Rewire Your Anxious Brain audiobook cover - How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry

Rewire Your Anxious Brain

How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry

Catherine M. Pittman & Elizabeth M. Karle

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Categories:
SciencePsychology

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Mind Map

Rewire Your Anxious Brain
Core Brain Pathways
  • The Amygdala
  • The Cortex
  • Neuroplasticity
Amygdala-Based Anxiety
  • Physical Reaction
  • Immune to Logic
  • Emotional Memories
Rewiring the Amygdala
  • Exposure Principle
  • Endurance
  • Corrective Information
  • Repetition
Cortex-Based Anxiety
  • Mechanism
  • External Triggers
  • Internal Triggers
  • Cognitive Traps
Rewiring the Cortex
  • Break Cognitive Fusion
  • Healthy Skepticism
  • Mindfulness
  • Distraction
  • Coping Thoughts

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 6
What are the two primary regions of the brain responsible for creating different types of anxiety?
  • A. The hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex
  • B. The amygdala and the cortex
  • C. The hypothalamus and the brain stem
  • D. The sympathetic nervous system and the cerebellum
Question 2 of 6
Why is it generally ineffective to use logic to calm down someone who is experiencing an amygdala-based panic response?
  • A. The cortex completely shuts down and goes dormant during high-stress situations.
  • B. The sympathetic nervous system blocks auditory processing during the fight-or-flight response.
  • C. The amygdala operates outside of language and logic, communicating instead through emotional memories.
  • D. The hypothalamus requires physical movement to release calming hormones into the bloodstream.
Question 3 of 6
According to the authors' concept of 'activate to generate,' what is a crucial requirement for exposure therapy to successfully rewire amygdala-based anxiety?
  • A. You must immediately cut the anxiety short the moment you feel uncomfortable.
  • B. You must let the anxiety response build, peak, and taper off naturally without interrupting it.
  • C. You must use logical reasoning to convince your amygdala there is no danger before exposure.
  • D. You must avoid the trigger completely until the neural pathways naturally weaken over time.
Question 4 of 6
How does the cortex contribute to the experience of anxiety?
  • A. It generates thoughts, worries, and images that provoke the amygdala's fear response.
  • B. It directly releases cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream when a threat is perceived.
  • C. It creates the immediate, subconscious physical fight, flight, or freeze response.
  • D. It stores subconscious emotional memories from past traumas that bypass conscious thought.
Question 5 of 6
What does the term 'cognitive fusion' refer to in the context of cortex-based anxiety?
  • A. The physical neural connection formed between the amygdala and the cortex during a panic attack.
  • B. The process of successfully replacing a negative thought with a positive coping thought.
  • C. The brain's ability to simultaneously process sensory information and imaginative thoughts.
  • D. The act of taking thoughts and feelings as absolute truth and confusing them with reality.
Question 6 of 6
Which of the following is recommended as an effective strategy for dealing with persistent, anxiety-inducing thoughts in the cortex?
  • A. Trying forcefully to erase or stop the thoughts entirely from occurring.
  • B. Arguing intensely with the negative thoughts to prove them logically wrong.
  • C. Replacing the anxious thoughts with positive coping thoughts and using healthy distractions.
  • D. Focusing solely on muscle relaxation and deep breathing while ignoring the cognitive aspects.

Rewire Your Anxious Brain — Full Chapter Overview

Rewire Your Anxious Brain Summary & Overview

Rewire Your Anxious Brain (2015) is a powerful guide to overcoming anxiety. Based on the latest research in neuroscience, it explains how two separate regions of the brain are responsible for producing anxiety – and how each requires different strategies and approaches.

Who Should Listen to Rewire Your Anxious Brain?

  • Anxiety sufferers
  • Therapists looking for new strategies
  • Brain science enthusiasts

About the Author: Catherine M. Pittman & Elizabeth M. Karle

Catherine M. Pittman, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and associate professor at Saint Mary's College. She’s a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), and offers seminars and workshops on anxiety and stress. 

Elizabeth M. Karle, MLIS, is a librarian and researcher at Saint Mary’s College and the author of Hosting a Library Mystery. She provided research and her personal experience with anxiety for Rewire Your Anxious Brain.

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