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Introduction
Imagine your brain as an orchestra, with each section playing a critical role in your response to stress. The violins of the survival state may screech in alarm, the cellos of the emotional state may resonate with fear, and the flutes of the executive state may struggle to maintain their melody.
In our previous blog post, “Decoding Stress” we explored the brain’s intricate response to stress, highlighting the three distinct states it can occupy: Survival, Emotional, and Executive. Today, we’ll conduct a deep dive into these three primary brain states and learn how to harmonise them for better mental health.
The Survival State: Guardian of Our Primal Instincts
The survival state is the most ancient section of our brain’s orchestra, anchored in the brain stem. This primal state is directed by a network of structures including the amygdala, hypothalamus, periaqueductal grey (PAG), and others. Its primary directive is to ensure our immediate safety and well-being, focusing on physiological processes vital for survival:
- Fight-or-Flight: When danger looms, the survival state unleashes adrenaline and cortisol, the hormones that fuel the fight-or-flight response. This primes us for swift action, increasing heart rate, sharpening senses, and diverting blood flow to muscles.
- Freeze: Faced with overwhelming threats, the freeze response immobilises us, a survival mechanism aimed at minimising harm. The PAG plays a pivotal role in modulating pain and defensive behaviours during this response.
- The Amygdala’s Influence: The amygdala acts as the conductor of the survival state, rapidly assessing potential threats and orchestrating the appropriate response. Recent research suggests that chronic stress may lead to structural changes in the amygdala, potentially impacting its regulation of fear and anxiety.
The Emotional State: Navigating the Limbic Landscape
The emotional state arises from the limbic system, a complex network of brain structures involved in processing emotions, memory, and social interaction. The hippocampus, hypothalamus…
