Emotional Hijacking
What is Emotional hijacking?
When a person’s stress levels rise high, whether as a one off startled response to danger, or as a result of cumulative stress, there are significant changes that occur in the brain. Normally your senses are continuously receiving information from the environment and this information is distributed by the thalamus equally into the emotional centre of the brain (limbic system) to be assessed for dangers, and into the thinking, rational, problem-solving centre (neo-cortex).
When stress levels get too high, the signals into the thinking part of the brain become greatly reduced, virtually disabling the ability to think clearly and rationally. All the sensory information is being processed by the limbic system and the emotional brain takes charge. In short, the person becomes a bit stupid and is likely to react emotionally to everything. The thinking brain is hijacked in favour of the emotional brain.
Within the limbic system there is a very important little organ called the amygdala. Its job is to act as your security guard and raise the alarm in times of threat. With the alarm raised, the amygdala and the emotions are running the show – and the person is being primed by fight/flight emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger, rage. With the thinking brain disabled by this high state of emotional arousal, the idividual is not really capable of clear and rational thinking.
When you consider the amazing piece of kit that is the human body, it makes you wonder why would the body produce the sort of response that makes a person unable to think? Emotional hijacking is a vital part of the survival response. The mind and body are preparing for fight or flight. As far as your body is concerned, high stress equals danger. Danger requires instinctive emotional responses, not strategic thinking. It is vital that you respond instinctively and emotionally. If you take the time to intellectualise your situation, it could be life threatening, therefore it makes sense for the body to switch off your ability to think.
The consequences of prolonged emotional stress are that the person will perceive an ongoing reduction in full cognitive function. It will be hard to think clearly, to recall important information, to concentrate and so on. If the stress is not reduced, the body and mind will begin to urgently seek solutions, by reducing flexible thinking. Long-term stress sufferers develop black and white thinking, often with a catastrophic overtone. “I’m doomed, things will always be bad, the world is against me, I am always unlucky”.
The way to reverse the effects of emotional hijacking is to calm down. No matter how difficult your circumstances are, there are always ways of lowering the stress response. Regular practice of 7/11 breathing will help, or paying attention to meeting your basic needs. Do things that you enjoy; take time to relax. If you feel that it is easier said than done, give me a call.
If you have noticed that you are caught in catastrophic thinking, or feel that you are slowly losing your mental faculties, or that you just can’t cope, there is a good chance that the situation can be easily remedied with the right help and support.
Why not call me to discuss your situation, or drop me an email. Share
