Summary of Catherine M. Pittman and Elizabeth M. Karle's Rewire Your Anxious Brain

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Catherine M. Pittman and Elizabeth M. Karle's Rewire Your Anxious Brain in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book.

In the book, you will learn how the amygdala and cortex (both important parts of the brain) are essential players in the neuropsychology of anxiety. The amygdala acts as a primal response, and oftentimes, when this part of the brain processes fear, you may not even understand why you are afraid. By comparison, the cortex is the center of "worry." That is, obsessing, ruminating, and dwelling on things that may or may not happen. In the book, Pittman and Karle make it simple by offering specific examples of how to manage fear by tapping into both of these pathways in the brain. As you read, you'll gain a greater understanding how anxiety is created in the brain, and as a result, you will feel empowered and motivated to overcome it. The brain is a powerful tool, and the more you work to change the way you respond to fear, the more resilient you will become. Using the practical self-assessments and proven-effective techniques in this book, you will learn to literally "rewire" the brain processes that lie at the root of your fears.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jan 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781952482137

IRB Media

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Insights from Introduction

#1

There are two pathways in the brain that give rise to anxiety. One is the cortex, which uses thoughts and images. The other is the amygdala, which uses current information and activates the fight-or-flight response. This book explains both pathways and provides tips on how to reduce and avoid anxiety.

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Cortex-based anxiety revolves around sensations, thoughts, logic, imagination, intuition, conscious memory, and planning. If your thoughts or ideas constantly turn to anxiety, if you obsess over doubts and worries, you probably have cortex-based anxiety.

#2

Amygdala-based anxiety has physical effects on the body, including adrenaline surge and increased blood pressure and heart rate. It is usually unconscious. If you get anxiety for no apparent reason or for a reason that doesn’t make sense, you probably have amygdala-based anxiety.

#3

Anxiety medications work by sedating the amygdala so anxiety is reduced quickly. However, they do not change the circuitry of the amygdala so they don’t help in the long run.

#4

The cerebral cortex, the first part of the cortex pathway, is