When Even a Neuroscientist Feels Overwhelmed

"We're living through what I call the Traumademic: the emotional aftermath of overlapping crises-pandemics, political polarization, climate threats, and chronic uncertainty-layered on top of our personal trauma histories. The result? We often feel emotionally hijacked and disconnected. Even as a neuroscientist and therapist, I'm not immune."

"You probably know the feeling: One moment you're OK, and the next you're flooded with fear, panic, or rage. That's emotional hijacking-when the feeling brain temporarily takes over the thinking brain. These ancient emotional circuits evolved to protect us from immediate threats. But today's 'predators'-the nonstop news cycle, social media, economic stress-keep the brain's alarm system permanently on."

"The Basement: Core Emotional Instincts. This is where our seven primal systems live. The defensive emotions, such as fear, rage, and panic, can activate before reason does. A tone of voice, facial expression, or memory can flip the switch. If activation is sufficiently strong, emotional 'hijacking' can result."

The Traumademic describes the emotional aftermath of overlapping crises including pandemics, political polarization, climate threats, and chronic uncertainty layered on personal trauma histories. Emotional hijacking occurs when primal emotional circuits temporarily override rational thinking, triggered by modern stressors like news cycles and social media that keep the brain's alarm system perpetually activated. Understanding brain architecture through a three-story model helps explain how emotions move through us. The basement level contains seven core emotional systems and primal defensive emotions like fear, rage, and panic that can activate before reason engages. These ancient circuits evolved for immediate physical threats but now respond to chronic psychological stressors, flooding the system with fight-flight-freeze chemistry that fuels anxiety, burnout, and emotional numbness.

Read at Psychology Today