Anxiety Part 2

The brain is an organ. Like all organs, we can manage its health. Brain health is a relatively new concept and I am super happy it is getting the attention it needs. Those who struggle with the emotional results of an unhealthy brain now have more resources than ever before. I want to understand both what contributes to impacting the brain both positive and negative as well as understanding what resulting symptoms manifest.

Understanding how my brain works has helped me feel more in tune with my own wellbeing. This can be spending time in mindfulness meditating on how each part of my brain functions. There are websites, YouTube videos, books, apps and so many more resources to help get you started. I will share more of these recourses later.  There are five major chemical neurotransmitters in the brain; dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, and cortisol. It is empowering to know what they do and how you can manage them. Our brain and our emotions are instruments for our success. Allowing them to take the lead in your life creates stress and anxiety.

Think about how you feel when you eat a cookie. You want more cookies. Now think about how you feel when you hike to the top of a hill, achieve a long desired goal like paint your living room that blue you meant to paint it. The way you interact with dopamine can impact your brain. Giving into addictive feelings is an unhealthy relationship with dopamine. Choosing healthy rewards for dopamine helps this neurotransmitter function productively rather than getting out of control with quick fixes. This results is addiction.

Serotonin rewards you when you win a social advantage. When a bully gains the upper hand over his/her victim it is a serotonin rush. It is the same for a victim who gains a social advantage over the bully. The drive for social justice, getting the promotion, being famous, being a “shun social norms” hipster all goes back to serotonin in the brain. It is how you perceive your own personal success in relation to your community.

The balance to serotonin is oxytocin, the trust and connection you have with your community. There is a proper balance for each person in seeking out personal best and what is perceived as best for the community (family, tribe, etc). I love what Brooke Castillo shares in her podcast, The Life Coach School explained in her podcast on neurotransmitters, “I ask myself where I am selling myself out for oxytocin.” In other words, where do we give up what is best for us to put others first?  Where do we give up what is best for us to have peace within our group? This is people pleasing. It feels good to make others happy. The long term however is an unbalanced wellbeing. You miss out on healthy relationships. The is the potential harm to other existing relationships. We see this often in marriages when the husband or wife puts extended family (parents and or siblings) first. 

Endorphins are probably one of the most famous neurotransmitters. Elle Woods in Legally Blonde uses them in the defense of her client. Every fitness instructor knows them well. Unfortunately so do people who cut themselves. Endorphins block out pain. Running and intense cardio helps alleviate stress to clear the mind and solve problems. It helps a cutter to not feel the internal turmoil of grief, trauma, anxiety or depression. Finding a positive balanced source of endorphins leads to a productive move towards positive change and a healthy wellbeing. Activities such as cutting brings guilt and shame. These cloud any productive move towards wellbeing.

Lastly, cortisol, the anxiety neurotransmitter.  Cortisol is great if you are in real danger. When you hear a sound and your senses go on high alert. Primarily, this neurotransmitter is supposed to help keep you safe. When cortisol begins to misfire, over fire or never stop, we are in a heightened anxiety. Cortisol in tandem with the other brain neurotransmitters is what we see manifested in our daily lives. Cortisol and dopamine leads to a panicked need for relief like alcohol or binge eating. Cortisol and serotonin can be a social feeling of anxiety when a bully feels like he/she is losing their place in their group and needs to be more mean. Cortisol and oxytocin can lead to the obsession to make sure everyone else is happy and if they are not, then we take personal responsibility and beat our selves up over it until they are happy again as a result of something we do. Cortisol and endorphins is where over exercise can become an issue, “If I don’t run, I am a failure.” A panic attack followed by self harm could also apply.   

This is such a basic overview of four brain neurotransmitters.  There is so much more such as adrenaline, testosterone, progesterone, estrogen and the list goes on. The beginning steps however to having balanced brain health is understanding why what we do matters. Why exercise? Why take walks? Why do Yoga? Do you know where your control ends and your brain runs away with you? I firmly believe that your brain, outside of serious disorders is responding directly to your environment. You are not blindly following your brain chemicals. This is not their environment. Being mindful of your brain balance is one way to regain control. If this topic is something you would like to look further into, Dr Daniel Amen, my favorite neuroscientist and psychologist has a whole host of books available on Amazon. Brooke Castillo’s Life Coach podcast called Neurotransmitters was a huge inspiration. I am also reading Sheila Walsh’s book, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.

Feel free to comment or email me at  katiemcconnell12@yahoo.com if you have any questions.