Emotional Hijacking

[Bec]

Hi,
Wanting to know about the biological long term effects of C-PTSD. For example, I know that long-term over production of cortisol is problematic to ones health in various ways. I also know emotional hijacking occurs, but don't know the process as it happens in the brain, and this is primarily what I need info on, please? - Something to do with hippothalamus by-passing the neocortex? Or is it the amygdala? Or the pituitary gland - or is that what gets damaged by too much long-term cortisol production? Confusion!! Help, please?
Bec

 

[SeekingSerenity]

Whew! Thats quite a mouthful! Those big words make my head spin. (LOL) But the good news is that I'm sure that an adult will be around to answer your question soon. In the meantime, welcome to the forum!

 

[Abrasky]

I would be interested to know the same thing, as I often wondered the long term effects of cortisol too. Going to google emotional hijacking. :)

 

[EloiseLandau]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ Good place to find lots of articles

 

[Bec]

I would be interested to know the same thing, as I often wondered the long term effects of cortisol too. Going to google emotional hijacking. :)

Wiki do a good summary on effects of long-term over production of cortisol - can't post the link yet, but if you googled it you probably found it already! Makes one want to chill out, hey! :)

 

[Bec]

OK... From what I can work out thus far, PTSD sufferers have higher levels of norpinephrine - a chemical involved in arousal and stress - which strengthens the emotional responses of the amygdala (involved in the fear response), which can become hyperactive.. Norpinephrine also decreases activation of the left prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for taking in new information, (&, in a nutshell, being rational) meaning the brain switches to operating more from the right side, which is involved in emotion and empathy... Hence the fight or flight response, I guess. Hmm. Haven't quite answered my own question though, hey :) But getting there, methinks.. Oh, also people with our condition have a smaller hippocampus (which is involved in memory), but I haven't worked out the part that plays in all this neurocircuitry. But emotional hijacking has something to do with the primitive part of our brains bypassing the rational part & just reacting. The reason I am interested in this is because I am tired of being so reactionary!!,

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[Bec]

Huh, 'emotional hijacking' is also referred to as 'amygdala hijacking' - YouTube has some talks about it.. x