Changing The Circuitry

How to change your neural circuitry?

In order to make changes in responses, you need to change your brain circuitry. To rewire your brain, it helps to understand brain circuitry and its basis in connections formed between neurons 

Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom —  Soren Kierkegaard 

Frontal Lopes

• Most important parts of the cortex 
• Anticipate results
  • Worry emotion – Outgrowth anticipation of a negative outcome in a situation 
• Planning system
• Initiate response – Allow us to respond to an integrated experience of the world 
• Feedback System from the world  – Receives information from all other lopes 

Amygdala

• Strategically located in the central area of the brain
• Wired to react before the cortex 
  • To respond quickly and save your life 
•  Pathway
  • Initiates the physical experience 
  • A more direct route from our senses
• Lateral Nucleus 
  • The part of the Amygdala that receives incoming messages from the senses
  • Consistently scans the environment for threats and dangers 
  • Gets Information from Thalmus directly, Before the cortex 
    • Thalmus – Another part that receives sensory information from the environment – Has a direct route to Amygdala 

Whoever has learned to be anxious in the right way has learned the ultimate.—  Soren Kierkegaard 

Neurons

• Nerve cells 
  • The basic building block of the brain
• Processors – Of every sensation you experience from the world
• On the basis of experiences, the neurons are capable of changing their structures and patterns of responding 
• Parts: 
  • Cell Body – The machinery of the cell
    • Genetic Material
  • Dendrites – An essential part of the communication system between neurons 
  • Axons – Sends messages to dendrites by releasing chemicals ” neurotransmitters” ( Serotonin/Dopamine/..) to the space
  • Space – Between Dendrites and Axons 
    • Called synapse 
    • Here Occurs the communication between neurons  
• Firing –  Positive charge travel from receiving dendrites
  • Neurons that fire together, stay together 
• Connections between Neurons 
  • Two neurons need to be firing at the same time
  • Pattern of circuitry
    • Activation of one neuron causes the other to activate as well
• Changing the circuitry 
  • Involves a change in activation patterns 
  • Shaped by the specific experiences you have had and is changing as a result of continuing experiences
  • Reorganized by changing your behavior 
  • Can be activated by deliberate thoughts 

To change your anxiety you need to change neural connections that lead to anxiety – the connections are both stored in the form of memories in the cortex and amygdala.

To venture causes anxiety. Not to venture is to lose oneself.—  Soren Kierkegaard