Retraining our thoughts

[Zee]

The Amygdala, an almond sized and shaped brain structure, has been linked with a person's mental and emotional state.

I read up on its function and also by using a visualisation technique positive results have been reached with anxiety and depression conditions.. Im going to give it a go..it costs nothing and just a little time each day..so will let you know how it goes:)

[crazyhayz]

Good luck sweetie. YOU CAN DO THIS. just keep telling yourself that!!!! :) xxx

[Zee]

Thanks crazyhayz:)

I had a go at this earlier this afternoon..Basically its visualisation where you imagine a feather gently stroking the area about half way between outer corner of your eye and the middle of your ear.. ( thats approx where amygdala lies inside the brain) so its roughly outer edge of top cheekbone either side of face.. You should eventually feel a tickly feeling in those areas..then you imagine energy flowing from those areas directing towards just behind your forhead..
First attempt.. i couldnt stop other thoughts intruding, 2nd attempt , a little better but still intrusive thoughts getting in. 3rd attempt I actually nodded off for 10 mins :). 4th attempt.. I most definately felt a shift in my thinking for a few minutes.
Am going to try again when in bed . You have to practice this several times through each day and the hopeful outcome is that you shift your anxiety, negative thinking away from the amygdala and the brain accepts eventually that this is the new way of thinking..positive, without anxiety.

[MidnightCalm]

I've been doing this for ages as part of a method I got into.
The whole rethinking, reworking the amyglada hasn't really changed much for me.
Doing visualisations helped temporarily and listening to panic attack eliminators just worsened things sometimes.

It says you have to just let a panic attack do its worst.
For me the worst is too much :(
If I don't stop it then I end up in bed ill for a week and I can't afford to do that :ohmy::noangel:

[allergyphobia]

zee this sounds VERY interesting. i have read all about the amygdala, and it has a lot to answer for. it is very stupid, and can't tell the difference between our imagination and reality. so when we have imagined something, our amygdala starts the alarm and flight or fight response in our bodies even when we are not in the situation. i am very interested in this technique you are trying, where have you found the info? well done and good luck x

[Zee]

Hi allergyphobia.. I was very naughty and googled "anxiety and your amygdala." I was told about it by someone it had worked for, so I thought worth a try.

[MidnightCalm]

Can anybody talk me through what to do? Like how it works? What I should start with..?
I don't like guides.
I always think the people who're like "YES IT WORKED" are just paid to say it.

[Zee]

http://www.anxiety-depression-alternatives.com/articles/anxiety_amygdala.htm

hi midnightcalm.. this is just one link I found it on.. which explains .There are more indepth articles about it though on the net.

[MidnightCalm]

Sorry if I sound stupid but I don't understand what it is telling me to do or where any of these things are.