The amygdala is a small almond-shaped structure in the brain that plays a key role in processing emotions. When the amygdala is activated, the body's immune system momentarily stops. Therefore, the body does not try to suppress them, which is rational from the standpoint of our primitive ancestors' brains. For instance, when a brown bear appears, the situation should last about 5 to 10 minutes, and the body stops all kinds of functions in that time. It is not a big deal to block these functions for 5 to 10 minutes. However, modern humans face situations that cannot be resolved in 5 to 10 minutes, and as a result, the amygdala of modern humans cannot maintain normal function, causing their brains to be in an abnormal state. Therefore, no matter what happens, they default to being irritated and angry.
The Effect of the Amygdala on Emotions
One important thing to note when the amygdala is activated is that it affects emotions. Emotional regulation is very important nowadays. Negative emotions are the only ones the amygdala has, which means it is activated when one is afraid. When one is afraid, there are two ways to express it: one can either freeze up or become aggressive. Therefore, anger is an expression of fear.
Identifying the Source of Your Fear
If you are more irritable than last year, it may be because you are more afraid. If you get angry or anxious, you need to find the source of your fear. The amygdala works in the unconscious mind, but it affects emotions. In the past, psychologists believed that emotions, thoughts, and memories were on the same level of consciousness. However, thoughts and emotions are completely different things. Thoughts are like this: "I got angry when I thought about something from the past," so we thought that thoughts and emotions were the same thing, but they're not.
The amygdala plays a significant role in processing emotions and affecting the body's immune system. Although it is rational from the standpoint of our primitive ancestors' brains to suppress bodily functions during brief moments of danger, modern humans face complex and long-term challenges that require the amygdala to maintain normal function. By identifying the source of our fears and practicing emotional regulation, we can help keep our amygdala and immune system functioning properly.