for habituation is 90 seconds to 90 minutes.
Adrenaline increases IQ, fluency of speech, connections to others, executive function.  
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** The difference between the top of the curve and the bottom is called within-session habituation.
Adrenaline is essential for [[flow]].  
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** On the next approach session, the peak will be less if sufficient time has passed from the first trial.
Adrenaline can be experienced in high performance states, low performance states, and [[paralysis]] (freeze reaction).  
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** The difference in peak between the curves, e.g., from day to day, is called between-session habituation.
The appraisal you make of your adrenaline determines its function, for high performance or [[fight-or-flight response]].
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*How long habituation takes in a given exposure is a function of how much you are welcoming the experience (reframing and mindfulness).
Beliefs about adrenaline are [[self-fulfilling prophecies]].
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*Further avoidance trains your amygdala to be more triggerable: sensitization.  
Reframing flips you from low to high performance.  
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** With sensitization, you will have a higher starting point for the curve
How long habituation takes in a given exposure is a function of [[reframing]] and [[mindfulness]].
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*Anxiety disorders all involve having a phobia of anxiety or a component of the threat response.  
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*Adrenaline is the ideal stimulant for the brain.  
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*[[Adrenaline increases IQ, fluency of speech, connections to others, executive function.]]
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*[[The Yerkes-Dodson curve shows the relationship between abilities and arousal.]]
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** Arousal here refers to the amount of adrenaline present.  
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** Abilities refers to the performance of the task.
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*There are actually two curves, one showing high performance with high adrenaline, and one showing low performance with high adrenaline.
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*Yerkes-Dodson originally posited that the high curve is for easy tasks and the low curve for difficult tasks.
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*Adrenaline is essential for flow.  
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**[[Adrenaline can be experienced in high performance states, low performance states, and paralysis/freeze reaction.]]
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**[[The appraisal you make of your adrenaline determines its function, for high performance or fight-or-flight response.]]
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*Anxiety is simply adrenaline with a negative appraisal.
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*Excitement is adrenaline with a positive appraisal.  
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*Beliefs about adrenaline are self-fulfilling prophecies (like all self-concepts).
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*[[Reframing flips you from low to high performance.]]
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== Other Claims ==
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*Emotions are best processed when felt in the chest.
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*Feeling an emotion or urge sends a “message received” signal through the same vagus nerve back to your amygdala.

Latest revision as of 11:21, 2 December 2020

Key Claims

Other Claims

  • Emotions are best processed when felt in the chest.
  • Feeling an emotion or urge sends a “message received” signal through the same vagus nerve back to your amygdala.