Next steps: what is happening in our brain when we feel emotions?
Our emotions often shape our mental healthiness and are there to help us to respond effectively to an arising situation.
Wider watching: Below is a video outlining what emotions are for and how usual ‘negative’ emotions can help us know how to respond to a situation.
The Limbic system of the brain is involved in the appraisal of the emotion and the next steps the brain takes following the emotional trigger:
There are three main parts to remember in emotional response:
Amygdala
This 1-inch, almond-shaped area of the brain is considered the “fire alarm.”
Once it senses danger, the amygdala is the part that kicks you into fight-or-flight mode.
If you’re living with trauma, research shows that your amygdala doesn’trecognise the difference between a threat then and a threat now. So, when you’re reminded of a past experience, it responds exactly as it would if you were experiencing the traumatic event for the first time, sending out a rush of stress hormones, like cortisol.
As a result, you may feel like you’re on edge, on high alert, or have high levels of stress or anxiety all the time.
Hippocampus
Located at the back of the brain, the hippocampus is considered the learning centre.
Research shows that the hippocampus is smaller and less active in people who’ve experienced trauma, which can create issues around memory and problem-solving.
This can make it hard for you to distinguish between the past and present, keeping you in a constant state of hyper-vigilance or strong emotional reactivity.
Pre Frontal Cortex
Located at the front of your brain, the prefrontal cortex is the rational, decision-making area. For those living with trauma, research shows that the prefrontal cortex is less active.
This suppression can slow down the learning of new information that could help you control your fear. Combined with an overactive amygdala, the prefrontal cortex can have a harder time overriding the fight, flight, or freeze response.
As such, you may feel like you have a hard time controlling your fear response or struggle with logical thinking.
The sequence basically goes as follows:
Trigger (known or unknown)
⬇
Emotion felt
⬇
Amygdala
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Is it now, do we know, how safe is (Hippocampus)
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Thalamus makes connections
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Hypothalamus – expressions of emotions
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Brain stem- reaction
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Pre frontal cortex (later on) why did I do that /
There are mixed scientific view points of where emotions come from or are developed, including them being innate (i.e. you have them from birth) or social (they are developed through learning).
Below is a TED talk about emotions, you can watch this to find out more about how emotions may be of help to us and the science behind them.
Skill Stop
Remind yourself of the brain science - (Connect, active, new skills, giving to others, pay attention) Practise telling the person next to you how emotions work in the brain and how trauma affects it.
Main Point
Emotions help us to respond to situations helpfully, the reactions are automatically driven by the brain and past trauma or experiences. Understanding some basic brain science helps us to normalise our emotions and reactions. This helps us see that we are not odd or alone in having these. Understanding trauma response helps us to be empathetic towards ourselves and others helping us build.