Amygdala and the stress response

Our fear response comes from our amygdala which controls our “flight and fight response”. The amygdala scans everything around us to determine if it's a threat. It then sends signals to our body to prepare it for a threatening situation, like being chased by a bear. One aspect of the response is that it causes us to hyperventilate to get more oxygen to muscles so they can fight or run - this causes quickened breathing and increases heart-rate. This is useful to a certain level as it keeps us alive, but more often than not, we are not being chased by a bear.

In stressful situations, the amygdala can perceive even subtle cues as threats and trigger the stress response. We now have many perceived threats that provide the same fear as once life-threatening situations. When the amygdala perceives a threat or stressful situation, it sends signals to other areas of the brain, and activate the body's stress response system, resulting in the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, which prepare the body for action.

The types of perceived threats can cause a stress response in our body varied. They include;

Emotional experiences, such as intense fear, anger, or anxiety, can also trigger amygdala activation. This can occur when someone is exposed to traumatic events, experiences phobias or panic attacks, or encounters highly distressing emotional situations.

The amygdala can also perceive social situations as threatening, especially in cases of interpersonal conflict, social rejection, or situations involving aggression or confrontation. For example, if someone feels threatened by a bully or is subjected to intense scrutiny or judgment from others, the amygdala may be activated.

The amygdala is sensitive to uncertainty and ambiguity. When faced with uncertain or ambiguous situations, where the outcome or consequences are unclear, the amygdala can perceive them as potential threats. Any new situations, including public speaking can also trigger the amygdala stress response as there is a fear of judgement.

With so many perceived threats, chronic or excessive activation of the amygdala in response to stress can have negative effects on mental and physical health.

How to manage the stress response

When our fear response is activated, our breathing pattern changes into short shallow breathes. By calming our breathing we are sending this response back to the brain and the body that we are okay. The threat isn’t real.

When your exhale is longer than your inhale this starts to relax our mind. This simple breathing technique can bring calm and mental clarity. The best way to do this is by counting- inhale to a count of four and exhale to a count of six. As you gradually feel more calm you can extend those counts to slow it down further. But even the simple act of counting as you breathe, will help to calm the stress response