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8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

To recap. All thought has a choice of one of two reactions depending whether it is positive or negative. All negative thought gets a survival reaction. (anxiety) Past experience decides how bad it will be. Positive thought can not cause a panic attack. Associated memory can be negative to the positive thought and cause anxiety. But not a panic attack. Still it is a negative thought causing the anxiety. Over time positive thoughts neutralize these negative associated thoughts.

Davit

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Words

Lots of words seem to have similar meanings but they don't. "want to"and "have to" are such. They goth are associated with the same action. They get interchanged. If you think about it, it is easier to do something if you want to than if you have to. This works very well for agoraphobia.

Davit

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Triggers are just triggers, what you do with them is what reaction you will get.

On another site I posted "words" and will get to it.

So you are thinking positive but it still isn't working. Look closely at your positive thoughts, do they have negative riders. Negative riders are negative thoughts attached to a positive or coming right after. They carry a positive thought into Amygdala. Amygdala can't use it but it can use it as a trigger to drag the negative associated with it out of memory.

"but" is the most common rider. An example: You are at a party. You think, "I'm having a good time but I'd rather be at home". Second half of that thought is negative and changes the thought directing it to Amygdala where the whole thought is treated as a negative. Flip it over. "I'd rather be at home but I am having a good time". Negative thought with a positive rider. Positive rider carries it past Amygdala. Hypothalamus stores the negative as a fact. It feeds back to Amygdala as a fact not a directive. Amygdala records it as thus and it dilutes Amygdala's memory. As a trigger it has less strength than it would have before. The positive half tells Hypothalamus it wants a pleasant reaction. All because of a simple change of thought.

Davit

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Synapses are gaps in the neural pathways like gates or switches. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry the signal across these gaps. Or don't. Most signals don't. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter. SSRIs keep you from losing so much that it can't do it's job. It does not produce it. Serotonin can not cross the blood brain barrier. That produced in your body stays there and vice versa. Serotonin is produced from Tryptophan which has a carrier to take it across the blood brain barrier. That is another post.

There are other neurotransmitters but Serotonin is the most important one. Benzodiazepines work directly on the Neurotransmitters.

Davit

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

I'm putting these in multiple posts so it isn't overwhelming.

So, now how the parts work together. This is important because it shows why thinking positive works. It isn't just something your therapist wants you to do to feel good. It has a function.

As does medication which will be separate.

Every thought that makes it to the brain goes through Hippocampus for direction on it's way to Hypothalamus. Hypothalamus decides how you should think toward this thought or your body react if that is needed. It has a big job and is a big part of your brain. Positive thoughts go direct to Hypothalamus because Amygdala doesn't need to look at them other than to say, not my concern.

Negative thoughts go directly to Amygdala for contemplation and it's reaction comes from it's memory. It's memory is separate from other memory yet is controlled by feed back from hypothalamus. It can change. Most negative thought only calls for normal anxiety. Core beliefs can exaggerate this reaction. If Amygdala's memory says to panic you will and very fast too. Once set in place Amygdala makes the long arduous trip through contemplation deciding if panic is really necessary. In the mean time it has also sent a signal to Hypothalamus to react. This is where your symptoms come from. They now stay up till Amygdala says to stop. Hypothalamus is a slave to memory. It does nothing on it's own. It does what past memory says to do. Negative and Positive are it's masters.

To recap, positive thought gets a positive reaction, negative gets a negative one (fear)

None of this happens on it's own. It takes direction from you.

Controlling factors are mood and core beliefs.

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Memory.

Memory has four main parts.

Working memory: This is memory that controls things we do without our control.

Episodic memory: This is memory that tells us how to do common things we do often. Make coffee, toast, get dressed.

Semantic memory: Also called associated memory. This is memory of what things are. It stores things we have been told or have experienced. It is where hypothalamus gets answers when Episodic memory doesn't have one. The three are closely attached.

Procedural memory: Memory of how things are done. Driving a car, riding a bike.

Amygdala memory: Memory of past techniques for survival. Unfortunately memory of panic attacks.

Davit

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Knowing the parts of the brain is no different than knowing the parts of the body. You know what to do if your stomach acts up.

I will only list the important parts.

Hippocampus: This is an organ shaped like an upside down sea horse. It has two organs attached to it called Amygdala.

It's job is to sort thoughts and redirect them. Every thought goes through it.

Amygdala: these two organs are responsible for fear and survival reactions. Anxiety and panic attacks start here. They also end here.

Hypothalamus: This is part of the larger overall brain and closely attached to the different parts of memory and one organ outside the brain, the pituitary. It in combination with these is responsible for your symptoms.

There are a million million neurons making up the larger part of the brain. Each neuron is attached to a thousand others. This makes thought very fast.

Synapses: these are through your whole body but most are in your brain.

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